New single “GRUDGE” channels frustration into fuel as the Seattle indie rock band expands their debut album.
Photo credit: Sarina Solem
Seattle-based indie rock band instant crush is entering a bold new chapter with the announcement of the deluxe edition of their debut album I’M SORRY I DIDN’T BITE MY TONGUE, arriving March 13 via Share It Music. The expanded release adds six new tracks—three brand-new studio recordings and three previously unreleased demos—alongside the original album’s tracklist, offering listeners a deeper look into the band’s evolving creative process.
Leading the deluxe edition is the band’s latest single “GRUDGE,” a track that confronts frustration, resentment, and the complicated emotions that often accompany life in the music industry. The song debuted via Magnet Magazine and is now available across all streaming platforms.
For frontwoman Megan Cannon, the track is both personal and cathartic.
“‘Grudge’ is a song I wrote about my frustration in the music industry,” Cannon explains. “Throughout my life I’ve done a lot of things out of spite, and there’s nothing I enjoy more than proving people wrong. Early on it seemed like people thought I was only capable of sounding one way, and those words stuck with me for a long time. I felt a bitterness that would eat away at me. But in a strange way, that resentment pushed me to work harder and make something gritty, different, and unexpected.”
From Bedroom Recordings to the Festival Stage
Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, Cannon began writing and recording music alone in her bedroom before eventually forming instant crush with fellow musicians Matthew Tran, Keegan Mangahas, and Zoee Mangahas. What began as a personal outlet soon evolved into a full band with a shared vision: bringing emotional honesty back to alternative rock.
The group’s sound channels the spirit of early-2000s radio rock while grounding it in contemporary emotional storytelling. Shimmering synth layers, electrifying guitar riffs, and Cannon’s piercing vocals combine to create songs that feel both nostalgic and deeply current.
Their music captures the restless energy of youth—the confusion, the longing, the late-night introspection that defines the coming-of-age experience. It’s a sound designed for listeners who feel everything intensely but don’t always know how to say it out loud.
As Cannon describes it, instant crush writes “music for the tongue biters”—the ones with a lot on their mind but who are still figuring out how to express it.
A Band on the Rise
In a relatively short time, instant crush has steadily built momentum within the alternative scene. The band has shared stages with artists such as Del Water Gap, The Home Team, The Wrecks, The Plain White T’s, Daisy Grenade, and Friday Pilots Club, while appearing at festivals including Capitol Hill Block Party and Treefort Music Fest.
With the release of the deluxe edition of I’M SORRY I DIDN’T BITE MY TONGUE, the band continues to expand its sonic identity while inviting listeners deeper into the creative process.
The inclusion of raw demos alongside polished studio recordings offers a rare glimpse into the emotional and artistic evolution behind the music—revealing the early sparks that eventually grow into full-fledged songs.
To mark the release, Mundane Magazine spoke with Megan Cannon about the emotional origins of the album, the role of frustration in creativity, and what success looks like for instant crush moving forward.
The title I’M SORRY I DIDN’T BITE MY TONGUE already feels like a manifesto. What does not biting your tongue represent for you at this stage—rebellion, honesty, or survival?
I think as a person I really struggled with speaking my mind when I was experiencing any kind of emotional turmoil. The only way I could cope with that emotional stress was through writing songs, and for a debut album it felt like the perfect encapsulation because that’s the only time I feel I am truly honest. It’s also second nature for me to immediately want to apologize after speaking my mind in any way, so it felt fitting as a title.
“GRUDGE” is rooted in frustration and being underestimated. When did you realize that resentment could actually be creative fuel rather than something destructive?
In the year of 2023 I felt genuinely defeated with the way things were going in my personal life as well as the band as a whole. About halfway through the year I sat down with myself and realized I could either stop working and feel sorry for myself all day, or work as hard as possible to prove everybody wrong. I always want to improve upon myself, and I think being rooted in a truth other people hold about me helps keep me grounded and moving forward.
You’ve spoken about doing things out of spite and proving people wrong. Is that still driving the band today, or has it evolved into something else?
I don’t think that drive is pushing the band as much anymore. I’ve been in a state of peace and self-reflection lately. As I approach my mid-20s, music has served more as a way to explore who I truly am as a growing adult.
The deluxe edition includes demos alongside the new studio tracks. What do those earlier versions reveal about the band that polished releases don’t?
They give a glimpse into the way my mind works while writing songs. A lot of it is just a three-hour brain dump—channeling how I feel emotionally into lyrics and production that match that emotion in the moment. It’s a cool contrast and offers a peek behind the curtain into what a lot of instant crush material starts as, which is usually just me pouring my thoughts out in my bedroom.
Your sound channels early 2000s alternative rock but feels emotionally current. Are you trying to revive that era or reinterpret it through a modern lens?
I would like to revive it in some ways. I naturally come back to a lot of music from that era because it feels raw and organic, and less manufactured to fit a specific niche. What was cool about the 2000s was how genuine it felt. It wasn’t focused on chasing micro-trends the way music sometimes is today.
There’s a strong coming-of-age energy in your songs. Who are you making music for—your past self, your current audience, or the version of yourself you’re still becoming?
I’d like to think a lot of this music is made for my past self. Lyrically and production-wise it’s exactly what a younger version of me craved, so I hope it finds that same audience now.
From bedroom recordings to festival stages, what has been the biggest internal shift for you personally?
The biggest shift has been learning how to separate my on-stage persona from who I am at home. I’ve been making an effort to make that stage version of myself bigger, brighter, and more amplified. In my personal life I’m very quiet and reserved, so performing has really pushed me to step outside my shell.
The phrase “music for the tongue biters” feels very specific. Who are those people to you?
To me those are the young teens who are still figuring out who they are as a person and working through internal struggles. When I was younger I was so caught up in anxiety and trying to understand myself. I hope our music inspires people who might be going through the same things.
The music industry often tries to box artists into one identity. How intentional are you about resisting that?
Moving forward I’ve been very intentional about what music I consume and pull inspiration from. I want to keep exceeding expectations, and the best way to do that is constantly changing what I listen to. Lately I’ve been drawing from heavier 90s acts, modern electronic pop, and even 2000s club hits. It’s been interesting to combine those influences while still writing in a pop-rock way.
As you move into this deluxe era and beyond, what does success look like for instant crush? Bigger stages, deeper emotional impact, or building a lasting identity?
I would love to build a lasting identity. Success for me is really about building a community in the scene. I want people to feel safe and heard at our shows. If we could tour full time and have people truly connect with the music, that’s when I would feel successful.
Upcoming Tour Dates
March 26 — Boise, ID @ The Shredder (Treefort Music Fest)
April 2 — Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Lounge (w/ Bike Routes)
April 3 — Seattle, WA @ Barboza (w/ Bike Routes)
With the deluxe edition of I’M SORRY I DIDN’T BITE MY TONGUE, instant crush isn’t just revisiting their debut—they’re expanding it, reframing it, and inviting listeners deeper into the emotional core of their music.
In a scene often driven by trends and algorithms, instant crush offers something refreshingly human: songs born from frustration, honesty, and the quiet courage it takes to finally stop biting your tongue.
