The music industry can feel like a boxing match. Some days, you’re swinging with full strength, claiming every opportunity you can and being applauded by the public for your artistry. On other days, the crippling self-doubt that comes with grinding on the road and being on social media can knock you out faster than you came. This competitiveness, mixed with imposter syndrome, is a juxtaposition that the music business can make bands in the scene feel. These complex feelings are precisely what Jhariah’s new single, “Eat Your Friends,” is about.
Featuring his friends and Baltimore natives in Pinkshift, the track does not hold anything back when it comes to sonic exploration. From rebellious guitar progressions vacillating between the punk and hardcore worlds to techno-pop vocal production, “Eat Your Friends” paints an aggressive picture of how the industry pits artists against one another. Although the scene has become more inclusive in recent years, there are challenges that people of color continue to face when it comes to breaking the glass ceiling. In a statement, Jhariah explains these frustrations from his unique perspective and personal experience.
“You feel like there’s so little to go around,” Jhariah says. “I’m a very competitive person, but also, I don’t want to be in competition with my friends. I want to be doing this together. It’s a very tricky thing.”
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Jhariah and Pinkshift announced the track to fans during their fall tour with Pollyanna. Posting a video teaser a week ago via Instagram, each band member is caught staring into the camera with great intensity in a forest. The video highlights the diversity in the scene, representing the deeper themes of “Eat Your Friends.” While the song promotes a blunt message regarding the lack of inclusivity, the video gives fans hope that the next generation of our genre will change the tides. It also makes fans wonder if a music video will come out for the single sometime soon.
Listen to “Eat Your Friends” here and tell us what you think!
