Thank San Diego for giving us Iron Butterfly, Blink-182 & Stone Temple Pilots but it’s got another distinction now. In 2019, a group of wise-beyond-their-years SD teens, singer/guitarist Tuesday Denekas (they/them), drummer Milla Merlini (she/her) and bassist Sasha A’Hearn (she/her), rose like punk-pop phoenix’s from the ashes of their previous band to corral guitarist/singer Charlee Berlin (who owned but didn’t know how to play her instrument at first) to resurrect Denekas’ songs of heartbreak and determination, starting out as the Fluorescents with 2020’s noteworthy ‘self-titled’ EP. 

Proudly christening themselves The Inflorescence, the band found the right home with Kill Rock Stars to unleash their debut LP Remember What I Look Like (due Summer of 2022). The group faces challenges like juggling high school and college classes, finding all-age venues in town to play and rejecting gender labels as they explain: “in a largely male-dominated industry, we see how undermined we are for being a no-man band, and we see how being on stage empowers alternative girls and non-binary people.”

Pre-order Remember What I Look Like here

Tell us about yours tory as an artist 

The Inflorescence started out when I wanted to release some music that i has written from the ages of 11-15. I asked Milla to play drums on it, then asked Sasha to play bass, and basically just told Charlee to learn guitar and become part of it as well. At that point the band actually became a band and we started making music and playing across sd

What do you think is the most important aspect of your life right now?

Right now I’m really focused on putting out this music and having as many people listen and connect to it as possible. I also really want to help queer youth be represented in music and show people that small local bands exist and to become part of their scene.

What makes this song special in your opinion? 

I think this song is probably the highlight of the album for me. It being almost seven minutes long, and one of the hardest songs I’ve ever had to write, it holds a special place in my heart. I hope this song can resonate with queer youth who have been through similar situations of heartbreak.

What inspired this track?

I was actually in love with my best friend at the time who not only didn’t like me back but was also straight. During this time I had no other way to get my emotions out other than writing and hoping people would relate to what I was going through.

What are some of the core messages here?

BEING GAY AFFFFFFF, and also being a teenager going through experiences in this new age of existing.

How do you think tik tok and social media are contributing to change an artist’s career?

oof, social media is literally a monster that sucks the life out of everyone who needs to promote anything on it. That being said, it is an extremely helpful tool that allows people from all backgrounds to get seen and recognized for their work. It just can be really exhausting to emotionally handle the ups and downs of social media, especially as teenagers.

What excites you about your life?

literally everything. every opportunity is something to be excited about and I try to appreciate the little things more and more every day despite how shitty the world can seem constantly.

What are some of your core values as a human being?

TOUGH QUESTION! I think for me friendship is one of the things I value the most in my life. Without my friends I wouldn’t be who I am today and I appreciate them and think about them with everything I do.

What are your projects for this year?

Getting this album out !!!!! and writing new stuff is in the works right now B^)