Bad Self Portraits release debut album on vinyl

Bad Self Portraits have been slowly but surely building their name since forming in Omaha in 2017, earning a reputation for music that feels as much like an excavation as it does a performance. The quartet, featuring Ingrid Howell on vocals and bass, guitarists Cole Kempcke and Connor Paintin and drummer-vocalist Jesse White, balance theatre and intimacy in a way that feels entirely their own. Their work sees chaos collide with calm, offering a sound that mirrors the turbulence of life via aching vocals, shimmering guitars and rhythms that carry both delicacy and impact.

Bad Self Portraits have pursued music that faces discomfort head on; their songs push through honesty, turning self-exploration into shared catharsis. Theirs is a brand of indie rock that insists on deeper meaning, casting light on life’s truths and difficulties and inviting listeners into that space without pretence.

The group first unveiled their sound in 2022 with the single “Call Your Kid” and the EP Fear Of Missing Out, which marked the beginning of their musical adventure. Since then, a series of singles has further established their vision, each release edging them closer to their most ambitious project yet. That journey now culminates in their full-length debut album I Think I’m Going to Hell, arriving through Midtopia’s Buy Before You Stream initiative.

The platform gives artists the chance to release vinyl editions of their records directly to fans before the music reaches streaming services, placing ownership and profit squarely back in the hands of musicians while fostering deeper connections with listeners. The opportunity is particularly meaningful for the band, offering closure after production issues prevented their first record from being pressed to vinyl.

Drummer Jesse White captures the sentiment succinctly, “Vinyl feels like a time capsule. It’s about preserving a record of who we were when we made it” and for Ingrid, the connection runs even deeper, “I grew up listening to story records with my family—we didn’t really watch TV, so those records became our entertainment. That experience shaped how I think about music. It’s a physical piece of art that can’t be erased by an algorithm.”

The album itself carries immense context, both sonically and thematically, serving up an exploration of grief, mental health, religious anxiety and family trauma. The title was drawn from Ingrid’s childhood experience with undiagnosed OCD in a strict religious household. “Even when people told me I was good, I felt inherently doomed,” she shares, describing a sense of dread that shadowed her formative years. That feeling is laid bare on the title track, where Howell recounts a childhood memory of stealing a peanut from a grocery store, a minor act that spiralled into a private storm of fear and guilt about being eternally condemned.

Previously released single “All Bark No Bite” unpacks the complexities of Ingrid’s relationship with her mother. Launching with the crash of splashing drums and the crunchy fuzz of stabbing guitar lines, the track flows through intricate verses of delicate melodic vocals carrying poignant lyricism and dream rock aesthetics to deliver an atmospheric and truly engrossing slice of their sound.

The album’s lead single “Pensive” reflects on her dynamic with her partner Joel, where Ingrid is impulsive and fiery, Joel is measured and calm, the song framing their differences as both challenge and balance, shaped by contrasting faith backgrounds. Wrapped in an uptempo indie rock sound, her expressive voice hovers above the twang of guitar notes and choked rhythms to deliver an alluring soundscape that’s at once energising and blissfully melodic.

Across their debut record, Bad Self Portraits maintain their distinctive balance of tenderness and intensity, crafting music that feels gritty yet carefully constructed. As Ingrid puts it, “We want our music to feel lived-in, like an emotional mirrorball. Nothing polished—just real.” With their first album, they’ve captured exactly that, music that refuses to smooth over the rough edges, instead finding beauty in the places where fear, love and survival intersect.