Bad Self Portraits and the familial stomach ache and survivorship scars of "All Bark, No Bite" (Official Video)

 

"I don’t want your genetics / The curse below aesthetics / A manic effervescence / A black hole in the living room..."

The familial stomach ache and survivorship scars of "All Bark, No Bite" by Omaha based Bad Self Portraits, from their upcoming debut full length "I Think I'm Going to Hell" (dropping on August 26th on vinyl via Buy Before You Stream & out on digital September 19th via Midtopia), is utterly magnetic in it's indie rock dreaminess and pummeling power and when you absorb the lyrical content it's hold is different and deeper, a combination of relatable heartbreak and realizations that breaking the blood barrier is sometimes the moral thing to do. I, frankly, love everything about this song and was going to write 'except it's brevity' but the thing is, it is not a short song, it is a bit over your standard 3 and a half minutes in length but like captivating songs, it literally flies by. Maybe because the narrative is so compelling that you want to absorb more of the story in order to have closure. I don't know. 

But like I said, I love everything about this song and the sound that Bad Self Portraits is crafting. Quite probably seeded by 90's alt rock / indie rock leans I am loving the sort of quiet / loud aesthetic, the dreamy meets heavy guitars, the ultra solid bass and drums anchors, bassist Ingrid Howell's vocal countenance, a perfect blend of aloof and vulnerable / soft and hard AND the bending lead guitar breaks saturated in artful dissonance that had me thinking of halcyonic Billy Corgan or Cobain. 

About this track:

“‘All Bark No Bite’ is based on my mother’s and my relationship,” says vocalist Ingrid Howell. “I’d rather not be related to her, but this song helped me clarify our separation and our differences, and affirms that I spent so much of my life as a little kid existing so close to someone so unstable. The lyrics highlight examples of blame placed on me as a child, and how I approach them now in my adult life. I learned to hate myself from her, but with years of therapy and loving, healthy relationships since then, I’ve learned how to love myself.”

LINER NOTES (excerpted / bracketed):

[The single offers a deeper window into I Think I’m Going to Hell, a full-length debut rooted in life after chaos: the quiet, disorienting work of healing after the storm has passed. The album confronts themes of mental health, grief, religious anxiety, and family dynamics with fearless specificity. The title track is a meditation on Howell’s childhood OCD and the terrifying, literal fear of damnation instilled by a strict church upbringing. Paired with “Pensive,” the band’s first single, the three songs form a mosaic of trauma, tenderness, and transformation.]

[Produced in partnership with Midtopia, Buy Before You Stream empowers independent artists to release exclusive vinyl pressings before their music hits streaming platforms. Each record is pressed by Third Man Pressing and sold directly to fans, allowing artists to retain 100% of profits and bypass the constraints of algorithm-driven streaming models. I Think I’m Going to Hell is the third release under the initiative, following acclaimed projects from Talia Keys and Rudy Love & The Encore.]

Lyrics:

I don’t want your genetics
The curse below aesthetics
A manic effervescence
A black hole in the living room

You were always stuck
I learned how to give up
You were out of touch
I worked for your love
You were a hot head
I was the middle kid
You were borderline
Just so unkind

I don’t want quality time
My love language sabotaged
Beliefs held are archaic
A cold soul in the living room

You were always stuck
I learned how to give up
You were out of touch
I worked for your love
You were a hot head
I was the middle kid
You were borderline
Just so unkind

No apologies lately
Too many you wouldn’t bother taking

No apologies lately
Think your apologies can save me

[Since forming in Omaha in 2017, Ingrid Howell (Vocals, Bass), Cole Kempcke (Guitar), Connor Paintin (Guitar, Keys), and Jesse White (Drums, Vocals) have captivated audiences with performances that seamlessly blend theatrical simplicity and psychological depth.]

-Robb Donker Curtius

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4CvghHREbMIqV3aV5HrY6l

https://www.instagram.com/badselfportraitsband

https://www.facebook.com/badselfportraits

https://badselfportraits.bandcamp.com/album/i-think-im-going-to-hell-2


Since forming in Omaha in 2017, Ingrid Howell (Vocals, Bass), Cole Kempcke (Guitar), Connor Paintin (Guitar, Keys), and Jesse White (Drums, Vocals) have captivated audiences with performances that seamlessly blend theatrical simplicity and psychological depth. Rooted in candid reflection and unflinching honesty, their music forges a sound unmistakably their own. The band navigates the tension between chaos and clarity—where raw emotion collides with deliberate musical architecture. Their indie-rock palette is driven by vocals that ache and soar, guitar lines that shimmer and snarl, and rhythmic shifts that mirror the turbulence of inner life. From delicate textures to cathartic crescendos, their arrangements are intentionally dynamic—designed not just to be heard, but felt. It’s music that doesn’t flinch, that dares to be unpolished, and that turns self-exploration into a shared, full-body experience. Bad Self Portraits champion the act of embracing discomfort as a path to growth, courageously spotlighting life’s messiest truths. Their songs resonate like emotional mirrorballs—inviting listeners to shed pretense and revel in the messy, magnificent truth of being human.







Bad Self Portraits, Omaha Nebraska, indie rock, alt rock, 90's alt rock leans, shoegaze, personal bloodletting, full length, debut album "I Think I'm Going to Hell", single "All Bark No Bite", diaristic, dreamy heaviness,