Premiere: Meet Ekko Astral, a Queer Post-Punk Band Making Mascara Moshpits

“WE’RE JUST GROWING TITS AND THROWING FITS AT THE END OF THE WORLD! ” That’s just one memorable line from singer-songwriter Jael Holzman, a trans woman at the front of a thrilling new band called Ekko Astral who are currently tearing up Washington D.C.’s local punk scene. Today, we’re premiering their latest single “EAT OFF MY CHEST” ahead of the group’s debut EP (QUARTZ) dropping this Friday. Listen below.

The self-declared pioneers of “mascara moshpit music,” Ekko Astral’s thunderous, goth-tinged sound will immediately bewitch you: a combination of garage, early emo, and ear-splitting noise rock influences channeled through unyielding energy. But it’s Holzman’s lyrics and demanding lead vocals that turn an already-enticing formula into something striking; her words are unsparing, tackling the triumphs and trials of living as a trans woman with a cutting sense of sarcasm and wit. Holzman wrote the EP during the early months of her gender transition, stuck at home during a pandemic and an unprecedented media fixation against trans livelihood.

On Ekko Astral’s latest single, Holzman writes about the feeling of intoxicating self-love. “‘EAT OFF MY CHEST’ is letting yourself fall in love with your own authenticity,” she reflects. “The feeling of a Friday night alone where you try on every outfit in the closet, just for the kicks. Being who you are, whoever that is, unapologetically and voraciously so.”

Check out the tracklist and artwork for QUARTZ below; Ekko Astral’s debut EP will release on Friday, October 28 via Bandcamp and streaming services.

EKKO ASTRAL
QUARTZ
Release Date: October 28, 2022

BANDCAMP