[Cover photo credit to Juan Nieto]

Southern California born & raised Mexican/Colombian artist St. Panther has announced their long anticipated debut record, East Side Love Story, set for release on November 20, 2026 via the art-forward label drink sum wtr. Also known as Dani Bojorges-Giraldo (they/them), St. Panther spent most of their adulthood working, living and loving among the art community in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles.

Their upcoming debut record “serves as a catalyst for their modern, undeniably Latino sound, fusing inspirations from Chicano soul, Motown classics, G-funk anthems, oldies from the streets of Los Angeles and much more.”

An artist, Producer, singer, rapper and multi-instrumentalist, St. Panther has always had a versatile sound. When it came time for their first full-length project, St. Panther slowed down and looked around their neighborhood, Shazaming sounds from boomboxes and investigating their beloved cat’s neighborhood affairs. 

The album’s opening track, “East Side Girl”, is out now, alongside a video.

St. Panther says of the song:

Stylistically, I think this is my favorite song on the album. I wanted to capture a certain sonic my neighborhood carries that was inspired by my next door neighbor’s playlist he made a religion out of — same sequence of songs daily since I moved here back in 2020. His playlist felt like a ride through our block in his lowrider: oldies, funk, soul, and a blend of hip-hop curated through a chicano lens.

Our culture has always had a certain signature and binary gender, but over the years we’ve started to see it completely revamped and enriched by queer people across Mexico and now here. This song is more than just about a crush, I wanted the allure and invitation to our neighborhood to include the most beautiful parts of our culture here, the queer community. This song captures the attitude and charm of the queers in our neighborhood, how a story becomes more vibrant because they’re not just seen and represented, they’re the main event. This is that.

Last year saw the release of St. Panther’s second EP, Strange World. Strange World “narrated and confronted the wider climate of uncertainty and apathy.” After spending years refining their craft, St. Panther is focusing on telling their own story.