We are Trans Panic - an unapologetically queer DIY punk band from Portland, Oregon.
We formed in 2024 because we wanted to create music that inspires, energizes, and gets people's fists in the air - especially for marginalized communities. Since then, we've played 60+ shows across diverse venues such as festival stages, house show basements, livestream concerts, and beach shows.
Our music is deliberately in your face, an honest exploration of identity, defiance, and the messy beauty of being alive in a world that often feels hostile. We draw inspiration from the 90's / 00's punk scene, as well as from industrial and goth icons, - to craft songs that are both intensely personal and also allow our fans to see themselves reflected in our music.
One fan described our music as "If Against Me!, the Damned, and NOFX got hammered & produced a trans baby."
We are very much self-driven and embrace the DIY ethic whenever possible. To date, we have built our own recording studio (the Riot Room), designed and hand-crafted our merchandise, written, performed, recorded, and mixed our music, and so much more. Needless to say, we have an enthusiastic love for the whole creation process. We also produce regional shows, many of which are also fundraiser events to raise money for charity.
We are not just making music; we build communities, one riff and defiant chorus at a time. We are the sound of marginalized communities finding our voices and demanding to be heard.
“Portland punks Trans Panic describe themselves as the hypothetical baby of Against Me!, the Damned, and NOFX, and while it fits them, it doesn’t do their sound or instrumentation from their debut EP true justice. Smile (for me) is the next in a long legacy of punks pouring raw emotion and bitter humor into their work with fiery results. Their vocals may sound as crisp as anything else from the 21st century, but the guitar, drums, and bass could be stripped straight from the 80s, lo-fi buzz and all. You can hear the swagger in their performances, especially in bassist and singer Ruby’s vocals. As she yells out “your ego so fragile needs a smile to mend” on the EP’s titular song, her voice carries a genuine anger and just enough gravel to convey the energy burning behind each line, each shout for vengeance and satisfaction. Accompanied by a low, buzzing bass line, slow in tempo and grooving underneath, “Smile (for me)” invites the listener to scream along about the wrongs of the past, blaring promises of violent retribution out their car windows.