Episodes
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"My mother was Poly Styrene. Punk icon."
The first line in Dayglo: The Poly Styrene Story, director and author Celeste Bell provides us with a look into the life of Marianne Elliot-Said, better known as Poly Styrene of X-Ray Spex. After Poly died of breast cancer in 2011, Celeste teamed up with Zoë Howe to put the book together, which explores her life through diary entries, artwork, poems, and accounts from her peers.
Dayglo has now turned into Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché, a documentary which dives further into Poly's life and the relationship Celeste had with her mother. It tells a poignant tale of the frontwoman as she had to grapple with rising fame, mental illness, and the effect it had on not only Poly, but Celeste as well.
We sat down with Celeste to talk about how the book and documentary came to fruition and explore different topics in both, the romanticization of the early punk scene, labels, and share stories about the life of one of the most influential voices in punk.
Song: "I Am a Cliché" by X-Ray Spex
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Amyl and The Sniffers are the definition of loud, brash, punk rock. Since releasing their first EP in 2016, the Melbourne band has earned superfans all over the world and have created an environment that's known for producing such a ferocious and angsty space that it's not uncommon to hear of wild stories coming out of their shows. From someone carving "Amyl" into their stomach during their set to another having a heart attack in the pit, they've built a reputation for being one of the wildest live bands to come out of Australia.
After touring extensively in 2018 and 2019, The Sniffers came to a screeching halt with the rest of the world in 2020. Though the days of touring looked bleak, it gave the group time to craft what was named one of the best albums of 2021, Comfort to Me. Their most personal album yet, Comfort to Me explores themes of sexism and authority with tenacity and a heavy garage rock sound. Its got heart, honesty, and vulnerability, yet exudes the tough as nails persona of Amyl and The Sniffers.
We sat down with vocalist Amy Taylor to talk about her personal upbringing and the formation of the band, the process in writing Comfort to Me and the comparison to previous albums, their quick rise to success and gaining high profile fans, and Taylor's onstage presence during their live shows.
Song: "Freaks to the Front" by Amyl and the Sniffers
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Women of the Pit was established with the purpose of encouraging and supporting women/femmes in the hardcore community. From friendships, show meetups, networking, and highlighting business/bands, they strive to make the community stronger and safer by fostering a mindset that’s respectful to all.
We found Women of the Pit through an Anti-Flag show in which they advertised that if anyone felt unsafe or uncomfortable in the crowd they were there to help and recently sat down with their admins/co-founders, Lori and Gina. The four of us talked about how Women of the Pit got started and our respective punk/hardcore backgrounds, the work they’ve done from hosting shows to donating merch proceeds, staying away from negativity, and how we can all work to be stronger together.
Song: "Stronger Together" featuring Women of the Pit members
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Get Better Records has certainly made a name for themselves since their formation in 2009. Founded by Alex Lichtenauer and Nick King as a way to put out their own music as well as their friends, the queer/trans-run label has garnered a reputation as a safe haven for voices that are continuously underrepresented and overlooked in the punk and hardcore scene.
We sat down with co-founder and Control Top drummer, Alex Lichtenauer and artist and label operations member, Koji Shiraki, to talk about a myriad of topics. The four of us touched on how Get Better Records got started, representation in the punk scene, the controversy surrounding Joe Rogan and streaming platforms, radicalization, and how you can form your own table if others don't give you space at theirs.
Song: "One Good Day" by Control Top
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Following your dreams can really pay off. Just ask Church Girls, who are currently in the midst of a two month cross-country tour. Their newest record, Still Blooms, just dropped on October 8th (via Anchor Eighty Four Records and Big Scary Monsters). Still Blooms takes listeners on an autobiographical journey, layered with dynamic melodies, vulnerability, and the daunting task of actively verbalizing internalized emotions.
We caught up with Mariel, Mitchell, Vince and Julien to discuss key details about their new record, the integral presence of music during adolescence, how to name a band, live shows during a pandemic, as well as nostalgic moments in time.
Song: "Nothing" by Church Girls
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The evolution of a musician can be a difficult transition, but The Last Gang are doing it seamlessly. The growth shown from their 2018 Fat Wreck Chords debut Keep Them Counting, to their newest record, Noise Noise Noise not only transcends multiple genres, but displays true talent and artistry toward a career of longevity.
We spoke with Brenna Red, vocalist and rhythm guitarist of The Last Gang. Red, along with Sean Viele (bass, backing vocals), Robert Wantland (drums), and the recently inducted Ken Aquino (guitar, backing vocals) have been kicking ass as one of Fat’s newest (and loudest) bands.
Arguably one of the most genuine people in the scene, Brenna gave us an honest and heartfelt take on the many facets of her life, including (but not limited to): inspirations both past and present, nostalgia, playing shows during a pandemic, tattoos, nihilism, friendship, perseverance, and of course, their new record, Noise Noise Noise.
Song: "Gimme Action" by The Last Gang
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In just the few years since they've been a band, Catbite has become a household name. Formed in 2018, the Philly-based ska punk band has been showcasing their range, sense of community, and an all around good time since their inception. Pulling from influences such as The Specials and Elvis Costello, they've managed to create their own sound within the genre, one that's that's musically diverse and something everyone can dance to. Their songs spanning from their self-titled album to their newest album, Nice One, display beautifully constructed layers, seamless harmonies, and catchy yet insightful lyrics, proving to everyone that they're at the top of their game.
We were fortunate to sit down with guitarist/vocalist, Tim Hildebrand and lead vocalist/keyboardist, Brittany Luna to discuss their introduction to ska and the formation of Catbite, their new album, Nice One, ska through the years (are there really "waves?"), and we compare scenes throughout the world and how one shouldn't be afraid to broaden their musical horizon.
Song: "Call Your Bluff" by Catbite
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The Muslims are not for the weak. The Durham-based, all-queer, POC punk band is known for using their music to call out racism, the American political landscape, and white supremacy, and they're not afraid to hurt your feelings in the process. Formed after the 2016 election, the group uses their shared experiences as multi-racial Muslims, as well as ridiculously offensive satire, to bring these issues to the forefront and ignite a fire for societal change in anyone who listens.
On this hilariously great episode of Grrrl Talk, we were happy to sit down with vocalist and guitarist QADR. The three of us talked about their recent signing to Epitaph Records and their newest single, "Fuck These Fuckin Fascists," how they're able to combat serious issues such as racism, homophobia, and white supremacy through political satire, the best reactions they've gotten to their music, and how progressive Gen Z bands are reclaiming what it means to be punk rock. And, in true Muslims fashion, we also talked about the art of trolling, recording in a toaster, and may have inadvertently helped start a cult with their fan base.
Song: "Fuck These Fuckin Fascists" by The Muslims
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2021 has been a busy year for We Are The Union’s Reade Wolcott. In April, We Are The Union released “Morbid Obsessions,” the first single off their new album, Ordinary Life. The single was not only accompanied by a music video, but a personal video from Wolcott herself.
“Hi. I am Reade, and I want to share that I am trans.”
“Morbid Obsessions” was the perfect re-introduction for Wolcott, as it speaks on one of the prevalent themes on Ordinary Life: living as your authentic self. Ordinary Life, which was released earlier this month, is a deep and powerful exploration of Wolcott’s lightbulb moment with her gender identity. With songs such as “Morbid Obsessions,” “Boys Will Be Girls,” and “December,” in which Wolcott says farewell to the old version of herself, the album recognizes her past struggles as well as celebrates her newfound trans identity.
On this episode of Grrrl Talk, we were fortunate to sit down with Reade to discuss the process behind making Ordinary Life, the underlying themes such as mental health, relationships, and gender dysphoria, her own personal journey, and living as your true self.
Song: "Morbid Obsessions" by We Are The Union
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Michelle Cruz Gonzales emerged onto the punk rock scene playing drums in Spitboy, one of the most important hardcore bands of the 1990s. Talking on feminism, gender issues, human rights, and more, Spitboy set a new standard in an environment predominantly run by men. She wrote The Spitboy Rule: Tales of a Xicana in a Female Punk Band, which explores not only Spitboy’s story, but her personal exploration of identity and self-discovery. Today, Michelle teaches English to students and helps them draw on their own cultural wealth.
On this episode of Grrrl Talk, we were fortunate to sit down with Michelle where we discussed the formation of Spitboy and her personal background, misogyny and sexism towards non-male bands, color blindness in the scene, the power of women supporting one another, and the reissue of their entire discography (with liner notes from Billie Joe and Vique Simba). The reissue will be out on June 25th, with proceeds to benefit National Women’s Law Center.
Song: "What Are Girls Made Of?" by Spitboy
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Named after an opera singer, Kiri Oliver was predestined for greatness. As 1/4 of the band Early Riser, Kiri and Heidi Vanderlee brought an interesting aspect into the scene - cello, multiple layered harmonies, and hopeful inspiration. As her love for music progressed and evolved, Kiri also got involved in making art, and has been utilizing that toward a number of projects (including Early Riser’s new album cover).
Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, Early Riser have just released their most recent album, Vocations, on A-F Records. Full of upbeat melodies, thought-provoking lyrics, as well as creative music videos to accompany them, Vocations is quite the adventure, from beginning to end. Oliver, Vanderlee, bassist Nicole Nussbaum and drummer Mikey Erg all put their best effort forward to create this intriguing piece of art.
We were happy to be joined by Kiri, who discussed her upbringing, the new record, her passions, as well as how to channel your creativity, and how to combat the need to be perfect.
Song: "Vocations" by Early Riser
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Hit Like a Girl was originally the solo project of Nicolle Maroulis. Maroulis pours their emotions out into their songs, and sings about heart-wrenching topics such as the intertwining of love and misery.
When Nicolle isn’t churning out these musical excerpts of love, they are showing love and support in a different way. In 2016, Nicolle founded the non-profit organization, No More Dysphoria. No More Dysphoria was “created with the goal of helping transgender individuals pay for major aspects of their transition” (nomoredysphoria.org). These aspects of an individual’s transition are life saving and identity-affirming.
The Montclair, New Jersey native also just released an amazing new record, Heart Racer, on April 2nd. This record, which deals with “self doubt and self-actualization”, will tug on the heartstrings of any and every listener.
On this episode of Grrrl Talk, we were fortunate enough to be joined by Nicolle Maroulis. We chatted about the evolution of Hit Like a Girl, music videos, hobbies, as well as questioning how the media can be more inclusive toward LGBTQ+ and non-binary individuals.
Song: "Boardwalk" by Hit Like a Girl
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Kanan and Raven sit down with Flora Lucini from the afro-progressive hardcore band, Maafa. The three discuss her introduction into music and the punk/hardcore scene, Maafa and the Black Renaissance movement happening within NYHC, Sista Grrrl Riot, performative activism surrounding BLM, and offer advice on real ways people can amplify the POC community.
Song: "Welfare" by Maafa Hardcore
