Trauma, Guilt, and Reckoning: Bad Self Portraits Share “All Bark No Bite”

“‘All Bark No Bite’ is based on my mother’s and my relationship,” says vocalist Ingrid Howell. “I’d rather not be related to her, but this song helped me clarify our separation and our differences, and affirms that I spent so much of my life as a little kid existing so close to someone so unstable. The lyrics highlight examples of blame placed on me as a child, and how I approach them now in my adult life. I learned to hate myself from her, but with years of therapy and loving, healthy relationships since then, I’ve learned how to love myself.”

The single offers a deeper window into I Think I’m Going to Hell, a full-length debut rooted in life after chaos: the quiet, disorienting work of healing after the storm has passed. The album confronts themes of mental health, grief, religious anxiety, and family dynamics with fearless specificity. The title track is a meditation on Howell’s childhood OCD and the terrifying, literal fear of damnation instilled by a strict church upbringing. Paired with “Pensive,” the band’s first single, the three songs form a mosaic of trauma, tenderness, and transformation.

Produced in partnership with Midtopia, Buy Before You Stream empowers independent artists to release exclusive vinyl pressings before their music hits streaming platforms. Each record is pressed by Third Man Pressing and sold directly to fans, allowing artists to retain 100% of profits and bypass the constraints of algorithm-driven streaming models. I Think I’m Going to Hell is the third release under the initiative, following acclaimed projects from Talia Keys and Rudy Love & The Encore.

Formed in Omaha in 2017, Bad Self Portraits – Ingrid Howell (vocals, bass), Cole Kempcke (guitar), Connor Paintin (guitar, keys), and Jesse White (drums, vocals) – has built a reputation for bold vulnerability and emotionally charged live shows. The band will hit the road ahead of the vinyl release, with a one-week tour including stops in Wichita, Denver, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, and a hometown release show in Omaha on September 20. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit badselfportraits.com/.