From a swipe on a dating app to a debut EP and millions of Spotify streams, Chokecherry have redefined what we expect from a band’s origin story.
Chokecherry’s debut EP Messy Star pairs an eclectic layering of personal vulnerability and emotionally driven guitar tones. The five song EP from the Shoegaze / Grunge Pop act gets progressively darker, exploring the depression and anger that sits below the surface of the brighter mask we wear to hide those emotions. Founding members Scarlett and Izzie gave us a look behind the EP and the swipe that began it all.
Starting a band may not be everyone’s goal when it comes to joining a dating app, but for Izzie A. Clark and E. Scarlett Levinson of Chokecherry, a lukewarm date turned into a hot music trajectory with the one fateful phrase, “What if we…start a band?”
Izzie did admit that one day telling the story might get old, but according to her, “I think people love the idea of sexual tension with two women working together. Which is weird because… she’s like my sister!”
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“From the start, I feel like it was sexualized, which is interesting, but there was this really cool energy of having all women in a band and being able to say, ‘No, we wrote that all ourselves.’ It felt triumphant, especially because, as a woman in the music industry, people often assume if you write a good song, there’s a guy behind it,” Izzie said.
“Absolutely,” Scarlett said. “People have asked me so many times, ‘Who plays the instruments on your recordings?’ It’s like, we do. I learned bass for this band! We’re very specific about what we want, but it’s easy to get discredited because, well, we’re ‘hot girls.’”
The music videos for Chokecherry’s Afterglow and No Other Place have an eerie undertone, promising that something darker is coming. Scarlett emphasized that “With each single, we wanted it to get progressively darker, and the visuals match that. Each video connects to the next, with themes like water and drowning. It’s like a journey from a charming, scuzzy pop world into something darker, a kind of existential crisis EP.”
In line with this, Izzie characterizes No Other Place as a reflection on depression: “Staying at home, praying to feel better, battling yourself. It’s got fighting imagery, which shows up a lot in our songs. This one always had this underlying anger. It’s like trying to express something complex when you don’t have the exact words.”
Scarlett and Izzie aren’t afraid to pour themselves into the lyrics. The music helps them with “Putting big thought into words.”
“Afterglow started with me sobbing on the floor,” Scarlett said. “And with the track I Know You on the EP, I remember begging Izzie to keep it. The words just cut so deep. That’s one of the things about this band—musically and lyrically, it’s so honest. I don’t hold back. I let people know exactly how I feel, and the writing is so collaborative. We bounce ideas off each other, throw them at the wall, and see what sticks. It’s very emotional, and everyone knows exactly how I’m feeling all the time now.
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“I totally agree,” Izzie said. “When we’re writing, it kind of all just pours out, and usually, whatever comes out first—is what ends up in the song. I feel like it’s the most honest way of capturing how you feel at that moment. It’s about capturing emotion without words, translating feelings into guitar tones. Like, I can communicate sadness through a reverb pedal—that’s one of the coolest parts of making music. That’s why some of our songs are abstract; it’s hard to put a big thought into words sometimes.”
The interplay between light and dark, the intense emotions, and the focus on raw first takes can make bringing the song to life again and again a challenge when tours come around. Although Izzie and Scarlett project the same confidence paired with gorgeous vintage vibes and vibrant red lipstick, their approach to the stage differs. Scarlett lights up thinking about performing the EP on tour: “We love touring! We love getting in the crowd, singing and screaming. The music gets me into the headspace pretty quickly.” Izzie is more reserved, confessing, “Sometimes I feel nervous. What if the crowd doesn’t like it? But it’s become routine now—plugging in pedals, tuning. I feel like as we play on bigger stages, I’m learning to push past stage fright. When people are into it, even moshing, it makes me feel safe. It’s a mutual exchange, and it feels powerful, like music is truly a message.”
For both women, their bold red lip is a part of their armor for facing the outside world.
“I think about makeup as both an armor and a choice,” Izzie said. “Is it more powerful to not wear makeup and challenge beauty standards? Or to wear it and make the choice your own? It’s fascinating to think of makeup’s role in self-expression.”
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“Makeup is an art form. I follow people who do abstract, avant-garde looks. I love how makeup can transform,” Scarlett said. “It’s like styling—just like adding 20 necklaces to an oversized T-shirt, it’s an aesthetic choice. But I didn’t always feel this way. Growing up, I felt bare without it. Now, it’s just one part of a look, and having people who inspire you to view things as art really changes that perspective.”
“Reframing makeup as art is empowering, especially for all genders,” Izzie said. “The freedom to experiment with your look is incredibly cool.”
We had one final question before letting the duo head back into their tour. The conversation touched frequently on femme empowerment, the power dynamics behind diet culture, and Scarlett and Izzie’s push to redefine the narrative around women in music. As Chokecherry grows, we explored how the pressure of being a role model would play into their journey.
“To be a role model, you have to be authentic to yourself,” Scarlett said. “I think the biggest lesson has been believing in myself, which took time. We’re lucky to have amazing partners like Fearless to help us create this visual world, but I’m still learning how to balance it all.”
Izzie’s take was a bit different.
“I think if you’re truly authentic, being a role model isn’t as scary,” she said. “I love connecting with fans and showing kindness. We’re all here for the music and the community it creates. Our drummer is trans, and seeing how fans, especially queer kids, connect with him and get to see somebody completely living their truth and being successful and having top surgery scars is the most beautiful thing I’ve seen on tour. Music has the power to impact people’s lives, and that’s a big motivator for us.”
Messy Star is available for streaming on all platforms, and check out their tour to see Messy Star live!