Los Angeles-based alternative rock collective MASHA. and the Fam have released their new single, “New Normal,” a politically charged track examining social unrest, police brutality and the public’s growing acceptance of recurring crises. Originally written in Baltimore in 2015 following the death of Freddie Gray in police custody, the song took frontwoman Masha Alexis nine years to complete.
The release arrives amid renewed debates over immigration enforcement, civil rights and political accountability in the United States. Combining theatrical alternative rock with a 15-piece brass arrangement recorded in South Africa, the single reflects both the anger surrounding its origins and the possibility of community recovery.
A Song Rooted in the 2015 Baltimore Protests
The origins of “New Normal” date to April 2015, when Freddie Gray died after sustaining a severe spinal injury while in Baltimore police custody.
Gray’s death prompted widespread demonstrations, some of which escalated into violence and property destruction. The unrest affected neighbourhoods where Alexis had grown up, giving the musician a personal connection to the events.
Alexis began writing the song’s lyrics that year but believed her musical abilities had not yet developed sufficiently to communicate the message she envisioned.
“The challenge was that I wasn’t a strong enough musician yet to make this the song that it needed to be,” Alexis says.
Rather than release an arrangement she considered unfinished, Alexis set the material aside while continuing to develop her songwriting and performance skills.
Over the following years, recurring news coverage of social tensions and institutional accountability broadened the song’s meaning beyond the circumstances surrounding Gray’s death.
Nine Years of Musical Development
The eventual completion of “New Normal” followed an unexpected moment during a band rehearsal.
According to the collective, the musicians were improvising through a particularly loud and chaotic passage when Alexis stopped the performance. In the resulting silence, a faint squeak from the drummer’s stool caught her attention.
The sound reminded her of a damaged sign hanging precariously after the Baltimore unrest, prompting her to reconsider the composition’s structure.
Within days, Alexis reconstructed the arrangement around two contrasting emotional sections.
The opening portion explores anger, destruction, grief and frustration. The latter shifts toward rebuilding, healing and the possibility of positive change following periods of conflict.
The contrast became central to the finished recording, allowing the song to move beyond protest toward a broader reflection on collective responsibility.
International Collaboration Brings 15-Piece Brass Section to Recording
A significant element of the completed single is its large brass arrangement, developed through an international musical collaboration.
Alexis drew inspiration from Brass Against’s interpretation of “Nobody Speak/Bullet In Your Head,” which demonstrated how powerful horn arrangements could complement an aggressive rock sound.
Having previously arranged music for no more than five horns, she sought additional expertise to expand the instrumentation.
She subsequently collaborated with William Haubrich of the South African College of Music to develop and record a 15-piece horn section in Cape Town.
The resulting arrangement adds orchestral intensity to the collective’s alternative rock foundation, reinforcing the emotional progression between the song’s two halves.
The project also illustrates how independent musicians can draw on international collaborators to produce recordings that extend beyond a conventional guitar-driven rock lineup.
MASHA. and the Fam Continue Their Theatrical Alternative Rock Approach
Collective Combines Rock, Orchestration and Live Performance
MASHA. and the Fam traces its beginnings to an unconventional rehearsal space: a converted refrigerator in the basement of a door factory.
The collective has since developed a musical identity centred on Alexis’s keyboards and vocals, combining alternative rock with cinematic arrangements and theatrical performances.
Record World International previously described the group’s work as a “cinematic opus,” reflecting its emphasis on expansive instrumentation and dramatic presentation.
The current lineup consists of Masha Alexis on lead vocals and keyboards, Pedro Aquino on guitar, Servio Maldonado on bass and Kyle Dombroski on drums. Additional musicians contribute through a rotating network of collaborators.
The group maintains a presence across major digital music platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and Bandcamp.
‘New Normal’ Examines Social Change and Collective Responsibility
Although the song originated in response to events in Baltimore, its extended development has given it a broader contemporary context.
Rather than concentrating exclusively on a single incident, “New Normal” questions how repeated episodes of violence, political division and social instability can gradually become accepted features of everyday life.
For MASHA. and the Fam, the recording represents both a nine-year creative undertaking and an effort to address difficult social questions through music.
With its combination of forceful alternative rock, international brass arrangements and themes of resilience, “New Normal” marks a significant addition to the collective’s catalogue while encouraging listeners to consider what society should accept as normal.
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