Releasing this past Friday September 19th, 2025, the Omaha-based indie rock band Bad Self Portraits delivered one hell of a debut album in I Think I’m Going to Hell.
Comprised of Ingrid Howell (vocals, bass), Cole Kempcke (guitar), Conner Paintin (guitar, keys), and Jesse White (drums, vocals), the project explores the early stages of dread and grief, as well as the aftermath of chaos.
The opening track, “Table Tennis Champion,” sets the tone with sharp guitars and driving percussion. The song expresses the multiple lines of thought when trying to have a singular, clear thought. There’s a constant back-and-forth parallel in the lyrics that complements the title even more. Being less general, it highlights the struggle of having OCD or a similar mental disorder, where everything is fine until it isn’t, and questioning if you are stuck with medication.
The album’s lead single, “Pensive”, has many dynamic shifts with the same chords. It captures the tug & pull of conflict and resolution. Lyrically, it underscores the tension in Howell’s relationship with her partner and reflects on the contrast in upbringings, creating a bond.
A song that highlights the feeling of guilt for past emotions is “Then & Now.” As a listener, it feels as if the character is slowly losing themselves to these nightmares, pushing emotions down until they explode. The guitar in the song can be what that explosion sounds like, blurry with no clear direction when it comes to which emotion it wants to express.
A big change is when Howell takes a back seat while White comes through with the track “Ellery.” These changes allow a different perspective to come through, as the story is based on two individuals. Many scenes in the album take place around religious settings, and this track is no exception, with the character wanting to see someone they saw at a pew years ago, using the imaginary meetup as a coping mechanism for unprocessed regret.
A hallmark of I Think I’m Going to Hell is its unvarnished quality. Nothing is overly polished; its instrumentals feel raw and mirror the discomfort within each lyric. The band views the album as a physical artifact and emotional badge of honor, as they gave fans access to the vinyl first before hitting digital platforms via Buy Before You Stream (BB4US). The initiative strives to help indie artists garner physical sales before it hits streaming, typically around a month later.
“Vinyl feels like a time capsule,” says White. “It’s about preserving a record of who we were when we made it.” Howell aded, “I grew up listening to story records with my family – we didn’t really watch TV, so those records became our entertainment. That experience shaped how I think about music. It’s a physical piece of art that can’t be erased by an algorithm.”
I Think I’m Going to Hell is available for digital streaming, with physical vinyl editions having been available since the end of August.
