Integra Pink is a Southern California-based band that specializes in delivering the unexpected. Whether that means playing with all different genres from punk to disco, or constantly raising the bar for immigration advocacy, they know exactly who they are as musicians and advocates. Their work with immigration rights organizations like CHIRLA is inspired and their music makes people believe in a more optimistic future.

Where are you from?
Leo (vocals/guitar) Bardo (vocals/guitar) and Nick (drums) are from Riverside, Ca., and Roman (bass) is from Hesperia.

How has your hometown influenced yourself and your art?
I feel like being from the I.E you develop this scrappy, underdog mentality. We wanna rep our city, this is where we grew up and we’re proud of it. It has some great talent coming out of it and we’re really proud of the fact. I think when you tell people you’re in a Chicano band from So Cal their mind goes to LA, and we really love LA, but we really wanna emphasize that we’re from I.E and that we got a lot of cool stuff to be proud of here.

What inspired you to get into music?
Our parents showed us a lot of great music when we were young. Our dad had a rule for us and that was that we needed to play one instrument and one sport. So Bardo and I both played baseball and then he picked the guitar while I picked drums. That really planted the seed for us because it was always at our disposal.

How would you describe your sound/genre of music?
Whenever people ask I always say “Chicano Indie Punk” or something along those lines. But really I consider what we do as “mixtape music”. I want our music to sound like it was a mixtape that was curated by someone with an eclectic taste. Something they put together when they were in a certain mood.

Who are some of your biggest inspirations for your sound and storytelling?
I’ve always gravitated towards artists who are politically or socially conscious, but who write songs that are still accessible or melodic. The Clash will probably always be my biggest inspiration but bands like The Kinks, Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, Outkast etc. You listen to their stuff and it’s well-written, catchy songs you can dance to or hear in a club but it has something to say.

Your latest EP “Knucks (left)” dropped May 29. What do you hope to be listeners’ biggest takeaway from the album?
I think the goal is to always out-do ourselves or subvert expectations. Never as an F-you to the audience - I have a deep respect and appreciation for them, but I never want people to know what they can expect from us. I never want people to see that we’re releasing a song and have them think “I know what that song is gonna sound like”.

What made you choose “Spiderman Pinata” as the lead single for this project? How do you decide which songs to release first?
I think it was the perfect introduction to what we had planned for the project. It has elements of new stuff but also some of our older sound too. Also, I think it was, and unfortunately still, relevant in terms of its’ message.

There’s usually a feeling that we feel when it comes to choosing a single. There’s never a rubric or set of metrics we look for. There’s just a weight or feeling that comes with a song like Spiderman Piñata that makes it undeniable as a single.

Which non-single are you most excited for audiences to hear, and why?
We have a song that is currently untitled that we have coming out soon that has been stuck in my head. Roman and I wrote it in a day but it has no name as of right now.

You have performed benefit shows with organizations like the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice and CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles). What does immigration as a cause mean to you? Why is it so important now more than ever?
Our ( Leo and Bardo’s) mom is an immigrant from Mexico. She came here when she was a little girl and we are extremely fortunate that she and my grandparents made that jump. That privilege is not lost on us. It’s extremely disheartening to see immigrants who are simply wanting better lives for themselves and their children being treated so inhumanely. There are families being separated and people dying for a chance at something that some people are born into.

Immigration’s always been an issue in the United States but right now it’s particularly scary because it seems like it’s the most extreme I’ve ever seen. The attacks I’m seeing daily on my phone is unbelievable. And the rhetoric that is being used to justify it is insane. That’s why literacy is so important. Understanding how language can be manipulated, recognizing logical fallacies, etc. allows you to sift through the B.S and see these narratives for what they are.

ICE raids are a prevalent cause of concern across the country today. How do you encourage people to protect themselves and their communities and to stay strong in the face of such adversity?
Know your rights, stay vigilant, look out for each other and remember you’re not alone. Community will always get through it. We are better protected whenever collected. If you have the privilege of being here legally, it’s important you help those who are in the process. And remember that help looks different for everybody.

How would you like to see your listeners who want to make a difference contribute to fighting for immigrant rights and protection?
Everyone’s contribution looks different. If you have the resources I urge you to donate to organizations like CHIRLA who seek to help immigrants. There are also a lot of benefit shows where the money gets donated, so even if you think your $10 won’t do much as a sole donation, go to a benefit show and see how many other like-minded people are out here trying to make a difference in their communities. If you don’t have the resources I would urge you to donate your time by volunteering non-profit organizations that are powered by people who wanna see change. If you make art, I would urge you to be conscious of your platform and how your voice can help highlight these issues. So many people learn about these issues through music and art.

How can art like music and television and movies, etc. lift people’s spirits? Do you feel that responsibility as an artist to speak for those without a platform and what does that opportunity mean to you?
During times like these, when there are so many issues that our community is facing, i think it is important to remind ourselves that we only have one life. We deserve to enjoy it too. I feel like as an artist we should be cultivating spaces where our community can come, enjoy life and remember we also have the right to dance.

As for our platform, it doesn’t matter if we have 50 followers, 5000 or 5 million, we’ll always use it to speak on issues we feel are important. We’re not well-off. We don’t have a lot money to donate, but we are fortunate to have people listening and caring about what we do. So as long as we have that privilege, we’ll use our pull for benefit shows, or to spread the ideas and messages we feel need to be spread. We’re Chicano and we’re proud of that fact. We call ourselves a Chicano band because it informs everything we do. “Chicano” is an inherently political term. We don’t use that word lightly or as a means of selling ourselves. It’d be hypocritical to inject ourselves into this space that celebrates our culture but stay quiet when it came to speaking on the issues that threaten our communities.

It has been a crazy last few years, and we expect at least three more. How do you stay positive in general about the unknown and motivated as an artist?
Honestly, knowing there’s a community of people who are like-minded and striving for a similar goal keeps me motivated. Also, there are lot of ideas we want to execute and put out for the world and that always pushes me forward — the feeling of needing to express these things.

What can we expect next from you short term?
More music for sure. Some songs that might sound like us but come from a different, but still genuine place.

What is your motto in life?
Don’t be afraid to be yourself. There is literally only one of you. Only you have the ideas that are in your head. Only you have taken in all the songs, movies, art, etc. that you have taken in and only you have interpreted those things in the way that you have. Only you can take all those things and make something inspired by it that will be unique but you can’t filter yourself or try to be, sound or look like someone else. Lean into yourself.

To learn more about Integra Pink, please check out the links below:
If you are able to, donate to any local organizations that aim to help immigrants. Whether it is with legal services, food, clothing etc. For Southern California I would recommend CHIRLA.

Instagram: @integrapink

You can find our music on all platforms under @integrapink

Integra Pink Blends Political Activism With 'Mixtape Music'