Pom Pom Squad

Photo by, Shelby Keller

Meet Pom Pom Squad

Dust off the old poms and start stretching! Today’s punk quartet Pom Pom Squad comes out swinging with punch, emotional, and contemplative tunes, bringing a new tone to the modern grunge/punk scene. Fresh off the recent release, Red With Love, we chat with front liner Mia Berrin about her first forays into music, the best post-show spot in town, and the power of community post-COVID.

BICYCLE RIDING: A fill in the blank by Pom Pom Squad

Most doctors agree that bicycle FARMING is a SHINY form of exercise that benefits PIZZA BAGELS of all ages. Riding a bicycle enables you to develop your TIT muscles as well as STUPIDLY increase the rate of your ELBOW beat. Bicycle riding is also a FRUITY means of CLAY AIKEN. More people BINGO around the world BITCHING on bicycles than drive SANDWICHES. No matter what kind of PIZZA BAGEL you ride, always be sure to wear a TELEVISION on your head and have reflectors on your KNEE, especially if you FLEEING at night.

Would you rather…

your favorite restaurant is modified to have massage chairs that are on at all times, or there is a clown in there doing clown things at all times? Please explain why.

Massage chairs, because I don't really know what "clown things" means - it's too much of a wild card. Could be anything from eating balloons to throwing machetes. Next question.

Some questions with Pom Pom Squad

How did you get into making music?

When I was 14 I bullied an adult male camp counselor into teaching me how to play guitar because I didn't like sports. When I got home from camp you could not get me to put down my guitar for anything. I would walk around my house narrating what my family members were doing in the style of Randy Newman. Also I learned a lot of Weezer covers.

Did growing up in Florida influence your work today?

Yeah I think so. I went to Christian Prep school while I was there that made me feel incredibly isolated. I basically hated everything so much that it turned into a twisted kind of love. Me and my best friend became un-ironically obsessed with all things high school: pep rallies and football players and cheerleaders and lockers - in the way that people are obsessed with the Kardashians. They love them, they respect them, they admire them, they hate them passionately -- I think people hate what they want to be most, also they secretly admire the things they shit on. So I adopted the whole cheerleader image as a manifestation of what I felt like I was supposed to live up to as a girl but couldn't. And it all happened an hour away from Disney World!

What was your most memorable performance to date, and why?

We played a rooftop show on my 22nd birthday which was magical. My bandmates surprised me with a cake and the whole crowd was screaming along to every song. It was a rare day where I could turn off the part of my brain that won't let me believe that I am loved.

What was the inspiration behind your recent release, Red With Love?

Remember that whole my-brain-letting-me-believe-I'm-loved thing from before?

What are the best places for a post-show snack?

Veselka. Next question.

What kind of impact do you think COVID-19 is going to have on the DIY music scene?

The DIY scene has always been scrappy - it's what makes us who we are - so I know that we'll be able to survive what looks like a year without live music. But I worry about the venues, spaces, and houses that will not be able to survive this. I think it will effect access, which is scary. But DIY at its best is about community, so as long as we keep supporting the things we care about in tangible ways, we'll get through it.

What is the most positive thing to have come out of making music so far?

This band has given me some of the most beautiful things I have in my adult life. I love my bandmates to the ends of the earth and would do anything for any of them. I've always been the kind of person who keeps a very close circle, so to have that kind of relationship with the people I get to do my favorite thing in the world wich is unparalleled.

Do you ever cheat when playing board/card games?

I don't even know the meaning of the word!

Any final comments? (This is your electronic soapbox for one last answer.)

Wash your face. Please don't go outside unless it's for food or fresh air. Support artists and stay safe.