Kristen Ford returns today with the bubbly and bittersweet indie rock cut “Whiplash”. Delivered as a swift followup to the defiant trans-rights anthem “Wild Heart” (released June 9th), “Whiplash” similarly showcases Ford’s penchant for serving up accessible allegories that speak to deeper, and darker, realities. Listen to "Whiplash" HERE.
On the face of it, “Whiplash” is a frustrated tale of negotiating love bombs and emotional landmines in doomed romantic relationships. In Ford’s hands though, “Whiplash” is also an expression of the conditionality and broken promises that underpin the American dream that was proffered in her youth. She explains, “How about being told if you play nice, go to college and get a degree, you get a career, a life, and a home only to be saddled with debt? Have those debts promised to be forgiven and then, whiplash, forget it. How about losing our rights to decide what we do with our own bodies? What’s next, our marriages? Our ability to travel? The American dream of my 20s is leaving me with whiplash in my 30s.”
“Whiplash” is the latest indication of what is in store on Ford’s upcoming album, Pinto (out August 22nd via Righteous Babe Records). As a cohesive statement alongside “Wild Heart”, the self-affirming “Here’s To You Kid (feat. Ani DiFranco)”, and the patriarchy-busting “White Man’s Dream”, these four singles showcase both Ford’s topical breadth as well as the trusted conspirators that have helped to bring this upcoming album to life. Whether it’s the songwriting and production chops lent by DiFranco and John Driskell Hopkins of Zac Brown Band, or the mastering touch of Randy Merrill (Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, Olivia Rodrigo), Pinto is an album that celebrates the artistic power of joined forces.
Pinto is Ford’s label-debut full length release on DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records and is the result of a relationship that began in 2022 when DiFranco met Ford at a show in Provincetown, MA, quickly becoming a fan (while Ford credits a DiFranco live show as being the spark that led her teen-self to devote her life to songwriting). In the time since, these two artists have toured together, co-written four of the Pinto songs, and worked on numerous album tweaks at Righteous Babe Studios.
At its heart, Pinto is an album that embodies Ford’s belief that “the rulebook has been thrown out by the current administration, we can turn this disorder back on them and boldly create the world we want.” Or, as she puts it in her less guarded moments, “it’s time to be louder, be bigger, be brasher motherf*cker!”
Fans can now pre-order limited special album packages exclusively via Kickstarter. These perks include signed vinyl and limited edition prints. For more info, visit kickstarter.com/projects/kristenford/pinto-full-length-album-from-kristen-ford.
Ford is on tour across the US this summer. Info and tickets available here.
June 6th - Milwaukee, WI @ PrideFest
June 11th - Cleveland, OH @ Dunlap’s Corner Bar
June 12th - Cincinnati, OH @ Tillie’s Lounge
June 13th - Huntsville, AL @ Lipz Lounge
June 14th - Atlanta, GA @ Red Light Cafe
June 15th - Nashville, TN @ The 5 Spot
June 18th - Charleston, SC @ The Purple Buffalo
June 21st - Hoboken, NJ @ 503 Social Club
June 22nd - Worcester, MA @ Electric Haze
June 28 - Sioux Falls, SD @ The Den
June 29 - Minneapolis, MN @ Twin Cities Pride
July 4 - Madison, WI @ National Women’s Music Festival
July 7 - Des Moines, IA @ Lefty’s Live Music
July 9 - Columbus, OH @ Natalie’s Grandview
July 10 - Chicago, IL @ UncommonGround Lakeview
July 11 - Pittsburgh, PA @ First Unitarian Church
July 12 - Binghampton, NY @ Atomic Tom’s
July 18 - Cambridge, MA @ The Burren Backroom
July 19 - Camden, CT @ Cantean
July 26 - Berkeley, CA @ The Starry Plough
Kristen Ford Online
kristenfordmusic.com
instagram.com/kristenfordmusic
facebook.com/thekristenford
tiktok.com/@kristenfordmusic
youtube.com/kristenfordmusic
open.spotify.com/artist/277P5A7cEQj8B4xfSfHyNJ
kristenfordband.bandcamp.com
For all press inquiries:
Henry Bainbridge - Death To Slow Music
henry@deathtoslowmusic.com