chokecherry, the genre-defying San Francisco duo of Izzie Clark and E. Scarlett Levinson, have announced their debut album Ripe Fruit Rots and Falls, set for release on 14 November. The record promises to capture the chaotic heartbeat of modern youth, where anger, longing, and empathy all collide. To celebrate, the band has dropped their explosive new single Major Threat, accompanied by a lo-fi VHS video dripping in DIY energy.
While chokecherry have carved out their reputation for lush, shoegaze-inspired soundscapes, Major Threat delivers something different – a dirty, thrashing, punk-fuelled detour that nods directly to hardcore icons Minor Threat. The track is raw, angular, and unflinchingly alive, the kind of song that thrives on chaos and sweat.
“I grew up on heavy surf punk, hello, Southern California, and this track brings me back to 2016-era mosh pits at the Teragram Ballroom in L.A. or the Velvet Jones in Santa Barbara,” Clark says. She cites Brendan Yates of Turnstile and Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine as vocal inspirations, adding that the track emerged from “a fleeting feeling of being discarded.”
The accompanying clip, co-directed by Clark and filmmaker Whitney Otte, captures that sense of wild disarray perfectly – grainy VHS visuals, flashes of absurdity, and tongue-in-cheek jabs at modern dating culture. “It pokes fun at the hell that is the 21st-century dating scene,” Clark adds.
Levinson describes Major Threat as a taste of what chokecherry are like live, frenetic, unpredictable, and visceral. “It’s one of the few recorded tracks that really lets listeners dip their toes into our live energy. We’re talking mosh pits, screaming, running into the crowd mid-song,” she says. “It’s an homage to the scenes that shaped us – from Turnstile to Mannequin Pussy – and everything that made us want to play music in the first place.”
But even within the noise, chokecherry’s hallmark harmonies remain intact. “Of course, the bridge is packed with classic chokecherry layers,” Levinson notes. “The final lyrics are about craving something that’s rejecting you – it hurts, but sometimes getting left is for the best.”
chokecherry’s debut album Ripe Fruit Rots and Falls dives deeper into that emotional and societal turbulence.
Produced by Chris Coady (known for work with Beach House, TV on the Radio, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs), alongside Christopher Grant and Zach Tuch, the album captures the restless pulse of San Francisco’s underground scene. It’s an unfiltered reflection of the political tension, social exhaustion, and generational heartbreak of 2025.
“The album isn’t about heartbreak over a person – not entirely – it’s about heartbreak over the world itself,” Levinson says. “It’s about the loss of childhood, the loss of imagined futures. Everything we thought we’d grow into has been taken from us, piece by piece.”
Across ten tracks, the duo fuse elements of post-rock, alt-rock, shoegaze, punk, and noise pop – creating something that’s both panoramic and painfully intimate. The album explores empathy and rage in equal measure, standing as both a cry for connection and a reminder of what humanity is supposed to sound like.
chokecherry’s rise has been built from the ground up. Clark and Levinson grew up surrounded by a mosaic of genres – from ‘90s alt-rock and indie to hardcore, queer punk, and metal. Their early gigs were sweaty, cramped Bay Area backroom shows, played to a handful of kids who were as much a part of the noise as the band itself. That DIY spirit continues to drive their creative choices, from self-directing videos to hand-designing tour posters.
With Ripe Fruit Rots and Falls now on the horizon, chokecherry are set to take that energy across the continent. Their first-ever North American headline tour will feature special guests The Sewing Club, kicking off with a West Coast album release weekend alongside Pure Hex.
Ripe Fruit Rots and Falls Track Listing:
01. Porcelain Warrior
02. Major Threat
03. Pretty Things
04. Secrets
05. Goldmine
06. Part Of You
07. You Love It When
08. Oblivion
09. February
10. Ripe Fruit Rots and Falls
