“Nature’s kind of like our previous teacher that we’ve forgotten about as a society,” says Pinkshift vocalist Ashrita Kumar. “(Nature) can always inspire you in some way, and it allows you to think about things that are much bigger than you are.”
These are some of the core thoughts that drive Pinkshift’s new record, Earthkeeper, out August 29 via Hopeless Records, and described by the band as “a reflection of universal consciousness.”
“I care about the world, and I’ve been taken care of by so many people and things—like a tree on a really hot day. That tree gave me shade in the moment when I really needed it. I’ll take a minute to thank that tree. ‘Thank you for the shade,’’ Kumar says. “Or even the birds I walk past. ‘Thank you for your songs, even though you’re a little loud in the morning, but that’s okay,'” they laugh. “Maybe I needed to be awake and didn’t know it.’”
With Earthkeeper, the trio steps out of their comfort zones. “Anita Ride,” is the first track listeners can audibly hear guitarist Paul Vallejo and drummer Myron Houngbedji singing prominently on a song. The single marked a special occasion for the band too, becoming the first in a series of self-directed music videos.
Being on the road while trying to send edits back and forth to a director is inefficient, says Houngbedji about the band’s decision to self-direct. “I want to have intentional videos for all the singles coming out this summer. We as a band want to connect listeners … for them to have an image in their head when they hear the songs.” He continues, “Like for me, in the music video ‘I’ve Seen the Butcher’ by Deftones, there’s this one shot near the end where the low string of Stephen [Carpenter]’s guitar is vibrating in slow motion. That moment is just stuck in my head.”
Musically, Earthkeeper is a delicious juxtaposition. The first two singles are some of the heaviest songs the band has ever done, while at the same time, “We also have songs on the record that are on the other end of the spectrum. They’re very soft and some of the lightest-sounding stuff that we’ve done,” says Vallejo. “And some of the most pop kind of songs that we’ve ever written on this record too!” says Kumar with a smile.
Culled from 18 songs, the 12-track record might not be the only release we see from Pinkshift this year. The trio has already recorded two of these six and have plans to record at least two more.
Another big part of Earthkeeper is about maintaining hope, which may seem like an impossible challenge in the current doom and gloom prevalent throughout the world. Kumar offers their two cents with these words, “If you can, find joy. Joy is very necessary to propel us forward. We have to be able to be joyful in our movements…in our resistance,” adding, “We just came back from a protest. It’s such a powerful experience to know that you’re around a bunch of people who have your back, even if they don’t know you personally.”
As Kumar and their two bandmates when into this album cycle, they all felt a bleakness when it came to the state of the world, as well as their lives in general. “We didn’t realize it until we sat down at that cabin and began to talk to each other. It’s just like, I’m seeing everybody’s moving on with their lives. They have families. They’re buying a car or a house. And I’m not doing that. I don’t have that,” Kumar says, “But we asked ourselves what do we have, instead of focusing on what we don’t have. We have each other. We have this wonderful band, and Earthkeeper came from these feelings.”
You can catch Pinkshift on tour this fall! Check out the full tour on their website, pinkshiftmd.com/tour. Earthkeeper is out today, and you can order your copy from Hopeless Records. Follow Pinkshift on Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, and BlueSky for future updates.
All photos by Madison Walters
