We had the pleasure of interviewing Pom Pom Squad over Zoom video!
Pom Pom Squad (the Brooklyn-based four-piece led by the powerhouse Mia Berrin) announces the new album ‘Death Of a Cheerleader’ set to drop June 25th. A sonic collage of deeply personal odes to self-identity, raucous lashings against society’s BS, and snapshots of messy, complicated and fraying love affairs, ‘Death Of a Cheerleader’ will be their first record following their recent signing to City Slang Records.
Produced by Sarah Tudzin of Illuminati Hotties and co-produced by Berrin herself, it’s a record that plays out like an exorcism in front of your bathroom mirror -- confronting the dark we’ve had planted within us and then ripping it out, all while watching every second of it.
It’s vulnerable yet triumphant, deliciously irreverent & inviting yet sneering in the faces of those that had once tried to define her. First single “Lux” was unanimously praised by press including Stereogum who called it “a serrated blast of noise in which Berrin takes someone to task with glee” and The Fader who said “come for the scrappy punk reimagining of The Virgin Suicides, stay for Pom Pom Squad's galvanizing treatise on feminine awakening in a world that would rather keep your eyes shut.”
Pom Pom Squad recently dropped “Head Cheerleader”, a grungy track of defiance about trading a desire for external approval/acceptance for self-actualization, which also includes backing vocals by Tegan Quin.
The video for the song plays into the dichotomy between our authentic selves and what we think society expects of us, as Berrin performs & cries cartoonish tears amidst a backdrop of plastic flowers, a grave, marching band uniforms, and a giant pink cake. The video’s outro also gives a sneak peek of another upcoming track off the album.
Equal parts grimy garage rock authenticity and swirling cinematic flourishes, ‘Death Of a Cheerleader’ explores the terrifying yet liberating topics of independent self-acceptance, smashing the white male patriarchy, being okay with not being okay, and fully embracing your own skin for the first time in your life — in a way, learning to become your own special kind of cheerleader. With Berrin at the creative helm, ‘Death Of a Cheerleader’ is a record for those struggling to find themselves and then shouting from the rooftops when they finally do.
Mia Berrin spent her childhood trying to find where she fit right in the world, looking to the pop culture icons on TV in hopes of finding an image she connected to. She connected with the films of John Waters and David Lynch, loved the dark campiness found in Heathers, was in awe of the power of women like Courtney Love and Kathleen Hanna. Growing up as a female of color who would later in her life unearth and embrace her queerness, discussing and reconciling who she is with the perception of who people think she should be, has become a lifelong mission for Mia.
With Shelby Keller (drums), Mari Alé Figeman (bass), and Alex Mercuri (guitar), Mia formed Pom Pom Squad in 2015 and took to the streets of NYC, cutting her teeth playing packed venues alongside the likes of Soccer Mommy, Pronoun and Adult Mom.
But with the COVID pandemic changing the rules of how we all live, followed by the wave of protests against systemic racism and police brutality in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, Mia’s world became more solitary, and she took this time of reflection to pay respect and homage to the people of color who helped lay the groundwork for the musician she is today. The likes of Sade, Billie Holiday, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, all ring a bell. All of these components throughout Mia’s life have bonded together, fortifying a talent that for years has shaken NYC venues, and now is set to shake the world.
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