With all the unrest and uncertainty of what’s to come these days, the tiniest thing could be that last straw that separates any of us from our sanity. For BEGINNERS, the alt-pop project of L.A.-based Samantha Barbera, she discovered her way to cope with these trying times was just to have the simple mindset of saying simply…fuck it to all. “If this ship’s going down, we might as well enjoy our time here,” she says.  The newly formed vision of what has become Barbera’s mantra is highlighted in BEGINNER’s latest EP If the World Is Ending, out November 2. Coming off the heels of previous singles “Goodbye, Good Luck” and “I Hate That I Love Brooklyn” comes the latest single off the If The World Is Ending, “Handsome Devil.” 

Sonically, “Handsome Devil” steers directly towards angsty vocals and high-octane power-pop riffs.  Barbera said on the single: “’Handsome Devil’ is a collaboration with my friend, frequent collaborator, and fellow queer artist, Matias Mora (K. Flay, Cyn, Broods) and Honor Nezzo (keys in BEGINNERS). We all grew up on punk and hardcore and this song definitely reflects that influence. The song started with me picking up Matias’ sea foam green strat and laying down a garage guitar riff. From there Matias worked his magic by manipulating the riff into a chopped-up unexpected electro rollercoaster ride. The whole track is just very punk in nature, from the hardcore scream in the pre-chorus singing “turn turn turn UP!”, to The Cramps-inspired surf guitar ringing in the choruses. Right down to the lyrics which are an unapologetic celebration of queer identity and rebellion against conservative culture.”

The writing process for BEGINNERS’ If the World Is Ending EP took shape rather quickly; Barbera had already been feverously putting together some work and a steady stream of collaborations helped moved the tracks come together effortlessly. Barbera also co-produced and co-wrote all of the songs, but those intimate moments of sharing her personal stories with her collaborators helped tap into a sense of connection that brings her art to life. Over eight months, the If the World Was Ending EP was written and recorded in various home studios. “I’m cutting vocals and singing words that I’ve literally just written and talked about in that same moment,” she says. “So the emotions are still really high on the recordings.”

BEGINNERS is a DIY project with punk roots spanning multiple scenes and genres. It has always been fully independent with no record label or advances, but with those all-important master rights and creative control. The project has seen massive success in the world of music syncs. Disney used the song “Start a Riot” in the trailer for the 2021 animated feature Raya and the Last Dragon. It promoted outreach and interest from new fans worldwide who searched the song on the internet and commented en masse. “How special to be part of something so iconic and historic, especially a movie with a such great representation of Asian people and women.” 

Apple also tapped BEGINNERS for three ad campaigns, and New Balance had the band perform in a commercial alongside a slew of famous women Olympic athletes. The music has also been played in ads from Target, Samsung, and Adobe, plus in numerous shows including The Walking Dead, The L Word, and the Netflix series Money Heist and Elite. In Netflix’s Sex/Life, the band got a namedrop along with a full, two-minute-long dance scene.

Photo Courtesy: Callum Hutchinson