Strawberry Launch on Gov Ball, Representing New York, and What Comes Next

With a Gov Ball set marking a major milestone and their first full-length album in the works, NYC’s Strawberry Launch is in the midst of a creative evolution. Pleaser caught up with the genre-blending five-piece to talk mythical alter egos, dream festival lineups and what it means to represent their hometown on the Gov Ball stage.

PHOTOS BY LEXI YOB

Pleaser: If Strawberry Launch were a mythical creature, what would it be—and what would each of you be individually?

Taylor Hurt: I think the band would be a strawberry fairy.
Abby Flicker: Or a fairy that lives in a little strawberry house!
TH: I’d be a fairy too. I always have glitter on me, so… a fairy with a little pouch of glitter.
Riiza McCroskey: I’m a gnome for sure. I think I give gnome energy. I love fun colors, whimsical gardens, and I wear my emotions on my face. Yeah, a garden gnome for sure.
AF: I’ll be a mermaid.
Matrianna Gahol: I think I’d be a vampire—both in vibe and color palette.
Benji Berkowitz: I’m going centaur.

How did you all react when you found out you were playing Gov Ball?

TH: We weren’t together when we found out. Our agents just sent this casual text like, “Hey, we’re sending over an offer for Gov Ball.”
RM: I was just like, what is happening? Is this real?
AF: I was at work and saw like 50 texts. I started freaking out. But I think Benji had the funniest response. We were all freaking out and asked, “Does that work for you, Benji?”
BB: I said, “Yeah, that’s cool.” I didn’t even realize what was happening. It only hit me later what it meant.

How does your Gov Ball set differ from other shows you’ve done? Are there many differences?

RM: Yes—a lot.
AF: We’re leveling up.
TH: We’re using in-ears for the first time. We’ve added new tracks, transitions and song intros. We’re working with a music director, Josh Bailey—he’s brought in some really fun ideas. We also have custom outfits from Emi Lahrssen that feature prints made by Courtney Morgan. We just did our first full run-through, and it’s really coming together.
RM: Josh has done an amazing job of taking elements from our recordings and weaving them into the live set.

Are there any moments in the set you’re especially excited to share with the crowd?

TH: The intro to the whole damn thing.
MG: And the transitions.
RM: We were on Zoom, just freaking out the first time we heard it.
TH: It’s a high-energy build-up.
RM: It feels like climbing a diving board and jumping into a pink pool of glittery mystery.

You’re playing more than one set at Gov Ball—can you tell us more about that?

TH: We’ll also be performing at the Kona Big Wave activation.
RM: That set will be a little different, it’s acoustic and more chill. We swapped some songs out, Benji will be on cajon and Matrianna’s playing acoustic guitar. It’ll be super fun, and we’re sandwiched between The Beaches and Stolen Gin, so we’re excited to see everyone else too.

What’s your favorite song to play live right now?

TH: “Videos.” I’m so excited to play it at Gov Ball. Matrianna has a killer guitar solo in that one.
RM: I like “Videos” too. It’s the loudest, most intense moment in our set. I always get nervous about the end note, but once I hit it, it’s like, “Ah, hard part’s over.”
AF: I’m also most excited to play “Videos.” I echo what everyone else said—it’s just a big moment.
BB: “Emily.” The instrumental sections are fun, and the new intro is super cool.
RM: Benji has a drum fill in “Emily,” and every time I hear it I’m like “ahhh.” It just hits perfectly.

If you could create your dream festival lineup, who would be on it—dead or alive?

TH: We’d base it around our musical inspirations.
Strawberry Launch: Ethel Cain, MUNA, The Cranberries, boygenius, David Byrne or Talking Heads, Wise Blood, Crumb, Khruangbin, MJ Lenderman (that one’s for Benji), Bad Bunny (for Abby) and a Charli XCX DJ set featuring The Dare for exactly one song. Jimi Hendrix, Japanese Breakfast, Donna Summer...nd of course, all the homies—The Backfires, Double Standard, Small Crush. There are so many to include. 

As a New York band, what does it mean to be part of the Gov Ball lineup? Have you connected with any of the other NYC bands playing?

TH: It’s just such a great time to be doing music in New York. The scene is big but also super supportive and positive. There’s so much talent all around, and it feels great to be part of that. Getting to play Gov Ball feels really rewarding. I just hope we do New York proud. I’m excited for people to get to know us.
RM: It feels so special. We’ve been together as a band for seven years—we survived the pandemic together. Being able to represent the local scene at Gov Ball means a lot.
It’s our first major festival, so having friends and fellow NYC artists to talk to and learn from has helped so much. It’s going to be so nice to run around with friends all weekend and experience this together.

What’s next for Strawberry Launch after Gov Ball?

TH: We’re recording our first album.
RM: We’re taking a step back from playing in the city so we can really hunker down and focus.
TH: I’m just excited to have the time, space, and resources to make something cohesive—something that really tells a story.