chokecherry

Emotion travels at the speed of sound. As if out of the ether, it hits unexpectedly, manifesting in the form of either joy, sadness, pain, anger, fear, anxiety, or elation. chokecherry harness this emotional spark and ignite it into grunge-kissed alternative rock buoyed by pop appeal and shoegaze alchemy. The San Francisco trio—Izzie A. Clark [vocals, guitar], E. Scarlett Levinson [vocals, bass], and Abri Crocitto [drums]—strike a deep chord on their 2024 debut EP for Fearless Records and much more to come.

“Emotions are the most powerful things humans share,” observes Izzie. “They can be a driving force for change and good when there’s so much exploitation in the world. Music is energy, and it can really unite and strengthen us.”

As the story goes, Izzie and Scarlett met each other via The Bay Area’s fertile scene. Born and raised in San Francisco, Scarlett taught at an elementary school by day and played around town in psychedelic favorites Fauxes at night, while Izzie fronted hardcore-infused Thank you Come Again. Upon getting to know one another, the girls bonded over inspirations as diverse as Ty Segall, Fugazi, My Bloody Valentine, Slint, Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Cocteau Twins, and Dinosaur, JR.

However, watching each other live sowed the seeds for a collaboration.

“Izzie is a really charismatic and energetic performer,” says Scarlett. “Seeing her on stage was so exciting. When we came together, we combined all of these elements—the super soft, the meaningful, and the screaming. There’s a big variety in the sounds we make, but we’re always honest.”

“We’re both front-people in our own projects, so coming together was this huge energy,” Izzie remarks. “I always wanted to explore more melodic sounds, and we were able to put pop and grunge-fusion into chokecherry.”

A mutual love for music fueled their collaboration. They eventually brought self-taught drum phenomenon from Reno, NV Abri to the fold, completing the lineup. “I moved to San Francisco and joined almost every band that asked me to play drums,” he laughs. “After three mental breakdowns and one iconic mental breakthrough, I settled down with Izzie and Scarlett.”

Marathon jam sessions paved the way for their live debut in a five-car garage in San Francisco. Surrounded by friends, the spirit of chokecherry blossomed even in this nascent moment. Soon, merch sold out at D.I.Y. shows as the group headlined The Chapel in San Francisco by their tenth public performance. During the spring of 2023, the musicians cut their debut single “Glass Jaw.” The track explloded online after Chicago’s The Bun 91.3 touted it on TikTok. The viral success translated to DSPs as the song reeled in 2.1 million Spotify streams. Buzz burgeoned as Death Valley Girls invited them on tour, and the trio also hit the stage at Freakout Festival, Lose Yr Mind, and Psyched! Fest in San Francisco. SF Gate christened them “a band on the verge of blowing up” and raved, “chokecherry’s blend of white-hot shoegaze is the modern sound of the California sun vaporizing the San Francisco fog.”

They only maintained their momentum with “Around Around Around,” generating half-a-million streams. In 2024, they caught the attention of Fearless Records and signed to the label.

Writing their own story, the group’s sound thrives on the interplay of its members. Fuzzed-out guitar and thick bass engage in a sonic conversation as the vocals may melt into a haze of distortion only to materialize in a rush of feeling as a low hum, hypnotic howl, or hard-hitting scream traced along the fault-line of potent percussion.

“It’s SoCal at heart,” Izzie notes. “We love the sunshine pop with a little heaviness on the guitar. If it’s not heavy why do it?”

Ultimately, there’s not much emotionally heavier than chokecherry.

“We want our music to make you feel less alone when life is challenging,” Scarlett leaves off. “When I was younger, I often felt lonely, but songs were like friends that got you through hard times or kept you company. Music is an escape that makes me feel like I’m a part of something. It has the ability to change your world and your life in an instant.”