Pom Pom Squad, a Brooklyn-based four-piece band fronted by Mia Berrin, is set to release its debut LP Death Of A Cheerleader on June 25, 2021. The band was formed in 2015 by Berrin with Shelby Keller (drums),and Mari Ale Figeman (bass), taking to the streets and clubs in NYC, playing to packed venues alongside artists such as Soccer Mommy, Pronoun, and Adult Mom.
Mia Berrin spent her childhood trying to find where she fit in the world, looking to the Pop culture icons on television hoping to find an image she connected to. She felt a connection to film makers John Waters and David Lynch, loving the dark campiness in Heathers. She was awed by the power of women like Courtney Love and Kathleen Hanna, who found success in the male-dominated music scene while forging their own paths forward. Growing up as a female of color, she would later unearth and embrace her queerness, discussing and reconciling who she is with the perception of who people think she should be, which has become a lifelong mission for Berrin.
Death of A Cheerleader is a musical montage of personal odes to self-identity, with spirited rage against society’s nonsense. The record unfolds with “Soundcheck” which is an instrumental interlude, complete with the mellow sounds of the xylophone segueing directly into “Head Cheerleader.” “Lux” was praised in the press, including Stereogum, which called the song “a serrated blast of noise in which Berrin takes someone to task with glee.”
This record is for those struggling to find themselves and then shouting it from the rooftops when they finally do. Non-comm is starting the radio story with Indie 102.3, WBJB, KSLU, WUSM and WUNC leading the way.
Photo by Sammy Ray Nelson