Lift Your Head Up
“Starpool” is the official entry for NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest 2026! This is a song about imagination through despair, and finding another way.
The NPR Tiny Desk Contest features independent music artists and is a cool showcase of songwriting, and desks! The Repressions desk is floating among the stars behind them, and very tiny.
It was a pleasure to make this video. We hope you enjoy it.
Read All The Books! New YouTube video today! It’s “Thank You Charlotte Bronte,” live, at The Next Chapter, a vast, beautiful bookstore and art space. What a perfect place (and audience) for this song.
Women authors have always struggled to be accepted objectively, for this reason, and others far more oppressive in the past, they have used pen names, often male. Still today many use pen names or initials in the hopes of being judged fairly. Why should marketing and sexism detract from precious books and thought? Here is to the excellent authors mentioned, those that could not fit in the song, and to books themselves. Read all the books!
Thank you again to Alana Hollander, Dark Donovan, Zach, and everyone at The Next Chapter!
You can find the next live shows here, or enjoy a show from home, twice a week on Twitch.
Happy New Year!
Thank you for listening and watching, especially during this anniversary year. 2025 marked 10 years of The Repressions! There were live shows, a full album CD release, music videos, a film festival, recitals, new venues, new collaborations, new followers, and new friends!
There are so many highlights: Playing at Moynihan Station for Midtown Music, Working with Felicia Greenfield of Friends Not Food and having our song “We Are the Strange Ones” included in the show and Chelsea Film Festival, Playing with Lorraine Leckie, Phil Robinson and Roomful of Sky Music, Astoria Music Collective, Paul and Aly’s wedding, The Long Room, Urban Vegan Roots, Juilliard Extension Recitals, Apryl Knight guest starring, the Open Streets show, Baker Falls, and being on stage with so many talented artists over the year. Ten years, dozens of songs, hundreds of shows, much artwork, absolute adventures, and many friends. There are new shows, new recordings, and big events forthcoming in 2026. Thank you for joining us.
Saturday November 29th, The Repressions return to Espresso 77 to close out the Autumn season. What will their color scheme be tonight?
No cover, all ages, original songs and cover songs for every mood. It’s such a lovely place, with ample seating and soft lighting, perfect to relax with coffee, tea, wine, food, art, and music.
Show begins at 8:30pm at Espresso 77 – 35-57 77th St, Jackson Heights, Queens, NYC 11372
We hope you can join!
~November News~
New Music Alert! “DOWN” releases on Friday November 7th (Bandcamp Friday.) You can find the links at the widgets above or by clicking to Linktree here: LINKS TO Apple Music, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Bandcamp, &More .
DOWN is a song about giving in to things that comfort you.
UPCOMING SHOWS
The Repressions are excited for these upcoming shows in November and December. Let’s get out and celebrate New York City!
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 29, 2025 – 8:30 PM
ESPRESSO 77 – 35-57 77th St, Jackson Heights, NYC 11372
THURSDAY DECEMBER 11, 2025 – 8:00 pm
BAKER FALLS – 192 Allen St, New York, NY 10002
MONDAY DECEMBER 22, 2025 – 8:00 PM
COWGIRL SEAHORSE – 259 Front St, New York, NY 10038
NEW VIDEO
Today on YouTube, a live performance video of “Life Size Unicorn” from last month’s LIC Bar shpw, with a lot of fun audience participation.
New merch is coming next month, too. We hope to see you at one of the shows, or on our Twitch Channel (2 livestream shows every week.)
Thank you for your support in the magic and the music.
It has been a very busy October! Lots of live shows in NYC, Barbara’s piano mid-term at Juilliard Extension, an upcoming Halloween show on Twitch, and of course, attending the Chelsea Film Festival as our song “We Are The Strange Ones” is featured in Friends Not Food. We’re trying to post at least one video from every live show this year on YouTube, and you can find the shorts and reels on Tiktok, Instagram and more for the short versions. This week it’s “Ophelia’s Song” live at Pete’s Candy Store in Brooklyn. We had an amzing time playing there. Video and link below. Such a fantastic month!
Photos by Alexandra Stafford
November will be exciting, playing love songs at a wedding on November 1, and then celebrating the long awaited single release of DOWN, available for pre-order now, and everywhere for streaming and downloading on November 7, 2025.
Thank you for watching, look for updates to
For the third time this month, The Repressions have been asked to fill in for an 11th hour gig, and are back tonight at Espresso 77!
Not much time to promote, but it’s a good feeling to be the “reliable go-to band.” Yeah, yeah, it’s the trusty ol’ Repressions ! We will still be bringing our full show of music, costumes, artwork and fun. If you want to see us at a small comfortable spot (seating, coffee, drinks, food, artwork, mood lighting) that’s all ages, come through on Friday at E77 at 8:30pm.
Show from 8:30-10:30 at Espresso 77 – 35-57 77th St, Jackson Heights, Queens, NYC 11372
If you can’t make it tonight, be certain to check out our YouTube channel for live videos from recent shows. Give us a subscribe button while you’re there, it really helps the channel and sends the music out into the world. The Repressions are making music for so many reasons, but connecting people is one of the most important purposes of The Repressions.
Thank you for reading and we’ll see you tonight at E77!
Every week is an adventure!
Wednesday October 15th, The Repressions are playing LIC Bar with Somer Suarez and Felipe Luna. LIC Bar a staple for indie music in NYC. No Cover – 21+. Show begins at 8pm, The Repressions go on at 10pm. It will be colorful and dreamy and too much fun!
Friday October 17th, The Repressions are so excited to have their music featured in this fantastic and funny show! It’s premiering tomorrow at The Chelsea Film Festival . There is a screening Wednesday night and Friday Morning at the Regal Union Square. We’ll be at the Friday show. Come along if you’re free. Here is the trailer, it is excellent! Listen to that familiar song at the end.
Chelsea Film Festival TICKETS
The Repressions also want to thank the wonderful people at The Long Room NYC, as they played an eleventh hour cover gig there this past Saturday, and it was lovely. You can see a bit in Youtube shorts and reels now, look for a full video soon.
There are still twice weekly live streams to join on Twitch, and the single “DOWN” releases on Friday November 7th (Bandcamp Friday.) You can also pre-order DOWN now on Apple Music and Amazon Music right now.
November and December have even more shows and songs in the works. Hope to see you at LIC Bar tomorrow, and thank you so much for being a part of The Repressions’ musical world.
We are just cozy pumpkins in October. Cozy and busy, and happy to keep making music!
The Repressions return to Espresso 77 on Saturday October 4th with original songs and cover songs for all moods and weather. It’s a cozy-cool place to relax, connect, and enjoy the evening. Show from 8:30-10:30 at Espresso 77 – 35-57 77th St, Jackson Heights, Queens, NYC 11372 -All Ages and No Cover
On Wednesday October 15th, The Repressions are playing LIC Bar, a staple for indie music in NYC. No Cover – 21+. Show begins at 8pm.
Today our orange autumn Repressions are shaing a new video from last week’s show at Cowgirl Seahorse. It’s Followcat, probably our coziest song. Give it a listen and like and subscribe – in a cozy way.
November is going to be full of fall finery as well, including the next single release “Down,” on November 7th. Thank you for listening, and we hope you get a chance to curl up with some cozy cats and a cup of tea soon.
It’s a music venue, art gallery, coffe house, cafe, and wine bar all in one. And it’s an all ages show with no cover. Friday September 5th, The Repressions return to Espresso 77 with original songs and cover songs for every mood. It’s a lovely place to relax, connect, and enjoy the evening.
Show from 8:30-10:30 at Espresso 77 – 35-57 77th St, Jackson Heights, Queens, NYC 11372
And while we’re extending the invitation, today is also BANDCAMP FRIDAY, the day when all proceeds for purchased music on Bandcamp goes directly to the artists. If you’ve been thinking of downloading The Repressions’ songs, or just about any indie artist you can think of, head on over to Bandcamp today. And remember, The Repressions Theme Song is still available as a FREE download.
The Repressions 