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A picture’s worth a thousand words; just ask punk band Honeymoon Phase, whose raucous debut single “Polaroid” is a dazzling and dynamic kiss-off to a lover they’re feeling more than a little ambivalent about. 

The band, comprised of Ronni Fuller (vocals), Halina Guterbock (guitar), Claire Skelley (drums), Hannah Rongo (bass), and Tess Growney (synth/keys), met through New York’s indie rock scene. Friends Fuller and Skelley joked about starting a band, but the joke soon became a reality once they recruited the rest of the group. 

“After our first time playing together, it really felt like it clicked, and we knew we had a good thing going,” Honeymoon Phase told Ones To Watch. “For most of us, Honeymoon Phase was our first introduction into even picking up our instruments. Once we came together and saw what we could do with the least amount of experience, we were inspired to lean in and on each other to find out who we are as musicians, both collectively and individually.”

Since then, Honeymoon Phase have been building a following through a series of live shows before debuting “Polaroid,” a riotous rant that brings to mind groups like the Runaways and Le Tigre. 

“We chose to release ‘Polaroid’ first because it lies at the intersection of our two biggest musical influences: Riot Grrrl-era punk and modern synth pop,” the band shared. “The single feels like a proper introduction to our sonic identity. It’s high-energy and definitely captures our gritty live sound through heavy chords, punchy words and a catchy chorus. It’s also the first song we remember people approaching us about after our shows and saying it was stuck in their heads.”

Guterbock brought the beginnings of the track to the rest of the group, “and from there we layered in our own ideas,” Honeymoon Phase explained, adding that they try to be “as collaborative as possible.”

“It’s cool to see how much the song has changed from conception in Union Square on Halina’s lunch break to completion in the studio,” the band continued. 

While there are plenty of female-fronted punk acts that have paved the way, Honeymoon Phase say they’re ready to keep pushing for “female and femme representation.”

“Whenever possible, we try to build bills and create spaces where that representation feels intentional rather than incidental,” the band explained. “In the past year and a half of being a band, we’ve been underestimated and overlooked by male peers, being dismissed as a ‘little girl band’ or ‘that thing you guys are doing’....Hearing these things only drives us to work ten times harder. And frankly, we think there are enough men making music these days anyway.”

“Polaroid” is now available for pre-save.