chokecherry announce debut album Ripe Fruit Rots and Falls

San Francisco-based duo chokecherry will release their debut album Ripe Fruit Rots and Falls on Friday 14 November 2025. The project captures a deeply introspective and socially charged portrait of modern life, set against a post-rock, shoegaze, and punk-informed sound.

Comprised of vocalist/guitarist Izzie Clark and vocalist/bassist E. Scarlett Levinson, chokecherry combine the personal with the political, channelling themes of generational loss, social detachment, and the collapse of imagined futures. Co-produced by Chris Coady, Christopher Grant, and Zach Tuch, the album offers what Levinson describes as “heartbreak over an individual — some of it is — but it’s from the state of the world. That’s what it is. It’s about heartbreak over the loss of childhood and the imagined future that you might have had when you were young, because that doesn’t exist. It’s actively been taken away from all of us and everything is being stripped before our very eyes, constantly, every single day.”

In celebration of the album’s announcement, chokecherry have shared a VHS-shot video for new single Major Threat, a gritty and angular track whose title nods to hardcore icons Minor Threat. “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,” said Clark, citing vocal inspiration from Brendan Yates (Turnstile) and Zack de la Rocha (Rage Against the Machine).

Levinson added: “Major Threat is one of the few currently recorded chokecherry tracks that really allows listeners to dip their toes into our live energy. It’s a direct homage to the scenes that shaped us and continue to do so.”

“Vocally, I was very inspired by Brendan Yates (Turnstile) and Zack de La Rocha (Rage Against the Machine). The inspiration for the track came from a (fleeting) feeling of being discarded. The accompanying video is co-directed and pokes fun at the hell that is the 21st century dating scene.”

Levinson weights in, saying, “‘Major Threat’ is one of the few currently recorded chokecherry tracks that really allows listeners to dip their toes into our live energy. This includes mosh pits, screaming, and running into the crowd mid-song. It’s a direct homage to the scenes that shaped us and continue to do so, calling on inspirations like Turnstile and Mannequin Pussy.”

She continues, “Of course, the bridge is packed out with classic chokecherry harmonies and layers, and the track concludes with a last-minute twist. The final lyrics are a nod to the toxic cycle of craving something (or someone) that’s rejecting you; it hurts like hell and drives you crazy, but in the end, getting left is probably for the best.The 10-track album also features Porcelain Warrior, Pretty Things, Secrets, and February, blending lush harmonies and harsh textures to reflect the dualities of human experience. From tender introspection to unfiltered rage, Ripe Fruit Rots and Falls presents a visceral sonic document of youth in crisis.