Maybe it’s from a sheltered life growing up in the Midwest and getting my first CDs from Christian bookstores, but I love when artists choose their own labels instead of massive content farms pushing identities and labels on bands – just look at how many “Christian” bands dissociated from the label once they had enough power. The ways in which we self-identify or that others categorize can greatly affect us. Just look at society right now and how much it matters to find people who share common values (even if beliefs are disparate). The self-tagged “gunk pop” group Black Ends embodies the spirit of both words. Their indie-fied take on grunge is delectably dirty, though we have more hooks than a Candyman-themed Halloween party. Vocalist/guitarist Nicolle Swims infuses the record with defiant stories of being othered throughout life and seeking community. Like their genre tag, it’s messy yet beautiful. All of this makes for a record brimming with heart and hope, an open hand instead of a fist.

Swims is happy to embrace the label:

“Absolutely I embrace that because that is who I am and once you get bullied for things like that your entire life, it’s hard not to. You either embrace it or see your demise, and I definitely chose to embrace myself. Being Black is beautiful. Being queer is beautiful. There’s nothing about that to be ashamed of and there should never be a time in a Queer Black kid’s life where they feel bad for being them. But it happens so much and so easily. I just want a kid who feels lonely in this world to pick this record up and for 30 minutes not feel so alone in this world. This record has a recurring theme of isolation and sadness and being misunderstood to the point of no return. I just needed to get the feelings I was feeling out into the world, and I hope when others listen, it holds relatable for them as well.”

The new Black Ends record, Psychotic Spew, is out Friday, and you can preorder it from Youth Riot Records. Follow Black Ends on Instagram and Twitter for future updates.

Photo courtesy of Jimmy Humphries