Introducing: Strange Pink

On debut single Pencil Chewer, the East Yorkshire trio blend slacker cool, psych-tinged guitars, and a surprising Shakespearean influence to launch themselves into the indie rock arena with serious intent. Fronted by Sam Forrest (Nine Black Alps, Sewage Farm) and powered by the explosive rhythm section of Eddie Alan Logie and Dom Smith — a drummer smashing expectations as much as he smashes the kit — Strange Pink make their mark with a sound that’s gritty, bright, and deeply human.

With their Out Of Focus EP on the way and live dates already building buzz, we sat down with the band to dig into the dark roots of Pencil Chewer, their creative process, and how disability, history, and heavy riffs all find their place in the Strange Pink universe.

“Pencil Chewer” is a bold first impression — psych guitars, slacker energy, and a narrative rooted in Shakespeare’s Aaron from Titus Andronicus. What drew you to such a dark character for your debut, and how did that influence the tone and message of the song?

SAM: The lyrics for the song were originally rooted in a conversation about bullying and getting verbal abuse from a stranger. From here the words kind of evolved in their own way into trying to understand the psychology behind bullying behaviour and how it happens. Shakespeare probably did a better job of portraying the archetypal bully than our three-minute pop song.

There’s an unexpected layer of historical and religious inspiration in the track too —Sam, you mentioned St. Agatha of Sicily and themes of oppression. How do these ideas weave into the sound or lyrics without being too on-the-nose?

SAM: Someone asked me what the lyrics were about and I just said the first thing that came into my head. But upon researching her life, it seems that she could be a valid subject for the song too. She seems like a cool saint - definitely in my top five...

Dom, your story as a drummer with cerebral palsy is incredibly inspiring. Can you share how your experience has shaped the band’s ethos and your own approach to performance and accessibility in music spaces?

DOM: I think it's always going to be difficult - as we play a lot of smaller venues, and there are always lots of trip hazards. I don't expect a lot from venues, and promoters - just understanding, and/or less assumptions about the types of bands and artists that may be coming into their spaces, at all levels. Hopefully getting this message out there might make a few people think about their venue accessibility a little bit and make people/spaces/venues aware that there are some incredible disabled artists out there - Mallavora, Gaelynn Lea and Blaine Harrison of The Mystery Jets come to mind. But yeah, for now, I am happy clambering over wires!

You recorded the track at Young Thugs in York with Nick ‘The Muscle’ Russell and had it mastered by Ed Woods—how did that collaborative process shape the final sound of Pencil Chewer? Did anything unexpected happen in the studio?

SAM: The only unexpected thing was how un-stressful it was. We recorded the bulk of the songs live in an afternoon, overdubbed a few bits and then Nick managed to buff it to a sheen to make us sound better than we actually are!

Strange Pink’s music draws from the legacy of bands like Sonic Youth and Built To Spill, but you clearly bring your own identity to the mix. What are you trying to say or carve out with this debut, and how will that evolve on your upcoming EP Out Of Focus?

DOM: In terms of the band's ethos - it hasn't really changed that. Being in Strange Pink has boosted my confidence if anything! I was adamant that I was done playing after The Parasitic Twins finished because of the pandemic/band drama. I have a very specific drumming style, and way of playing that is in part, affected by my Cerebral Palsy. When Sam e-mailed me, I was recommending session musicians!!I'd always been a fan of Nine Black Alps, and later Sewage Farm - so, honestly, I just didn't wanna ruin whatever Sam had planned for the songs… but here we are! I pushed myself out of my comfort zone, and now I am grateful that Eddie and Sam do the same for me, when we write - we talk through things, and suggest changes. In my previous bands, it was very much heavy, smash....arghhhh! Ha! That was fun, but this is very different!So, I am grateful to the dudes for pushing me and being patient in the creative process too. I've said this before, and I'll say it again… this is the kind of band that I've always wanted to be in. Sam is a truly underrated songwriter, in my view...and Eddie....his skills are amazing.

For me, I approach every show as if it's my last - I get incredibly anxious each show... that's never gone away, but being in this band (and having the support [and belief] of Casey at our label Forever Underdogs) is such a wonderful feeling. Whatever happens going forward, I am so incredibly grateful to everyone who has gotten behind us, so far!Many thanks for the support, it’s very much appreciated. Do let us know when the interview goes out so that we can push it out on our socials.