Brooklyn-based band Stripes embodies bleeding raw indie-rock. Melodic almost angular harmonies are matched with an equally explosive live performance.
Stripes has a distinctive style and sound all their own, featuring tight, chugging verses that propel you to triumphant peaks of ear-worm choruses. Led by vocalist and songwriter Izzy MK, whose vocals balance power and vulnerability, their music is as emotionally charged as it is sonically intense.
Stripes has a distinctive style and sound all their own, featuring tight, chugging verses that propel you to triumphant peaks of ear-worm choruses. Led by vocalist and songwriter Izzy MK, whose vocals balance power and vulnerability, their music is as emotionally charged as it is sonically intense.
✬✬✬✬✬
“Solid fuzzy melodies you should definitely check out“
-OhmyRockness
-OhmyRockness
“The range is diverse… catchy punk tunes to deeply felt ballads.”
-KXCI
-KXCI
“Raw and honest songs and catchy as hell guitar hooks.”
-Tucson Sentinel
-Tucson Sentinel
✬✬✬✬✬
8/7 @ Heaven Can Wait
8/2 @ Our Wicked Lady
6/16 @ Mercury Lounge
4/25 @ Union Pool
8/2 @ Our Wicked Lady
6/16 @ Mercury Lounge
4/25 @ Union Pool
10/25 @ Our Wicked Lady
7/19 @ Baby’s All Right
6/21 @ Hart Bar
7/19 @ Baby’s All Right
6/21 @ Hart Bar
Discography
- Running + Hiding
- 2024
- disillusionmentography
Background
Stripes is the musical project of Izzy MK, who’s relationship with music began in 2017 after attending her first live show. Inspired, Izzy taught herself guitar and soon began performing in Tucson, AZ, with the riot grrrl punk band The Frecks. Known for their high-energy and raw performances, The Frecks quickly gained a following in the house show and DIY scenes. Following the band’s brief run, Izzy started Stripes in 2018 with drummer Bella Crump. This new project continued the raw, emotional intensity of her previous work but with an added a garage rock edge. Stripes swiftly gained local acclaim, opening for national acts like Surf Curse, The Courtneys, Wand, and Together Pangea, and drawing enthusiastic crowds with their raw and explosive live shows.
In 2019, Stripes released their debut album, 520, a tribute to Tucson’s area code. Recorded live on tape, the album captured the unfiltered essence of the band’s sound and was released on cassette by Burger Records just before the label’s dissolution. Tracks “Fuckin’ Normie” and “Poison” became local hits, solidifying Stripes’ place in the Tucson music scene. The band continued to build momentum through 2019 and 2020, touring regionally across the Southwest.
The arrival of the pandemic in 2020, coupled with personal and artistic upheaval, marked a challenging period for Stripes. In 2021, as venues reopened, Izzy and Bella continued to perform at DIY spaces, recording their album How Should I Know? at home. The record, with Izzy handling guitar, bass, and production, reflects the emotional duality of the pandemic’s constraints and the band's earlier successes.
During the pandemic, Izzy also collaborated with Kevin Dickey of Pebble Napkins to release the EP Harming. The EP blended Stripes’ raw sound with a more polished production, featuring notable tracks like “H.A.L.T.” Izzy relocated Stripes to NYC in 2022, seeking new opportunities and bandmates. The EP It's On Me (2022) captures the emotional weight of leaving Tucson and confronting rejection, while Unanswered Questions/Unknown Motifs (2023) features darker, introspective themes. These solo EPs are in stark contrast to the full band records, but still feature Izzy’s signature writing style.
In New York, Izzy reassembled the band using Craigslist, leading to a renewed and enthusiastic lineup. The new members—Riley Morgan (guitar), Mitchell Davis (bass), and Austin ‘Chappie’ Chappell (drums)—brought fresh energy to the project. Stripes’ latest album, Running + Hiding (2024), recorded with Ian Rose at Daisy Chain Studios, marks a return to their post-punk indie rock roots with strong melodic elements and heartfelt songwriting. The band’s live performances now radiate both the fiery spirit of their past with a more matured, determined edge.
As they work on their fourth LP, Stripes continues to evolve, promising to build on their angular rock sound with the same passion and intensity that have defined their journey.
In 2019, Stripes released their debut album, 520, a tribute to Tucson’s area code. Recorded live on tape, the album captured the unfiltered essence of the band’s sound and was released on cassette by Burger Records just before the label’s dissolution. Tracks “Fuckin’ Normie” and “Poison” became local hits, solidifying Stripes’ place in the Tucson music scene. The band continued to build momentum through 2019 and 2020, touring regionally across the Southwest.
The arrival of the pandemic in 2020, coupled with personal and artistic upheaval, marked a challenging period for Stripes. In 2021, as venues reopened, Izzy and Bella continued to perform at DIY spaces, recording their album How Should I Know? at home. The record, with Izzy handling guitar, bass, and production, reflects the emotional duality of the pandemic’s constraints and the band's earlier successes.
During the pandemic, Izzy also collaborated with Kevin Dickey of Pebble Napkins to release the EP Harming. The EP blended Stripes’ raw sound with a more polished production, featuring notable tracks like “H.A.L.T.” Izzy relocated Stripes to NYC in 2022, seeking new opportunities and bandmates. The EP It's On Me (2022) captures the emotional weight of leaving Tucson and confronting rejection, while Unanswered Questions/Unknown Motifs (2023) features darker, introspective themes. These solo EPs are in stark contrast to the full band records, but still feature Izzy’s signature writing style.
In New York, Izzy reassembled the band using Craigslist, leading to a renewed and enthusiastic lineup. The new members—Riley Morgan (guitar), Mitchell Davis (bass), and Austin ‘Chappie’ Chappell (drums)—brought fresh energy to the project. Stripes’ latest album, Running + Hiding (2024), recorded with Ian Rose at Daisy Chain Studios, marks a return to their post-punk indie rock roots with strong melodic elements and heartfelt songwriting. The band’s live performances now radiate both the fiery spirit of their past with a more matured, determined edge.
As they work on their fourth LP, Stripes continues to evolve, promising to build on their angular rock sound with the same passion and intensity that have defined their journey.
booking@stripes520.com