Grrrls Like Us Podcast Grrrls Like Us

"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

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

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

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

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

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