Sharp Pins

Sharp Pins is the lo-fi power pop solo project of Chicago-based musician Kai Slater -- also of the post-punk group Lifeguard -- who holds the Beatles and Guided by Voices in equal regard and cranks out songs and records with abandon. Albums released in 2023 (Turtle Rock) and 2024 (Radio DDR) set the stage for his most widely distributed record, 2025's Balloon Balloon Balloon. It was his most fully realized outing yet and positioned him as a modern-day successor to many thrones (power pop, lo-fi, etc.).