Interview: Winona Fighter
Winona Fighter
Fronted by the unstoppable Coco Kinnon, Winona Fighter is shaking up the modern punk scene with their unapologetic sound and electric live performances. With tracks like “Swear To God That I’m (FINE)”, the Nashville-based trio is capturing hearts with their candid vulnerability, high-octane energy, and commitment to raw, authentic punk.
After taking major festival stages by storm and signing with Rise Records, the band continues to carve out their space in the punk revival, proving that they aren’t just a band – they’re a movement. In this Q&A, Winona Fighter reflects on their journey, the personal struggles that fuel their music, and what’s next for this rising force in punk rock.
Your latest single, "Swear To God That I'm (FINE)", is filled with candid vulnerability and pure punk energy. What was the inspiration behind the track, and what message were you hoping to convey?
That’s what we’re all about! I (Coco) have a hard time separating band life from personal life. We have so many amazing things going on. My gratitude and appreciation is through the roof! However, like many people, I have big emotions. I get sad. I get overwhelmed. I struggle. I am not perfect! I really struggled to separate those feelings from my feelings about the band. There would be a voice in my head saying “well if you’re having a sad day then that means you’re completely ungrateful for all the good happening in your career… blah blah blah.”. I have since learned that is not the truth. I am allowed to feel both things. I think it’s something a lot of artists and people in general struggle with so I hope anyone can listen to the track and feel a little less alone in the nonsense.
With the upcoming shows at festivals like Riot Fest and Oceans Calling, how does it feel to be part of such huge lineups, and what can fans expect from your live performances at these events?
We are honored to be included in these legendary festivals. Not to mention, us?? Sharing a stage with bands like Blink 182 and Fall Out Boy?? Who would’ve thought? Every show we play whether to 100 people or 10,000 people fills us with so much excitement and joy. We approach both the same way as well! We bring to a festival what we bring to a club show.. no tracks, no click, just a raw energized performance. This allows us to have some fun and improvise when we see fit. Simply put, we put on a true old-school punk rock show. The fans should expect to get on their feet and start moving!
Your music has been described as both raw and accessible. How important is it for you to maintain that authenticity while also making your music open to a wider audience?
There is a weird vibe whenever we mention being a punk band taking a mainstream approach. What we mean is we are a punk band yes but, what’s keeping us from making songs catchy enough for all music lovers? We love this genre and scene so much. Why wouldn’t we want to share it with as many people as possible! We stay authentically punk in our morals, by being outspoken, and with our live shows. We retain a larger audience by making our tunes singable! O.G.s like Black Flag, H2O, The Descendents, and NOFX, do SUCH a great job of creating punk songs you want to sing along to. They’re easy to follow, you don’t have to think too hard… you just have to scream your little heart out!
Coco, you’ve spoken about how your introduction to the Boston punk scene shaped your sound. How does the punk scene in Nashville compare, and what challenges have you faced in making your mark there?
I would say the Nashville scene has grown since I first moved here in 2015. However, it has not always been so open and accepting. It wasn’t until the 2020 pop-punk/emo resurgence that Nashville became the alt-genre hot spot it is now. Prior to that, it was a struggle. The catalyst for Winona Fighter was how lackluster the Nashville punk/alt scene was! In a music sense, I was extremely homesick. I had been writing tunes and really wanted to make something special. I met Dan in 2017, told him my vision, and we set off! It was a daunting task. We were laughed at often. I couldn’t get a soul to write with me or bat an eye even. We were not taken seriously. But post-lockdown it was like a flip switched. Everyone wanted to work on punk or rock or alt. The empty scene I knew years ago is long gone! I think people consider us Day 1 punks in the Nashville scene now. I like to think we’ve made our mark. Although we are now an international act, I hope we’re remembered for being the local act that we were.
Your music video for "WLBRN ST TVRN" highlights the band’s explosive energy and frustration with not fitting into certain scenes. Could you elaborate on the concept behind the song and video, and how it relates to your journey as a DIY band?
“WLBRN ST TVRN” was written at a time when we were really struggling to fit into the Nashville non-country scene. Around the time I (Coco) wrote it, it seemed like there was this abundance of ‘Tik Tok’ popular “alternative” artists that just wouldn’t accept an act like us. Winona Fighter had been DIY touring and grinding for YEARS, had a solid local following, and an EP (now known as Father Figure) that I thought rocked. Sure we recorded the whole thing in our spare bedroom (drums and all) but we were a serious, truly authentic band. However, I often felt met with a “kick rocks” attitude. Coming from a place where DIY was so respected and you knew every band on the block, it was dumbfounding to me. I was at my wit's end and when I got to a session with what felt like the only people who WOULD write with me (Austin Luther, Johnny Gates, and Justin Mark Richards), I had to get out all my frustration. Since this track was written to open our show and literally open up the pit, what better way to honor that than to do a live performance music video.
The satirical elements in your music, like in "Subaru" and "WLBRN ST TVRN", stand out. How do you balance humour and serious commentary in your songwriting?
You know how people hide their dark emotions by making little jokes? It’s kind of like that. We want to write about heavy topics while making them easy to talk about. Like we will have a much easier time talking about a heavy song meaning if the music behind it is at a BPM of 160+, you know? It’s much more enjoyable to make a satirical music video with notes of seriousness than a super serious video that has you questioning life when you finish it. We make music that people relate to.. but those folks also deserve a break from the weight of the world. It is also important to note we take this band SO seriously but we DON’T take ourselves too seriously. If you can’t have a laugh while doing what you love (even if what you love makes it seem like you have anger issues) then what’s the point?
"Subaru" has become a fan favourite despite not initially being intended as such. How did fan feedback influence your decision to re-release it, and how do you feel about its newfound importance?
The fan feedback is WHY we re-released it! It has become a favorite among the band too because of the fan feedback. We have a blast playing it now because the crowd always gets so excited. It was fun re-releasing it and receiving comments like “The new mix is so good!” or “wow! the new drums!”, its just awesome that people love the song enough to even notice differences like that. The fact that the fans love it so much is the newfound importance. It makes you realize that even though a song might not be the most important to us, it’s going to resonate and be extremely important to someone. We also hope the rereleases introduce the song to new listeners. We just really want these tunes to have a fighting chance.
You’ve had the opportunity to open for some iconic acts, including Incubus and Motion City Soundtrack. What have you learned from those experiences, and how have they influenced your own stage presence?
Pretty crazy isn’t it? The biggest thing we’ve taken to heart is… it actually IS easy to make your opening act feel welcomed and comfortable. There are a few bands we’ve opened for and there is zero acknowledgment. Which is fine, we don’t care, we are not owed anything.. however when a big deal like Incubus or MCS takes the time to pop in the green room, say hello, and maybe catch a song or two of the set, it really means a lot. It means way more than you’ll think it means. We’ve always done this with bands that open for us but now we even MORE SO make sure to make whatever effort we can. Also, it makes you a better performer, it even more so makes you want to do the headliner proud!
The signing to Rise Records seems like a pivotal moment for Winona Fighter. How has this partnership impacted the band, and what can fans expect from your upcoming releases under the label?
Let us start by saying that Rise has been the BEST. Like us, they are a no-bull-shit zone. We were extremely picky when it came time to build a team. We had been completely DIY for so long, that letting someone else put their hands on the wheel is pretty nerve-wracking. Also, you worry about what people think… however, our fans were STOKED. True fans want to see you skyrocket and I think signing to a trustworthy label is just another step to getting there. What we loved about Rise is they were like “We signed Winona Fighter for Winona Fighter. So do whatever you need to do, create however you like to create and we will support it.”. I think it’s really going to show in our future releases that the label isn’t changing us, just enhancing what we already are. Fans can expect exactly what they are hoping for… new music, new tours, international reach. We are so excited. We love you Rise!
You’ve been on quite a few tours lately, including one with Bayside and Armor for Sleep. How has constant touring shaped your music and relationship as a band?
Shout out Bayside! Thank you for taking a chance on us. We are pretty lucky as far as the relationship aspect goes. We are all very close, to begin with. Best friends and creative partners. We’ve seen the good, bad, and ugly of each other prior to touring so there were zero surprises. Not every day is rainbows and sunshine but we know how to have a tough conversation with one another, which is SO important when you’re confined to a small tour van for days on end. Touring has definitely shaped us to accept each other's quirks! We’ve all got them! As for the music, we love getting to play unreleased songs before recording them. This allows us to really get a feel for the tune and see what’s working and what’s not. “oh the crowd really reacted to this part” or “mmmm no this section was kind of a dud.”. All our songs are literally written to be played live so touring certain songs before releasing them is so important.
With singles like "I’m In The Market To Please No One" and "I Think You Should Leave", it feels like there’s a rebellious, no-nonsense streak running through your music. What fuels that sense of defiance in your songwriting?
Can you imagine a punk band afraid to speak their mind? Illegal! We just put into words what most folks are too scared to say. I (Coco) have to give it up to the amazing people in my life. I am surrounded by people who challenge me to speak my mind and stand up for myself. Life is too short not to! You’re only as good as the company you keep and I keep some pretty strong company. We want our fans to feel as inspired and empowered listening to our songs as we are made to feel every day. We believe the saying is “Do no harm, but take no shit.”. That’s the motto.
Your live performances have been described as a space where all ego is left at the door, and everyone is equal. How do you cultivate that atmosphere at your shows, and why is that message so important to you?
We think concert etiquette has been thrown out the window since we were teenagers. We won't go into detail on that exactly but at the end of the day, we’re all at the same show (even us, the talent!). We are all there to forget the outside world for a few hours. We all have something going on in our lives, so why don’t we just take some time, scream some words, and thrash around in the pit. Honestly! Not one of us is better than the other in that moment. We’re all just music fans looking to make some memories. We cultivate that type of atmosphere by trying to include the crowd as much as possible and also calling out BS when we see it. We’re so lucky to have respectful fans though. We (us and the fans) all bully one another as a joke, but we’re also always there to lift one another up.
The punk genre is experiencing a resurgence, and Winona Fighter is very much a part of that movement. How do you see the current punk scene evolving, and where do you see yourselves within it?
Wow, honored you consider us part of the movement. We are so proud to be here. We didn’t get here from being viral on social media or having connections, we got here by putting on killer shows and releasing catchy, raw music that we love. We put in that WORK! It’s been a slow but rewarding burn. A lot of people don’t know but we self-released our debut EP and our whole world changed. It RANDOMLY blew up in the industry and that’s how we got picked up by most of our team. They heard the music, came to a show, and were like “I believe in THAT”. So anyways, we hope to be the band that “made it” the old-school way. I hope we can inspire future bands too. “Well Winona Fighter got to where they wanted to be by doing it their way and so can we.”. We hope to be a band that inspires period. Our come-up and the rawness in our songs/shows has its own place within the scene we think. We’re just so happy to have a part in it.
Your music clearly draws from both classic punk influences and contemporary sounds. How do you balance nostalgia for the old punk era while keeping your sound fresh for modern audiences?
We just make the music we like to listen to! There are so many amazing bands out there right now that we listen to but old school punk and rock is in our veins. The sound just comes naturally from all of that. We will finish writing a song and if it passes the “I listened to this like 100 times last night” then it usually makes the cut. You have to be your biggest fan!
Finally, what have you been listening to lately? Any new or old favourites that have been on repeat?
What we fixate on varies SO much but… here’s what we’ve been bumping the past few weeks.
Coco: NEW - Mannequin Pussy, Pierce The Veil, Chappell Roan (the people's princess)
OLD - NOFX, Audioslave, Heart
Dan: NEW - Washed Out, The Story So Far
OLD - Pearl Jam, Oasis
Austin: NEW - Charli XCX (BRAT SUMMER), Dominic Fike
OLD - Weezer, Elliot Smith
Winona Fighter’s latest single “Swear To God That I’m (FINE)” is out now via Rise Records and is available for streaming on all your favourite platforms.
