Punk trio Bait Bag is Fiona Lovins (guitar and vocals), Courtney Naliboff (bass, vocals, keys) and drummer Claire Donnelly, and I’ve been a fan since they began on the island of North Haven in Knox County in 2018.

Bait Bag has recorded a dozen EPs and singles. They’ve shared stages with punk and indie rock acts Deerhoof, Screaming Females, Rough Francis and Weakened Friends.

On March 27, Bait Bag released brand new music on the seven-song EP “Cut Fruit.”

It was engineered and mixed by Hamilton Belk, and mastered by Annie Hoffman from Weakened Friends.

This is how the band describes “Cut Fruit:” “Ripening fruit becomes more assertive and visible, aromatic and desirable. Ripening women scream, shout, whisper and rage to get the same recognition. You don’t need permission to name what you want, to prune away what doesn’t serve you and to kiss your reflection in the mirror. Just come with us.”

The entire EP clocks in at under 17 minutes, so I found myself happily caught up in a listen-and-repeat pattern.

“Cut Fruit” opens with “Deep End” and the punch-packing a cappella lines “I’m the kind of happy where I want someone to watch me, watch me go off, off the deep end” before giving way to flaming guitar licks, heavy bass and Donnelly’s rolling thunder drum beat.

“Maps” marks time with stretch marks, scars and street signs, packaged in a two-minute zipline of music.

“Safe Harbor” asks for Dramamine, ginger tea, a cooling breeze and the strength needed to overcome fear.

Some surprise piano licks are deployed in the muscle-flexing, asking-for-love banger “Tenderloin.” “All icing and no cake, all baby and no bottle, all cruise, no throttle” Naliboff sings.

My favorite track at the moment is “Love on a Salary” and its breezy melody. Despite bemoaning a failed relationship, the song’s hook sparkles.

The EP ends with “Pep Talk,” with its spoken word lines:

Look, I’m not saying I want to make out with you
I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to
I mean look, I’m not saying that I’ve given you a second thought
I was just wondering if maybe you think I’m hot

Then it switches to full-throated singing, with some echo effect for emphasis.

I’m not taking an action step, I just need a little pep talk

Switching back between spoken word and singing, “Pep Talk” is among Bait Bag’s finest moments. Naliboff’s bass could melt snow and the entire song is the most righteous two minutes and 41 seconds of recent history.

“Cut Fruit” is available on several streaming platforms including Tidal and Apple Music, however the band recently cut ties with Spotify.

“We have removed our music from Spotify due to CEO Daniel Ek’s investment in AI military drone technology and  Spotify’s platforming of AI artists,” said Naliboff.

One of the best places to stream, and purchase, “Cut Fruit” is on Bandcamp.

Want to see Bait Bag live?

They’re on the bill with Viqueen and Stands for Nothing on April 24 at Portland House of Music. Tickets are $9 in advance, $13 day of show for the 21-plus show.

The show is a benefit for Project Relief Maine, the Black immigrant-led mutual aid and racial justice collective.