A Quick Chat with PinkPantheress : checking in on 2025
EQ had a quick chat with PinkPantheress, looking back on a whirlwind year in the music world and what a year it’s been! From NPR to Glastonbury to and more, she’s been hitting huge stages left and right. We caught up with her for a quick hello before her tour kicks off in October and November. Her music bursts with energy, fun, vibrant, and full of life, making you want to dance. While in the interview, she’s composed and reflective, thoughtfully considering our questions with a quiet confidence.
Getting to know pinkpantheress
Growing up, PinkPantheress was quietly shaping her world of sound, spending her teenage years experimenting on GarageBand and soaking up influences from emo, punk, and alt bands. From jamming in her own band to gradually writing and producing her own tracks.
When did you start writing your own music?
I started making music when I was about 17, and then I started uploading music when I was about 20. Since around 20 years old, I've just been making music and turning it into a career because before I was just a student.
How did you balance being a student while mixing your own music on GarageBand?
Um, so it was pretty difficult. I ended up missing a lot of lessons and classes because I was doing music. But I think once I missed a lot of lessons, I just decided to just tell my teachers I was just going to do music. But I was like, I want to be a musician And then it worked out, thank God, because I was obviously worried, like what if I have to go back to university
What bands inspired you when you were a kid? I saw a few lists that mentioned bands like Green Day and others.
I was really into a band called My Chemical Romance, and obviously, like emo punk kind of bands. I really like Linkin Park. I also really liked Linkin Park. I actually had my own band before going solo. I’ve always been into guitar and rock music, you know.
How many people in your band?
Yeah I think there were four or I forget. We would rehearse in school out of school. It was fun.
And how did that shift happen? Because now your music feels more like jungle — more of a drum and bass vibe. What inspired that change?
Um so I guess I just really enjoyed faster music like electronic stuff. And I just wanted to hear what it would sound like if I sang on it. So that's kind of how it started.
I also really like dance music in general. So I really like Kei Trinada and stuff to start making faster stuff and that's how I ended up making my first songs.
Moments of reflection and feelings in the world of PinkPantheress
So when you started writing your own music, where did that inspiration come from? Was it drawn from personal experiences, or more from a creative perspective?
Yeah, I think it was. I think, yeah, I think I was just a bit younger and I wanted to write more mature stuff, so I was just writing about love and all this. I also think being a teenage girl or being a younger girl, I really wanted to make my music sound quite emotional, so my music was always quite sad, and I enjoyed how sad my lyrics were, but the beat was kind of happy.
Is that how you are? A lot of emotion, but still kind of upbeat?
These days, I think it's just emotion and downbeat, to be honest. No, I'm joking! No, I think, yeah, I think sometimes I think I try to be funny, but I do think that when I am emotional, it does still feel very, like, intense.
So, as you’ve progressed from writing music to understanding your emotions in the beginning, what kinds of emotions are you dealing with now, at this stage of your career?
When you have such a busy schedule, you can sometimes feel like you don’t get to see your friends as much. It can get quite lonely, and when I’m on tour, I often feel like, “Oh my God, I feel so lonely — all my friends are out doing things together, and I’m missing everything.” But I think in those moments, you have to remind yourself how lucky you are to live the life you do. It’s a strange feeling — you feel guilty for feeling bad, but you still feel bad. So yes, it can be a little miserable sometimes, but otherwise, it’s a great job, and I’m happy.
Quick reflection on 2025
2024 and 2025 have been huge for her, packed with major tours and nonstop momentum, with something happening nearly every month. She’s been pushing boundaries, dancing more, diving into the art direction of her shows, and exploring new creative territories — all while keeping her music at the heart of it.
It’s a bold, growth, and totally creative chapter in her journey while balancing herself through all of this.
What’s been your favorite thing by far this year, can be anything, performance, something in your career, or your songwriting?
I think for me, it’s been Jimmy. I went on Jimmy Fallon, and I really enjoyed doing choreography for the first time, dancing a bit more, working on stage design, and developing more of a concept. I really enjoyed it, and I think taking that on tour is going to be really fun.
Were there any moments over the past year when you felt like, “I’m going to give myself a pat on the back for this”? Something you’re really proud of?
Yeah, I think I did Glastonbury, which is one of the biggest festivals. Performing there in front of around 10,000 people was really crazy for me. And I also wasn't expecting that people were gonna think the performance was good, so I’m really happy about that!
Are you working on another album, or doing any writing right now?
Right now, I’m mostly just preparing for tour, but I usually try to release an album or mixtape every other year. I was planning to start this year, so maybe next year I’ll release a few songs, but not a full project. And then the year after might be when I start doing things again
What does it mean to be human?
This is a question we ask all of our interviewees: what do you think it means to be human?
We are our experiences, and I think that’s why I do really enjoy my job, because as a person, I can be quite nervous so, I'm someone that enjoys being comfortable, and I guess that's my natural human state. But in the job that I do, I'm pushed outside the box so much. So I think that I've been allowed to experience things that I wouldn't have done regularly, and I think I'm very lucky because of that. I think that that is what it means to be human is having experiences.
Do you have any tips or tricks for someone who needs to do something out of the box?
I think one thing is people that are scared of public speaking or like doing things in public. I think that's such an easy overcoming something like stage fright is a very easy thing to teach yourself that you can actually overcome your fears.
So I think that that's a good thing for people to start doing in general, doing a speech at a wedding or going take some dance classes or just things like that, it's a nice easy way to get over some fears, to let your body know that you can do it.
And any tips for young artists who are just starting out?
People have such a fear of being in public and like doing anything for other people.
I think that people need to start, like I always say, block your friends. Just like, if you have a music account, you should just block everyone. Yeah, I think so. Like, it just does whatever makes you feel comfortable. And I think if you need to be private, then just do it in private until you're ready to show to the world what you can do.
A conversation that reminds us to appreciate the journey of our experiences, while also encouraging us to push ourselves, all within a comfortable space where we can tune in, reflect, and know when to tune out.
Thankyou for inspiring us!
