Los Angeles–based project Hit Like a Girl return with news of their upcoming album Burning At Both Ends, set for release on March 27, 2026 via Cryptid Records. Alongside the announcement, the band shares the lead single “Keepsake Theory,” offering a powerful preview of a record that blends emotional weight with urgency and release. The album channels queer heartache through a sound that moves between emo, pop, indie rock, hardcore, and synth-driven energy.
Hit Like a Girl is led by songwriter Nicolle Maroulis, joined by a rotating live lineup that currently includes Mol White on synth and backing vocals and Mike Davis on drums and backing tracks. Together, they shape a sound that feels intimate but charged, balancing vulnerability with movement. The music often sits at the edge of tension and catharsis, pairing open emotion with catchy structures and bold dynamics.
Burning At Both Ends explores exhaustion, love, loss, and self-preservation. The album’s tone is heavy but never static, shifting between darker emotional spaces and moments of fast, danceable release. Synth lines clash and blend with guitars, while drums push the songs forward with force and momentum. The result is energizing without losing its emotional grounding.
The lead single “Keepsake Theory” opens with intensity and purpose. Blazing synths cut through layered guitars, creating a sharp and urgent sound that reflects unresolved longing and frustration. The song pulls from midwest emo, hardcore, and pop punk, using contrast and pace to heighten its emotional impact. Rather than softening the feeling, the arrangement leans into it, allowing tension to drive the song forward.
Maroulis has built a steady and prolific catalog since launching Hit Like a Girl in 2017, releasing multiple full-length albums and an EP while touring widely. Their songwriting centers queer experience with honesty and care, creating music that resonates through recognition rather than explanation. That commitment extends beyond music, with a long-standing focus on visibility and support for trans and queer communities.
With Burning At Both Ends, Hit Like a Girl present their most collaborative and dynamic album yet. Grounded in lived experience and fueled by motion, the record promises a sharp, emotional, and deeply human listening experience.