“Great new releases by The Lashes -- beautiful, wistful love song, Clippers, and thought provoking groove, Everybody's Got One.” - Kristin Kowalski Ferragut
— Author of "Love Letters from Cuckold Creek", "Escape Velocity"
“You will move and be moved.” - Luther Jett
— Author of "Flying to America", "The Colour War"
Our Story
After meeting at an open mic, Sarah Pinto and Michael Occhionero learned they shared a deep affinity for quirky indie songs and many of the same underground artists. Both were established songwriters and performers in the local Maryland/D.C. metro music scene, and they connected first as fans of each other's work. They fell in love through music and formed The Lashes in late 2024.
They battled a great deal of adversity early in their relationship. Michael was let go from his job of 10+ years in April 2025, and shortly thereafter, Sarah was diagnosed with breast cancer. That summer, The Lashes stopped playing live to focus on Sarah's health. Recording started, mostly due to Sarah's frustration with wanting to connect with an audience and not physically being able to. Sarah's song "Raise Your Voice" was released in September 2025, followed by Michael's single "Obligatory Train Song" a month later. The Lashes' first single, "Jesus Wasn't Born at Macy's", was released in December.
Studio sessions for their debut album, When I'm Feeling Blue, began during this time, and production took off in spring of 2026 when the group returned to performing. T-Lash joined the band, initially to play a couple festivals, but he gelled so well that he stuck around. The songs on When I'm Feeling Blue are about love and loss, positivity and grief, confidence and uncertainty. The album contains ten songs, five songs each originating from Sarah and Michael, and will be available this fall.
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