Beach Bunny was originally a solo project headed by frontwoman Lili Trifilio, a singer-songwriter from Illinois who was recording her own music, including her 2015 musical debut “6 Weeks” and an EP called "Animalism." A year later, she released her second and third EPs, "Pool Party "and "Crybaby."
Yet, Trifilio needed back-up, especially as a woman trying to make her mark on the alternative-indie music scene. Shortly after the release of Crybaby, she enlisted the help of three new band members, Aidan Cada, Jon Alvarado and Matt Henkels, sporting the new stage name Beach Bunny.
In 2018, the band dropped their first EP together, and Trifilio’s fourth, titled "Prom Queen." The EP allowed Beach Bunny to truly mark their territory in music, gaining the attention of those on TikTok with its lead single of the same name, “Prom Queen.”
The EP revealed Trifilio’s perspective on the diet culture, eating disorders and physical appearance of young women, making the body of work a poignant, vulnerable statement that proved the band’s full understanding of what it means to struggle with your identity and sense of belonging.
Receiving a seal of approval by young music listeners around the world, Beach Bunny took the success of their EP in stride and continued to create, signing to independent record label Mom+Pop the following year.
As a result of this record deal came Beach Bunny’s first full-length album, "Honeymoon," which dropped shy of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The album appeared on The New York Times and The Rolling Stone’s “Best Albums of 2020” pieces, a sure sign that the band was moving in the right direction sonically.
After dealing with touring setbacks and delayed music production, Beach Bunny came back more resilient than ever with another EP in 2021 called "Blame Game." Following their return came collaborations with major artists such as Teagan and Sara on “Cloud 9” and MARINA on “I Love You But I Love Me More.”
While these collaborations pushed Beach Bunny to build on other artists’ techniques and lyricism, the band wanted to do even more. This meant pushing outside of their comfort zones, thus unveiling their most recent sophomore album, "Emotional Creature."
Emotional Creature is only a month old, but sees Trifilio and her bandmates explore a new theme: love. From the high intensity of “Oxygen,” a confessional song that sees the frontwoman admit to her feelings for someone to the 90s rom-com inspired “Entropy,” the album has received rave reviews from fans alike.
Recently, The Rolling Stone reviewed the album saying, “It’s empowering to see Trifilio own the full spectrum of her emotions, and it’s what cements Beach Bunny’s latest record as a masterclass in confessional rock and roll.”
Likewise, mxdwn music said, “Whether a listener is reliving their teenage days or currently in their teenage days, Emotional Creature is a fun record for all to enjoy and to get lost in the feels.”
Now, the band is preparing for their performance at Wonderbus Music & Arts Festival in Columbus this upcoming weekend, while also gearing up for a US and European tour.
Clearly, Beach Bunny is not just a one-hit wonder with only TikTok followers as their fan-base. Instead, they are a group that is constantly raising their musical expectations, creating work that is a reflection of their adolescence and inner turmoil.
