Pom Pom Squad: "There are varying degrees and styles of how somebody can play guitar. It’s not a one-size-fits-all"

As a musician, Mia Berrin, who fronts the Brooklyn, New York-based punk rock band, Pom Pom Squad, is savvy, kind-hearted and compelling. With the release of the band’s new LP, Death of a Cheerleader, Pom Pom Squad has been the talk of tastemaker outlets all over, from KEXP 90.3 in Seattle to these hallowed digital pages of Guitar World.

Berrin – who is as capable of shout-singing into the mic while strumming a fuzzy “Jagmaster” (more on that below) as she is creating a dreamy fingerpicking soundscape – has much to say about the state of the world, and how that state could be improved or become just a bit more self-aware. 

We caught up with Berrin to ask her about her relationship to the guitar, how she came to play the instrument and what she loves about it. We also pick apart her favorite pedals and discuss how she thinks about the six-string in relation to her propellant four-piece group.