Blog Page 4

Interview: Boytoy on their new album, UK tour and sex

BOYTOY
BOYTOY release their new album Night Leaf on Friday 27 April. Photo: Tony Accosta

“You can expect to leave smiling. And horny.” Or so promise Boytoy, the U.S. foursome touring in Europe next month, to fans looking to head to their UK shows.

The dates follows this week’s release of Night Leaf, their bright second album. Recorded to tape in its entirety, it treads a very different path to 2015 debut Grackle, shedding the soaked feedback and aggressive garage aesthetics in favour of laidback summery vibes.

It’s an album for hot summer days, a mood no doubt born of their time spent working on it in Topanga Canyon, California. Production comes from Kyle Mullarky, while their new all-female lineup sees La Luz’ Lena Simon join them on bass.

Ahead of the global release of Night Leaf this Friday, FEISTY’s Katy spoke to Boytoy’s Saara Untracht-Oakner, Glenn Van Dyke and Chase Noelle via Skype, revealing more on the album, the tour and their unlikely love of a market town in Lancashire.

Thanks for taking the time to talk to us! You’re coming to the UK next month during your European tour, I guess you’re pretty excited about that?

Glenn: “Yeah! We’re really excited. We haven’t really done much there, except we went to Chorley last year for Chase’s birthday. She really wanted to go to Chorley.”

Really, Chorley? What made you want to go there so much?

Chase: “It was my dream! It was my lifelong dream to go to Chorley.”

Saara: “That’s what we actually told the immigration officers, because we didn’t have a visa…”

Chase: “We shouldn’t really say that!”

Saara: “It doesn’t really matter, we’re getting one now! We played a show with some really nice kids, and we ended up staying at one of their mom’s houses, because what he’d offered us was floor space and shower curtains as blankets.”

Glenn: “His mom was so cool, though. We called her Rock Donna.”

Chase: “Hot Rock Donna!”

Glenn: “We only had two shows in the UK, meaning we would have paid money for a visa and not broken even, so we decided to take the risk. We came up with this big story about Chase wanting to go to Chorley and choreographed what we were going to say, but we said about two words and they let us go.”

Saara: “I think because we were in a mini van, when we said, ‘Oh, we might play a few shows’, they found it cute and said to go ahead. If we’d been in a tour van it might have been a problem.”

Glenn: “But we are getting a visa this time.”

BOYTOY's tour poster
BOYTOY’s seven UK date run starts in London on 13 May
It’s quite difficult sometimes for U.S. bands to play in the UK, for the obvious reasons of cost and distance. How hard was it set to this tour up?

Saara: “This is our easiest European tour. It’s our third time, and we’re finally working with the team that we want to work with, and it’s so nice and far less stressful than the past couple of times.”

Glenn: “Our record label’s in the UK, so they know stuff. Plus I guess after our trip to Chorley, the UK obviously just fell in love with us!”

What can British fans expect from your shows?

Chase: “Sexy! Scary! … Ginger!”

Saara: “You’re just naming all of the Spice Girls.”

Chase: “Baby!”

Saara: “Every show’s so different.”

Glenn: “It’s kind of odd to tell people what to expect. Like, we could say ‘live chickens’, and then we’ve got to come through.”

Saara: “Like, maybe we know our set we’re going to play, but we never know what to expect. But you can expect to leave smiling.”

Chase: “And horny!”

BOYTOY
Boytoy’s Saara Untracht-Oakner, Glenn Michael Van Dyke, Chase Noelle and Lena Simon
So your new album, Night Leaf, is out this Friday!

All: “Yeah!”

How did the recording process go? I read that you worked on it at a ranch in California.

Chase: “Oh, it was so dreamy.”

Glenn: “It was in Topanga Canyon in California, which is a state park just east of Malibu. It’s kind of a throwback to the 1970s, a little town centre with a deli, a health food store…”

Chase: “They’ve got legislature that they can’t build new shit there, so it’s just stuck in time.”

Glenn: “It’s the most expensive hippie commune you’ll ever come across! But it’s cool, you get a little bit of the mountains and green all around you, then you drive 20 minutes and you’re in Malibu.”

Saara: “We recorded with our friend Kyle Mullarky, who produced the record and engineered it. He has an old pump house that he converted into a small studio.

Glenn: “We tracked everything on the record to tape. Bass, vocals, all that, basics first. It’s throwback, ’70s vibes, living a little bit carefree.”

Saara: “There was also two pigs there, Flower and Mr. Pickles. Flower sleeps inside the house, and Mr. Pickles is like this giant grump-”

Glenn: “He’s an asshole. This really big, mean fucking pig.”

Lena Simon, bassist in La Luz, worked with you on Night Leaf. As they’re also gearing up to release their own new album, was it hard to make that work?

Glenn: “They’d actually already recorded their album in November, so she agreed to tour out with us from New York in January and then played bass on the record. So all four of us ended up more integrated, in the writing process and everything as well.”

BOYTOY
Night Leaf is Boytoy’s first full-length since their debut Grackle in 2015
The new album is quite hazy, with a particularly summery vibe. Was that a mood you intentionally set out to create?

Saara: “Not really! It just came out. I think environment affects what you’re producing and what comes out, and the mindset we were in out there, it all came together that way.”

There’s also tracks that differ a little from the relaxed mood, like NY Rip Off, which is somewhat more biting.

Glenn: “I think making a record nowadays, you don’t just want to make the same song again and again. I don’t want to listen to that.”

Chase: “Every song has its own life, and then collectively they all work.”

Saara: “You always hear stories of bands on big record labels, where they make a record and then the label tell them that they need a ballad and need a pop song. I think an artist should choose the sort of album they want to make, but I also agree that an album needs all of these different elements. A journey, instead of just a flat line.”

Glenn: “You’ve got to bring them up, bring them down…”

Chase: “Foreplay.”

Glenn: “Chase is horny.”

Chase: “I’m a sex addict.”

Haha, well, that’s good to know!

Saara: “You can let people know that’s what to expect from our shows!”

Are there any interesting stories embedded within the album?

Saara: “Oh, yeah! Every single bit has meaning.”

Chase: “I really like Juarez. We don’t normally write a sort of folk song where we tell a story, the lyrics are usually a little more abstract, but Juarez is just a straight-up retelling.”

Glenn:Static Age is cool. We had a melody and some lyrics and we basically overhauled everything, all hands on deck, it was really fun. It’s kind of a nod to David Bowie, he was on our minds, so we want to do a subtle but not annoying homage to some of our idols.”

Chase: “It’s a little esoteric.”

Your debut album, Grackle, was released back in 2015. How would you say you’ve developed since then? Obviously, there’s been lineup changes.

Glenn: “I think the big difference is that we spent more time crafting the songs. With Grackle, we had the songs and an allotted time in the studio. It was, like, ‘wham bam, done’. For this record we workshopped the songs, and had the luxury of Kyle, who was willing to take extra time to do everything right.”

Saara: “Yeah, he’s an actual real producer.”

Glenn: “After two weeks, when we weren’t finished, he wasn’t just ripping the chair out from underneath us. He was keen to make it, so we did another week.”

Saara: “There’s also a lot of different instrumentation. On the previous records we just had guitar, drums, vocals, and then the bass is just overdubs of the guitar parts. On this record, the bass is clearly its own instrument. There’s percussion, keyboard, organ, congas…”

Glenn: “We weren’t constrained for time, we had a chance to figure it out.”

Saara: “Having the other players, too. Like Lena is an incredible bass player, and also really proficient on keys. Kyle also played bass on I Get Distant.”

Chase: “And this asshole here! I joined the band, so I guess that made a difference.”

Saara: “When Chase joined the band we became all-female. She brings so much power, energy and showmanship to the group. She’s so fun to watch play drums and her style of playing and vibe totally freshened our sound.”

Glenn: “So with five people in the room, working hard…”

Saara: “People who really wanted to work. Our group now, we all want to put the work in, like we record our shows and listen after the set to see how we can improve. We’re really trying to be the best we can be.”

Besides from your own music, what else have you been listening to recently?

Glenn: “I’ve been listening to a lot of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard.”

Saara: “There’s Scott Yoder, who I think is actually going to be in Europe soon.”

Chase: “Champagne Superchillin. Those guys rule.”

Saara: “The Muckers are really good. They’re like heavy rock and disco. They’re all Iranian.”

Glenn: “There’s a band in Florida called The Mother Gooses that I’ve been recording, so I’ve been listening to their songs over and over. They’re ’60s garage pop nuggets.”

Saara: “Our friends Habibi are also over in Europe, I think right after we are, and they hadn’t released a new record since 2012 or something.”

Finally, is there anything else we should look out for from here?

Saara: “There’s going to be a non-music video – a music video without music in it – later this year and we’re also back in Europe again in September.”

Boytoy’s second album Night Leaf is out on Friday 27 April. Their UK tour starts on 13 May in London and includes stops in Cardiff, Glasgow, Brighton, Newcastle and Bristol.

Boytoy UK Tour

May 13 – The Lock Tavern – London, UK
May 14 – The Moon – Cardiff, UK
May 15 – Nice N Sleazy – Glasgow, UK
May 16 – Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar – Brighton, UK
May 17 – Cobalt Studios – Newcastle, UK
May 18 – The Crofter’s Rights – Bristol, UK
May 20 – The Shacklewell Arms – London, UK

Premiere: Heartbreak Satellite – Follow

Heartbreak Satellite
Heartbreak Satellite - featuring members of Pom Poko and Tuvaband - released their debut single in February

In late 2016, the three members of what would become Heartbreak Satellite – Ragnhild Jamtveit, Håkon Kjenstad and Tobias Pfeil – holed up in a Copenhagen flat and spent a week recording an album’s worth of eccentric synthesized material.

We first heard the results on February’s debut single, and today we reveal Follow, their sprawling new track. It tells of a relationship breaking down over obsessive behaviour, and – as the band explain – was originally recorded as a roaming extended jam.

“We recorded Follow in my tiny studio”, explains Tobias, a multi-instrumentalist in the band. “The basic parts of the song were made in an hour or two, and then Håkon started programming different drum beats, I jammed out some synth basslines and Ragnhild improvised some vocals on top. We ended up with a 15-minute jam.”

The final single, neatly trimmed down in later sessions and fed through old tape decks for a whoosy effect, plots an idiosyncratic path. Invading synths swirl aside Ragnhild’s peachy vocals, touches of art pop descending into peculiarity as a flurry of divergent instrumentation jostles for your attention.

Listen to Follow on SoundCloud below:

Follow, coupled with debut release Are You OK?, reveals a trio excelling in their carefree experimentation. The outro to the new track, influenced by free jazz styles and featuring saxophone from Tobias, is the new single’s star turn and – in his words – captures a “half-ecstatic, half-paranoid” mood.

Heartbreak Satellite’s new single is released tomorrow on Brilliance Records.

Katy’s Track of the Day: THEIR – The Door of the Unknown

THEIR's Helene Svaland Johansen
THEIR were a Norwegian trio featuring vocals from Helene Svaland Johansen

For today’s Track of the Day I’ve picked out a forgotten gem from the vast archives of Diamond Club, a singles series that highlights new music from Scandinavia.

Run by Norway’s Brilliance Records, Diamond Club has featured 109 singles since 2012, including music by Fiordmoss, Misty Coast, Thea Stapnes and Sløtface (back when they were known as Slutface).

All of those names are fairly well-known to followers of the Nordic scene, but within the back catalogue of Diamond Club there’s many, many more releases from artists that didn’t quite endure, immortalised only by their place in the series’ lineage.

A great example of this is THEIR, a now-disbanded Oslo trio featured in 2014.

The single, The Door of the Unknown, is spellbinding lush pop. The wondrous vocals fill the room, sprinkled with electronic sounds and gentle instrumentation. It all concludes with a closing section that bursts into a sudden, breathtaking crescendo.

The Door of the Unknown was barely picked up at the time, and THEIR didn’t last much longer: One more single, All The Rules We Made Up, followed in 2015 before a low-key parting of ways.

There is, however, a happy ending to THEIR’s brief story, as Helene Svaland Johansen, Anders Søvik Hjelden and John-Halvdan Halvorsen all stayed in music, performing with bands that have all achieved a higher degree of success.

John-Halvdan is a member of Himmelhøyt, Anders performs with Whales & This Lake, and vocalist Helene is now frontwoman of experimental electropop group Ponette.

Follow THEIR
FacebookSpotify

Track of the Day is curated with a personal spin by FEISTY editor Katy. Got a tip for her? Drop her a tweet at @katyfeisty or send her an email at [email protected].

Katy’s Track of the Day: Sibille Attar – I Don’t Have To

Sibille Attar
Sibille Attar's new EP, Paloma's Hand, will be released on 27 April. Photo: Märta Thisner

I’m a really big fan of PNKSLM, an independent label based in Stockholm. They’ve got a lofty habit of picking out great noisy musicians from around Europe, from Sweden’s ShitKid and Russia’s Angelic Milk to Manchester duo Luxury Death.

There’s still a melodic underbelly bubbling under the guitars, though, which is why the latest addition to the PNKSLM (“Punk slime”) roster, Sibille Attar, is such a great fit.

Sibille is an Örebro-born, Stockholm-based solo artist who released her debut album in 2013. It was clean-cut, polished indie pop music, exactly the sort of thing you wouldn’t really find on her new imprint. Since then she’s been on a long hiatus, only popping up for the odd minor project, or to play very occasional live shows.

The reason for the break was, she says, a combination of a “rough patch” with her self-confidence (relatable) and a degree of disenchantment with the priorities of the music industry. While she’s been away she’s regained her creative independence, reinvented her image and revamped her sound, and I’m a big fan of the results.

I Don’t Have To – released last Friday as the second single of her comeback – still packs in some tuneful pop fundamentals, but they’re raw and rough-edged. The cymbals in the opening bars pierce, the keys are impure, her vocals feel bare and unvarnished.

Sibille’s new EP, Paloma’s Hand, is released on 27 April. I Don’t Have To is included, as is February single RUN, a dark portion of glum pop punctuated by bleakly-toned cello.

Sibille is planning to next work on a new album. She’s also going to be announcing live dates, performing with a full band.

Follow Sibille Attar
FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Track of the Day is curated with a personal spin by FEISTY editor Katy. Got a tip for her? Drop her a tweet at @katyfeisty or send her an email at [email protected].

FEISTY’s Women On Vox: The Full Playlist

FEISTY's Women On Vox 2018
Women On Vox features bands including Dream Wife, Hey Charlie, Gurr, Nova Twins and Pink Kink

Women On Vox is our series highlighting talented ladies in music by tipping over 100 brilliant bands where women take centre stage.

With female artists still underrepresented on major platforms, radio and festival stages, especially those performing in alternative genres, there’s so much boundlessly great music that isn’t given the same chance to be heard and loved.

That’s one reason why, more so than ever, we’ve been celebrating female flair.

We’ve profiled no less than 125 artists in total – mostly bands, with a few solo selections thrown in – that represent a diverse range of styles, from alt-pop to vicious punk.

Hannah Van Thompson of The Van T's
Hannah Van Thompson of Scottish garage rock band The Van T’s. Photo: Katy

Originally published across five installments from 12-16 March, each edition of Women On Vox highlights 25 essential artists around a specific genre or mood:

Part 1 – A guitar-drawn opening 25, starring a mixture of styles, some of our favourite talents of the moment and a few big tips for the future;

Part 2 – A sugarier selection, featuring electropop and alternative pop picks and the band we most expect to achieve colossal success in the future;

Part 3 – A heavier showcase of brilliant punk, rock, grunge and riot grrl bands, from the highly political to the ridiculously bizarre;

Part 4 – Music of a more melancholy nature, including dream pop, darker pop and shoegaze, three of which you won’t find on Spotify;

Part 5 – An overflow assortment of the artists we had to include but couldn’t fit elsewhere, including some of the biggest hitters.

Dilly Dally's Katie Monks
Katie Monks of Canadian band Dilly Dally live on stage. Photo: Katy

As explained on the first day, the final picks were made from a shortlist of close to 400, constructed with the help of a tip or two from friends around the UK music scene.

We set a few criteria for inclusion. We decided to not feature the obvious bands we’re sure everyone has heard of, omitting the likes of CHVRCHES, Daughter and HAIM despite being big fans of all of them.

Likewise, we opted to only include acts that made their recorded debut this decade, the vast majority very recently, ruling out long-runners like Tamaryn. We lastly skipped a number of groups in which women only provide some vocals and not as the only lead, making just three exceptions along the way.

As for the name? Women On Vox reflects that, while we’re promoting women in music here, band lineups often include men and non-binary people too. (If you’re interested, 70.7% of band members on our list are women.) We’re strong believers that “female vocalists” is not a genre.

PINS' Faith Holgate
PINS’ Faith Holgate on stage at Leeds Festival 2017. Photo: Katy

Each installment features profiles of every artist from FEISTY editor and Women On Vox assembler Katy. We’ve also included vital statistics plus the key discography you’d need to collect to gather everyone’s entire essential output.

Overviews of each part, including the full list of artists featured in Women On Vox, follows below. We’ve also put together a Spotify playlist of all of our picks, minus three (all from Part 4) that aren’t currently available on streaming services, that’s ideal for diving straight into the music:

(Not on Spotify? There’s also a sampler of 50 free-to-stream tracks on SoundCloud.)

Finally, like what you hear? Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to discover yet more great music by women and keep in the know about our upcoming features with some of the artists we’ve included. Thanks for listening!

Part 1

FEISTY's Women On Vox 2018
The artists featured in the first part of Women On Vox include Dream Wife, Nova Twins, Pink Kink and Baby In Vain

Published: Monday 12 March 2018

Synopsis: A guitar-drawn opening 25, starring a mixture of styles, some of our favourite talents of the moment and a few big tips for the future.

Featuring:
Dream Wife, Calva Louise, Anteros, Yonaka, Black Honey, Nova Twins, Bang Bang Romeo, ZZ Tiger, BLOXX, Our Girl, Thyla, Frøkedal, Pink Kink, Harlea, The Van T’s, L.A. Witch, Honeyblood, Girl Ray, whenyoung, Yassassin, Family Friends, Tokyo Tea Room, Baby in Vain, Dead Naked Hippies and Pink Milk

Read Part 1 of Women On Vox

Part 2

FEISTY's Women On Vox 2018
Part 2 of Women On Vox profiles artists including Pale Waves, Let’s Eat Grandma, Peaness and Anna of the North

Published: Tuesday 13 March 2018

Synopsis: A sugarier selection, featuring electropop and alternative pop picks and the band we most expect to achieve colossal success in the future.

Featuring:
Pale Waves, Anna of the North, Kitten, Fickle Friends, Skott, Wild Ones, Kristin Kontrol, Nelson Can, Gothic Tropic, Ardyn, CRONICLE, HALIE, Pixey, Peaness, Charly Bliss, Miss World, The Regrettes, Thea and the Wild, ASTR, La Lusid, The Marías, Cajsa Siik, Sheila and the Kit, Let’s Eat Grandma and GIRLI

Read Part 2 of Women On Vox

Part 3

FEISTY's Women On Vox 2018
The third installment of Women On Vox profiles bands including Dream Nails, Hey Charlie, Goat Girl, Babe Punch and Skinny Girl Diet

Published: Wednesday 14 March 2018

Synopsis: A heavier showcase of brilliant punk, rock, grunge and riot grrl bands, from the highly political to the ridiculously bizarre.

Featuring:
Deap Vally, Estrons, Hey Charlie, False Advertising, BERRIES, Babe Punch, Shit Girlfriend, Petrol Girls, Skinny Girl Diet, Dream Nails, Dronningen, Dilly Dally, Kamikaze Girls, Destroy Boys, Bitch Falcon, The Franklys, Goat Girl, Angelic Milk, ShitKid, TEAR, Bethlehem Steel, Sœur, VUKOVI, Sløtface and Have You Ever Seen The Jane Fonda Aerobic VHS?

Read Part 3 of Women On Vox

Part 4

FEISTY's Women On Vox 2018
The artists featured in the fourth part of Women On Vox include Amber Arcades, Chastity Belt and Raindear

Published: Thursday 15 March 2018

Synopsis: Music of a more melancholy nature, including dream pop, darker pop and shoegaze, three of which you won’t find on Spotify.

Featuring:
Amber Arcades, Pale Honey, Chastity Belt, Misty Coast, Dama Scout, School ’94, Seapony, Agent blå, Yumi and the Weather, Pumarosa, The Machiavellis, Dream Rimmy, Sin Kitty, Blushing, Strange Hellos, Saltwater Sun, Steve Buscemi’s Dreamy Eyes, San Mei, St. South, Overcoats, Fiordmoss, The Hanged Man, Vök, Raindear and La Rissa

Read Part 4 of Women On Vox

Part 5

FEISTY's Women On Vox 2018
The fifth and final part of Women On Vox profiles bands including The Courtneys, Gurr, Hinds and The Big Moon

Published: Friday 16 March 2018

Synopsis: An overflow assortment of the artists we had to include but couldn’t fit elsewhere, including some of the biggest hitters.

Featuring:
The Big Moon, Desperate Journalist, Hinds, The Beaches, The Courtneys, Alvvays, INHEAVEN, Gurr, Diet Cig, Ørmstons, PINS, Zuzu, The Seamonsters, Dear Rouge, Leggy, Dolores Haze, Kindling, Anti Pony, Soccer Mommy, Bruiser Queen, Thunderpussy, Sheer Mag, Bonander, Pixx and Wolf Alice

Read Part 5 of Women On Vox

FEISTY’s Women On Vox: Part 5

FEISTY's Women On Vox 2018
The fifth and final part of Women On Vox profiles bands including The Courtneys, Gurr, Hinds and The Big Moon

Women On Vox is our series highlighting talented ladies in music by tipping over 100 brilliant bands where women take centre stage.

Over the previous four installments we’ve tipped a cool 100 artists. Part 1 celebrated the female flair of some of our guitar-driven favourites, before Part 2 took a sugary turn, featuring alt-pop and electropop picks.

Wednesday’s Part 3 starred fiery women from the worlds of punk, grunge, rock and riot grrl, while Part 4 flaunted the melancholy of the dream pop and shoegaze that we adore.

Part 5 profiles the final 25, from a varied pool of genres and headlined by several of the bands that we didn’t mention elsewhere but just couldn’t leave out.

PINS' Faith Holgate
PINS’ Faith Holgate on stage at Leeds Festival 2017. Photo: Katy

There’s some big hitters that indie music followers will surely know already – and if you don’t, make it your priority to do so – as well as a few fledgling picks, including one or two ladies we think might do exciting things in the future.

As always, we’ve included profiles of every artist from FEISTY editor and Women On Vox assembler Katy, plus a few vital statistics and the discography you’d need to collect each band’s entire essential output.

Read on for Part 5, or alternatively skip straight to the music with our Spotify playlist:

The Big Moon

The Big Moon
The Big Moon

In a sentence: High-profile indie rock foursome that had a massive 2017, topped by the release of their celebrated first full-length Love in the 4th Dimension.

We’ve picked: Debut album opener Sucker, originally featured on their 2016 The Road EP.

Hometown: London, UK
Vocalist: Juliette “Jules” Jackson
Spotify followers: 22,450
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Love In The 4th Dimension (2017); EPs – Acoustic (2017), The Road (2016); Singles – Happy New Year (2017), Formidable / Hold This (2017), It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of Year (2016), Silent Movie Susie / Beautiful Stranger (2016), Cupid / Something Beautiful (2016)

Desperate Journalist

Desperate Journalist
Desperate Journalist

In a sentence: Powerful post-punk from an underrated British band that excel through tight instrumental work, able production and Jo Bevan’s articulate vocals.

We’ve picked: It Gets Better, a single released in January 2018. Resolution, from their second album Grow Up, is another favourite.

Hometown: London, UK
Vocalist: Jo Bevan
Spotify followers: 3,646
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Grow Up (2017), Desperate Journalist (2014); EPs – Good Luck (2015), Cristina (2013); Singles – It Gets Better (2018), A Phase (2016), Hesitate (2015), Happening / Vengeance (2013), Organ / Distance (2013)

Hinds

Hinds
Hinds

In a sentence: A garage band that emerged from the rarely-heralded Spanish scene to conquer the global stage, blending their slack female harmonies with jangly guitars for wonderful lo-fi results.

We’ve picked: New For You. It’s from I Don’t Run, the second album set for release early next month.

Hometown: Madrid, ES
Vocalists: Carlotta Cosials, Ana Perrote
Spotify followers: 58,176
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Leave Me Alone (2016); EPs – Very Best Of Hinds So Far (2015); Singles – The Club (2018), New For You (2018), Caribbean Moon (2017), Holograma (2016), Barns (2014); Splits – El Sueño De Benilandia (2017), Hinds ♡ Parrots (2015); Demos – Demo (2014)

The Beaches

The Beaches
The Beaches

In a sentence: Peppy alternative rock songsmiths that first appeared as a teen pop-punk band before seriously stepping up with their punchy debut album.

We’ve picked: The insatiable fuzz-pop of T-Shirt, taken from the aforementioned first full-length Late Show.

Hometown: Toronto, CA
Vocalist: Jordan Miller
Spotify followers: 5,610
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Late Show (2017); EPs – Heights (2014), The Beaches (2013); Singles – I Love You All The Time (2016)

The Courtneys

The Courtneys
The Courtneys. Photo: Andrew Volk

In a sentence: Vancouver trio creating lush power pop that’s firmly underlined by frizzy guitars and inspired by Teenage Fanclub and Pavement.

We’ve picked: Lost Boys from The Courtneys II, a nostalgic track that demonstrates their preference for a breezy instrumental break. The music video features a shorter cut.

Hometown: Vancouver, CA
Vocalist: Jen Twynn Payne
Spotify followers: 9,203
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – The Courtneys II (2017), The Courtneys (2013); Singles – Mars Attacks (2014), K.C. Reeves (2012)

Alvvays

Alvvays
Alvvays. Photo: Arden Wray

In a sentence: Jangle pop favourites producing fluffy, thickly-layered sounds that were misty on their debut before taking on a gleamier finish on album number two.

We’ve picked: Plimsoll Punks, our favourite single from last year’s Antisocialites.

Hometown: Toronto, CA
Vocalist: Molly Rankin
Spotify followers: 130,078
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Antisocialites (2017), Alvvays (2014); EPs – Alvvays (2018); Singles – Adult Diversion / Underneath Us (2013)

INHEAVEN

INHEAVEN
INHEAVEN

In a sentence: Although bass guitarist Chloe Little doesn’t always take on lead vocals for INHEAVEN – she shares that duty with James Taylor – we’re such fans of both their early lo-fi and more polished alternative rock that we couldn’t not mention them.

We’ve picked: Drift, a stupendously brilliant indie pop song. For one of Chloe’s fierier solo leads, try Treats.

Hometown: London, UK
Vocalists: Chloe Little, James Taylor
Spotify followers: 7,646
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – INHEAVEN (2017); EPs – Acoustic (2017); Singles – Sweet Dreams Baby (2018), Treats / Wasted My Life On Rock N Roll (2017), Baby’s Alright / Meat Somebody (2016), Bitter Town / Tangerine (2015), Regeneration / Slow (2015)

Gurr

Gurr
Gurr

In a sentence: Warm garage pop duo from Berlin, taking cues from ’60s girl groups and recording sprightly sounds that retain an organic charm by avoiding an overpolished finish.

We’ve picked: Moby Dick, from their debut album In My Head. The Vivian Girls style girl group influences are worn most openly on album cut Rollerskate.

Hometown: Berlin, DE
Vocalist: Andreya Casablanca
Spotify followers: 7,889
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – In My Head (2016); EPs – Furry Dream (2015), Gurr (2014); Singles – Walnuss / Walnuts (2016); Splits – Burnt Palms / Gurr (2014)

Diet Cig

Diet Cig
Diet Cig

In a sentence: A cute clash of the usually irreconcilable worlds of garage and pop-punk, with urgent guitars from Noah Bowman and animated vocals from Alex Luciano.

We’ve picked: Link in Bio, lifted from their Swear I’m Good At This debut album.

Hometown: New Paltz, NY, USA
Vocalist: Alex Luciano
Spotify followers: 32,259
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Swear I’m Good At This (2017); EPs – Over Easy (2015); Singles – Sleep Talk / Dinner Date (2015)

ørmstons

Ørmstons
Ørmstons

In a sentence: Noisy indie rock newcomers fronted by Leeds girl-around-the-scene Jess Huxham, and – as revealed by their bouncy debut single – ones to keep an eye on.

We’ve picked: Bridgewater Way is the only track they’re released to date.

Hometown: Leeds, UK
Vocalist: Jess Huxham
Spotify followers: 62
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Singles – Bridgewater Way (2017)

PINS

PINS
PINS

In a sentence: Manchester five-piece who’ve blazed a trail since 2011 with their brand of gritty, hook-rich, and initially self-produced indie rock.

We’ve picked: Serve The Rich, their seething – yet still fabulously earworm – protest single from last year.

Hometown: Manchester, UK
Vocalist: Faith Holgate
Spotify followers: 7,721
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Wild Nights (2015), Girls Like Us (2013); EPs – Bad Thing (2017), LUVU4LYF (2012); Singles – Serve The Rich / LUVU4LYF (2017), Trouble / I’ll Get Mine (2016), Hybrid Moments (2015)

Zuzu

Zuzu
Zuzu

In a sentence: We’re big fans of this Liverpool solo prospect, whose impassioned guitar pop has been streamed hundreds of thousands of times on Spotify to date.

We’ve picked: Get Off, her 2016 debut single. It’s been over a year since she last released fresh material, cooling a bit of the hype, but as she’s about to go back on the road we’re hopeful we’ll be hearing something new soon.

Hometown: Liverpool, UK
Spotify followers: 1,618
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Singles – What You Want (2017), Get Off (2016)

The Seamonsters

The Seamonsters
The Seamonsters. Photo: Shelley Richmond

In a sentence: Six glittery teens creating slender indie pop music, something of a local phenomenon in hometown Sheffield and sure to be noticed elsewhere in the future.

We’ve picked: Wonderland, the debut, demo-like single released last July.

Hometown: Sheffield, UK
Vocalist: Naomi Mann
Spotify followers: 513
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Singles – Max And Archie (2017), Lost (And Found) (2017), Wonderland (2017)

Dear Rouge

Dear Rouge
Dear Rouge

In a sentence: Indie electronica from spouse duo Danielle and Drew McTaggart that’s an instant fit for the alternative dancefloor.

We’ve picked: Modern Shakedown, the second single from new album Phases, with its sensational shades of Goldfrapp.

Hometown: Vancouver, CA
Vocalist: Danielle McTaggart
Spotify followers: 7,728
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Phases (2018), Black To Gold (2015); EPs – Dear Rouge (2015), Kids Wanna Know (2012), Heads Up! Watch Out! (2012); Singles – Tongues (2015)

Leggy

Leggy
Leggy. Photo: Jahan Swanson

In a sentence: Accurately labelling themselves as “lush punk”, Leggy are razor-edged children of ’90s rock that also cite Lana Del Rey, about whom they’ve recorded a song, as an influence.

We’ve picked: Not What You Need, their most recent single. (Even Lana from Leggy is the song about Del Rey, by the way.)

Hometown: Cincinnati, OH, USA
Vocalists: Veronique Allaer, Kerstin Bladh
Spotify followers: 1,473
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Leggy (2016); EPs – Dang (2016), Nice Try (2016), Cavity Castle (2014); Singles – Not What You Need (2017)

Dolores Haze

Dolores Haze
Dolores Haze’s Groovy Nickz

In a sentence: Swedish girl band that released magnetising, essential feminine noise rock until they made a sudden jolt into sleazy electropop territory last year.

We’ve picked: Their personal anthem The Haze Is Forever, taken from the 2016 debut full-length of the same name. Their most recent single, White House, is one of the most remarkable shifts in genre we’ve heard from a band ever.

Hometown: Stockholm, SE
Vocalist: Groovy Nickz
Spotify followers: 2,472
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – The Haze Is Forever (2016); EPs – Dolores Haze X Stand For Something (2015), Accidental (2014), I Did Not Kill Sam (2013); Singles – White House (2017), Touch Me (2015)

Kindling

Kindling
Kindling. Photo: Reid Haithcock

In a sentence: Noisy dreamers from the States that customarily fuse Gretchen Williams’ celestial vocals with a heavy soaking of reverb and weighty guitar lines.

We’ve picked: Destroy Yrself, from second album Hush.

Hometown: Easthampton, MA, USA
Vocalist: Gretchen Williams, Stephen Pierce
Spotify followers: 1,071
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Hush (2017), Everywhere Else (2016); EPs – No Generation (2017), Galaxies (2015), Spike & Wave (2014); Splits – Kindling / Kestrels (2017)

Anti Pony

Anti Pony
Anti Pony

In a sentence: Wistful indie pop with a provocative punch, dripping in retro vibes and highlighted by Sanna Colling’s yearning vocal style.

We’ve picked: Love Can’t Make You Stay (Can’t Fuck My Heart Away), a 2017 single.

Hometown: Stockholm, SE
Vocalist: Sanna Colling
Spotify followers: 221
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: EPs – Alexander (2017); Singles – Love Can’t Make You Stay (Can’t Fuck My Heart Away) (2017), There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (2017), Under The Palm Trees (2016), I Go Places / Cry On The Floor (2015)

Soccer Mommy

Soccer Mommy
Soccer Mommy

In a sentence: Lifelong musician Sophie Allison’s glistening bedroom pop project, infusing folksy guitar vibes with her delicate, reflective vocals.

We’ve picked: Your Dog, the popular single from Clean, the album released – with the help of her band – earlier this month.

Hometown: Nashville, TN, USA
Vocalist: Sophie Allison
Spotify followers: 17,336
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Clean (2018), For Young Hearts (2016); EPs – Songs From My Bedroom (Pt. 2) (2016); Songs From My Bedroom (2016); Songs For The Recently Sad (2015); Compilations – Collection (2017)

Bruiser Queen

Bruiser Queen
Bruiser Queen. Photo: Brittney Kraus

In a sentence: Drum-driven duo with a perky discography of garage pop, rock-and-roll and – in their own words – “1960s girl group shimmy”.

We’ve picked: Sugar High, the opener from their third album Heavy High.

Hometown: St. Louis, MO, USA
Vocalist: Morgan Nusbaum
Spotify followers: 524
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Heavy High (2017), Sweet Static (2015), Swears (2012); EPs – In Your Room (2013)

Thunderpussy

Thunderpussy
Thunderpussy. Photo: Jake Clifford

In a sentence: Four tenacious women playing proper rock-and-roll that overflows with fleshy guitar riffs, barefaced solos and Molly Sides’ commanding vocals.

We’ve picked: Speed Queen, the opener to their new Greatest Tits EP. Their self-titled debut album, after years of being asked about it, is finally expected this year.

Hometown: Seattle, WA, USA
Vocalist: Molly Sides
Spotify followers: 3,133
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: EPs – Greatest Tits (2018); Singles – Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) (2017), No Heaven (2017)

Sheer Mag

Sheer Mag
Sheer Mag. Photo: Marie Lin

In a sentence: Tina Halladay’s dominant, unvarnished vocals combine with hotfooting riffs to create a unique sound, while their deeply expressive lyrical content speaks of social justice, attacking racism and celebrating the Stonewall riots.

We’ve picked: The impossibly catchy Need to Feel Your Love, title track to Sheer Mag’s first full-length.

Hometown: Philadelphia, PA, USA
Vocalist: Tina Halladay
Spotify followers: 12,938
Links: InstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Need To Feel Your Love (2017); EPs – III (2016), II (2015), I (2014)

Bonander

Bonander
Bonander

In a sentence: Dramatic, gently experimental synthpop highlighted by Ellinor Sterner’s sharp vocal lustre.

We’ve picked: Quit Everything and Become a Princess, her challenge to gender norms. A music video was released on International Women’s Day last week.

Hometown: Stockholm, SE
Vocalist: Ellinor Sterner
Spotify followers: 165
Links: FacebookInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Singles – Quit Everything And Become A Princess / Sterner (2017), The Oracle / Safe (2017), Blindfolded (2017)

Pixx

Pixx
Pixx. Photo: Cat Stevens

In a sentence: Astounding dark-toned electropop – with shades of folktronica and more experimental genres thrown in – from 4AD’s new ethereal heroine Hannah Rodgers.

We’ve picked: I Bow Down, the opener to her wondrous debut album The Age of Anxiety.

Hometown: London, UK
Vocalist: Hannah Rodgers
Spotify followers: 6,725
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – The Age Of Anxiety (2017); EPs – Fall In (2015)

Wolf Alice

Wolf Alice
Wolf Alice

In a sentence: Concluding Women On Vox with a bang, no compendium of essential women in music can be complete without the towering and seminal talent of Wolf Alice’s Ellie Rowsell.

We’ve picked: Beautifully Unconventional, the contagious second single from Visions of a Life. For something more vehement, check out Yuk Foo – or just delve into their entire discography.

Hometown: London, UK
Vocalist: Ellie Rowsell
Spotify followers: 198,415
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Visions Of A Life (2017), My Love Is Cool (2015); EPs – Creature Songs (2014), Blush (2013); Compilations – B-Sides, Demos and Shit (2016)

FEISTY’s Women On Vox was published between 12-16 March 2018. Like what you’ve heard? Think we missed something essential? Let us know, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

FEISTY’s Women On Vox: Part 4

FEISTY's Women On Vox 2018
The artists featured in the fourth part of Women On Vox include Amber Arcades, Chastity Belt and Raindear

Women On Vox is our series highlighting talented ladies in music by tipping over 100 brilliant bands where women take centre stage.

In the three installments so far we’ve profiled 75 artists, including some of our guitar-driven favourites and top tips in Part 1, glossier alt-pop in Part 2 and riotous punk and grunge in yesterday’s Part 3, plus many other diverse picks along the way.

For Part 4 we’ve shifted our attentions again, this time stepping into more melancholy territory with 25 artists from eclectic and filmy genres including dream pop, shoegaze, psychedelia and darkwave.

Overcoats live
FEISTY published a feature interview with Overcoats, featured in this installment, last year. Photo: Allie Dearie

It’s possibly our most wonderfully cohesive playlist to date, celebrating a worldly group of artists that produce lush pop, misty-eyed indie and ethereal rock, be it with spangly guitars or moody synthesizers.

We’ve again included profiles for all of our choices by FEISTY editor and Women On Vox curator Katy, vital statistics on every band, and discographies listing all of the releases you’d need to collect their essential output.

Read on for the full fourth installment. Alternatively, click play below and revel in our Part 4 playlist. (Note that three of our picks aren’t available on Spotify, so our playlist only runs to 22 songs. All three, however, are on SoundCloud.)

The final installment of Women On Vox is published tomorrow.

Amber Arcades

Amber Arcades
Amber Arcades. Photo: Nick Helderman

In a sentence: Former human rights lawyer turned dream pop standout, Amber Arcades’ music is characterised by ethereal vocals, gauzy reverb and jangly instrumental breaks.

We’ve picked: Which Will, the opening track from last year’s Cannonball EP.

Hometown: Utrecht, NL
Vocalist: Annelotte de Graaf
Spotify followers: 5,944
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Fading Lines (2016); EPs – Cannonball (2017), Patiently (2015)

Pale Honey

Pale Honey
Pale Honey

In a sentence: Sumptuous indie rock with lush vocals and affecting, deeply introspective songwriting from Swedish duo Tuva Lodmark and Nelly Daltrey.

We’ve picked: Replace Me, the opener from their glorious second album Devotion. It was additionally released as a two-track single in January.

Hometown: Gothenburg, SE
Vocalist: Tuva Lodmark
Spotify followers: 7,780
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Devotion (2017), Pale Honey (2015); EPs – Fiction (2014); Singles – Replace Me / Why Do I Always Feel This Way (Stripped) (2018), Lay All Your Love On Me (2017), Tease (2016), Over Your Head (2015), Youth (2015)

Chastity Belt

Chastity Belt
Chastity Belt

In a sentence: U.S. critical favourites inspired by riot grrl and ’90s indie rock and excelling across three albums to date, including their mellower 2017 full-length I Used To Spend So Much Time Alone.

We’ve picked: Different Now, taken from their aforementioned third album.

Hometown: Walla Walla, WA, USA
Vocalist: Julia Shapiro
Spotify followers: 38,701
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – I Used To Spend So Much Time Alone (2017), Time To Go Home (2015), No Regerts (2013); Singles – Dull (2017)

Misty Coast

Misty Coast
Misty Coast

In a sentence: Psych-tinged dream pop with sharp, reverb-drenched vocals from Linn Frøkedal, sister of the solo artist that uses the family name (herself featured in Part 1 of Women On Vox).

We’ve picked: Leap Year, one of the highlights of their debut album Misty Coast.

Hometown: Bergen, NO
Vocalist: Linn Frøkedal
Spotify followers: 470
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Misty Coast (2017)

Dama Scout

Dama Scout
Dama Scout

In a sentence: Jangly gazers combining Eva Liu’s plush vocals with atypical, sometimes discordant progressions to make their eclectic sounds pleasingly unique.

We’ve picked: Toothache, the standout single from their self-titled EP. It was afforded a music video in January.

Hometown: London, UK
Vocalist: Eva Liu
Spotify followers: 744
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: EPs – Dama Scout (2017); Singles – Paper Boy (2017), All In Too (2016), Forget It’s Good (2016)

School ’94

School '94
School ’94

In a sentence: Misty guitars, celestial vocals and unmistakable Nordic flair from one of the flagship bands of cult indie label Luxury Records.

We’ve picked: 2017’s Off To Live, one of a number of tracks we could have picked from their strikingly consistent catalogue.

Hometown: Gothenburg, SE
Vocalist: Alice Botéus
Spotify followers: 1,351
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: EPs – Bound (2016), Like You (a.k.a. School ’94) (2014); Singles – Off To Live / Sway (2017), Bound (2016), Common Sense (2016)

Seapony

Seapony
Seapony

In a sentence: Fanciful indie pop with drum machines from a U.S. band that sublimely returned with new material last year following their initial split in 2015.

We’ve picked: Be Here Again, the title cut from last year’s six-track EP.

Hometown: Seattle, WA, USA
Vocalist: Jan Weidl
Spotify followers: 13,592
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – A Vision (2015), Falling (2012), Go With Me (2011); EPs – Be Here Again (2017); Singles – Dreaming +2 (2011), Sailing / I Saw You (2011)

Agent blå

Agent blå
Agent blå

In a sentence: Post-punk with a wistful spin from a Swedish five-piece whose moniker translates into English as “Agent Blue”.

We’ve picked: (Don’t) Talk To Strangers, included on last year’s self-titled debut album.

Hometown: Gothenburg, SE
Vocalist: Emelie Alatalo
Spotify followers: 1,614
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Agent blå (2017); Singles – Frustrerad (2016), Strand (2016)

Yumi and the Weather

Yumi and the Weather
Yumi and the Weather

In a sentence: Yumi – a.k.a. Ruby Taylor – produces otherworldly, synth-saturated electronica as well as heading up her own label MIOHMI Records.

We’ve picked: The wonderful Long Before, an uncharacteristically guitar-driven single released last November.

Hometown: Brighton, UK
Vocalist: Ruby Taylor
Spotify followers: 1,082
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: EPs – Something Tells Me (2015), All We Can (2013); Singles – Long Before / Callum (2017), Distant Days / In The Night (2017)

Pumarosa

Pumarosa
Pumarosa

In a sentence: Simply mesmerising at their best, Pumarosa are an arresting British band that craft varied, artistic pop music with beautiful aesthetics.

We’ve picked: Honey, from their debut album The Witch. It’s also available, along with their two other essential cuts – Cecile and Priestess – on the earlier Pumarosa EP.

Hometown: London, UK
Vocalist: Isabel Munoz-Newsome
Spotify followers: 16,498
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – The Witch (2017); EPs – Pumarosa (2016); Singles – Sacerdotisa (2017), La Guarida Del Leon (2017), Priestess (Mr Dan Edit) (2017), Priestess (original, 2015)

The Machiavellis

The Machiavellis
The Machiavellis. Photo: Susanne Elbrond

In a sentence: A neo-psychedelic mix-up of shoegaze, experimental rock and grunge by a scarcely known but nonetheless fantastic trio from Kent.

We’ve picked: She, released as part of a AA-side single with Grey Day Machine.

Hometown: Canterbury, UK
Vocalist: Megg Rorison
Spotify followers:
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagram

Selected discography: Singles – She / Grey Day Machine (2017), Melancholia / Pathos (2017); Demos – Prewired (2016)

Dream Rimmy

Dream Rimmy
Dream Rimmy

In a sentence: Ali Flintoff’s sparse vocals provide the soft finishing touch to propulsing soundscapes influenced by the worlds of shoegaze, ambient and even post-rock.

We’ve picked: Soul, from 2017’s Heavy EP.

Hometown: Perth, AU
Vocalist: Ali Flintoff
Spotify followers: 643
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: EPs – Heavy (2017), Dream Rimmy (2015); Singles – Landslide (2016), Waves (2016); Demos – Demo #1 (2014)

Sin Kitty

Sin Kitty
Sin Kitty

In a sentence: Gloomy underground psychedelia, conjuring up a bleak mood through disaffected guitars and Annie Eodice’s sorrowful vocals.

We’ve picked: Don’t Be Crazy, from the Softer full-length. It’s their only album to date, released in 2016 but initially completed some three years earlier.

Hometown: Asheville, NC, USA
Vocalist: Annie Eodice
Spotify followers:
Links: Facebook

Selected discography: Albums – Softer (2016); EPs – Wonder When (2011); Singles – Not Today Again / Octöber (2012), Vanity Daze (2012)

Blushing

Blushing
Blushing

In a sentence: Graceful shoegaze with airy dual vocals from two women ably backed on instrumentation by their spouses.

We’ve picked: The title track from their January 2018 EP Weak.

Hometown: Austin, TX, USA
Vocalists: Michelle Soto, Christina Carmona
Spotify followers: 417
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: EPs – Weak (2018), Tether (2017)

Strange Hellos

Strange Hellos
Strange Hellos

In a sentence: Spangly indie pop from Norway’s fittingly titled Brilliance Records, often weaving a dreamy scene through the insatiable medium of Birgitta Alida Hole’s voice.

We’ve picked: Summer, one of a number of highlights. We’ve picked the album version, but for a less polished cut, try the standalone single released a year earlier.

Hometown: Bergen, NO
Vocalist: Birgitta Alida Hole
Spotify followers: 481
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Chromatic (2017); Singles – We Are Trouble (2016), Summer (2016), Broken Teenage Heart (2016)

Saltwater Sun

Saltwater Sun
Saltwater Sun. Photo: Rosie Mackay

In a sentence: Having spent 18 months quietly working on new material, Saltwater Sun returned this week to once again impress with their formidable brand of breezy guitar pop.

We’ve picked: The Wire, the new single released on Tuesday. It’s their first since 2016.

Hometown: London, UK
Vocalist: Jen Stearnes
Spotify followers: 1,155
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: EPs – Flawed (2016), Wild (2015); Singles – The Wire (2018)

Steve Buscemi’s Dreamy Eyes

Steve Buscemi's Dreamy Eyes
Steve Buscemi’s Dreamy Eyes. Photo: Alexander Tillheden

In a sentence: Beautifully-formed, poetic dream pop from a quartet who, beyond their memetic name, are one of Sweden’s brightest indie talents.

We’ve picked: Call Out. It’s one of a number of strong singles released prior to, but not included on, last November’s Four Waters EP.

Hometown: Stockholm, SE
Vocalist: Tilde Hansen
Spotify followers: 1,094
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: EPs – Four Waters (2017); Singles – Dreaming Of You (2017), Closer (with Matilda Wiezell, 2017), Call Out (2016), Desire (2016)

San Mei

San Mei
San Mei

In a sentence: Frizzy dream pop from hidden gem Emily Hamilton, who uses her multi-instrumental talents to create delicious compositions that compliment her feathery vocals.

We’ve picked: The wispy Until You Feel Good, from her 2017 Necessary EP. Her typically fuzzy sound is more plainly on show on Necessary and Rewind from the same release.

Hometown: Gold Coast, AU
Vocalist: Emily Hamilton
Spotify followers: 823
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: EPs – Necessary (2017), Wars (2014); Singles – Revel (2016)

St. South

St. South
St. South

In a sentence: Easygoing, expertly stripped electropop from the west coast of Australia, featuring Olivia Gavranich’s combination of chilled beats and pastel vocals.

We’ve picked: Got Me, the opening track of her self-produced Nervous Energy EP. Her more recent Inure EP takes a folksier turn.

Hometown: Fremantle, AU
Vocalist: Olivia Gavranich
Spotify followers: 34,626
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: EPs – Inure (2017), Nervous Energy (2016); Singles – Better Still (2015), Cadence (2015), Hold (2014), Slacks (2014)

Overcoats

Overcoats
Overcoats

In a sentence: Highly harmonious duo that intertwine elements of folk, electronica and modern pop music as well as their own bewitching voices.

We’ve picked: Hold Me Close from last year’s debut album YOUNG.

Hometown: New York City, NY, USA
Vocalists: Hana Rose Elion, JJ Mitchell
Spotify followers: 19,133
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Young (2017); EPs – Overcoats (2015); Singles – I Don’t Believe In Us (2017), Cherry Wine (2016)

Fiordmoss

Fiordmoss
Fiordmoss. Photo: Jan Durina

In a sentence: Eerie pop with dark synths, stirring vocals and offbeat touches from a cinematic Czech-Norwegian band based in Germany.

We’ve picked: Madstone, our absolute favourite from the long-awaited debut album Kingdom Come.

Hometown: Berlin, DE
Vocalist: Petra Hermanová
Spotify followers: 562
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Kingdom Come (2017); EPs – Ink Bitten (2012), Gliese (2010); Singles – Siberia (2013)

The Hanged Man

The Hanged Man
The Hanged Man. Photo: Lisa Pyk

In a sentence: The guitarist from 2000s indie girl group Those Dancing Days creating wonderfully compelling music with a dark experimental touch.

We’ve picked: First Time Dreaming, taken from her First Quarter Moon EP. Last year’s Of Blood Is Full album is an underheard gem, but it’s not been widely released and only opening track Blåkulla is available on streaming services.

Hometown: Stockholm, SE
Vocalist: Rebecka Rolfart
Spotify followers: 618
Links: FacebookInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Of Blood Is Full (2017); EPs – Lord Have Mercy (2016), First Quarter Moon (2014)

Vök

Vök
Vök

In a sentence: Icelandic giants that have developed a vast international profile through their chilled, The xx-style electronica.

We’ve picked: Floating, one of the highlights of their 2017 debut album. For something less polished and more eclectic, check out their incredible Tension EP.

Hometown: Reykjavik, IS
Vocalist: Margrét Rán Magnúsdóttir
Spotify followers: 32,904
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Figure (2017); EPs – Circles (2015), Tension (2013); Singles – Waiting (2016)

Raindear

Raindear
Raindear

In a sentence: Solemn electronic pop artist Rebecca Bergcrantz blends downbeat synths and drum patterns to, in tandem with her desperate vocals, paint a gloomy picture.

We’ve picked: Diamonds In My Chest, her 2017 single. A new track, SKY, was released last week.

Hometown: Malmö, SE
Vocalist: Rebecca Bergcrantz
Spotify followers: 467
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Embers (2016); EPs – The Game (2014); Singles – SKY (2018), Diamonds In My Chest (2017), Human Kind (2015), Veins (2014)

La Rissa

La Rissa
La Rissa. Photo: Conor Burrow

In a sentence: Glossy goth producing broody synthpop that, while unpolished, reveals her promise through its dark waves, piercing electronics and murky vocal haunts.

We’ve picked: A Man’s World, the second track on her debut Control EP.

Hometown: Leeds, UK
Vocalist: Larissa Drozd
Spotify followers:
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagram

Selected discography: EPs – Control (2016); Demos – 2017 Demo (2017)

Part 5 of FEISTY’s Women On Vox will be published on Friday 16 March 2018. Like what you’ve heard? Let us know, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest sounds, features and more.

FEISTY’s Women On Vox: Part 3

FEISTY's Women On Vox 2018
The third installment of Women On Vox profiles bands including Dream Nails, Hey Charlie, Goat Girl, Babe Punch and Skinny Girl Diet

Women On Vox is our series highlighting talented ladies in music by tipping over 100 brilliant bands where women take centre stage.

Today’s installment shifts our focus onto some of the fieriest women we know, with 25 bands from genres including punk, grunge, riot grrl and alternative rock.

Some of our Part 3 picks use their platform to highlight important issues or execute a political statement, while others – including a couple of fluffier selections at the end – simply record infectious, riff-heavy music.

Dilly Dally's Katie Monks
Katie Monks of Canadian band Dilly Dally live on stage. Photo: Katy

We’ve again included profiles for all of our choices by FEISTY editor and Women On Vox curator Katy, vital statistics on every band, and discographies listing all of the releases you’d need to collect their essential output.

For more details on the selection process behind Women On Vox and what to expect in the final two chapters, plus our opening picks, see Monday’s Part 1. Part 2, featuring a sugarier alt-pop selection, was published on Tuesday.

Read on for the full third installment, or alternatively skip straight to the sounds with our full Spotify playlist:

Deap Vally

Deap Vally
Deap Vally

In a sentence: Garage rock from two of the leading women in music, featuring bruising guitar tones, invading blues influences and rousing, turbulent vocals from Lindsey Troy.

We’ve picked: Smile More, the second single and bonafide anthem of sophomore album Femejism is the perfect way to open our list.

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Vocalist: Lindsey Troy
Spotify followers: 44,787
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Femejism (2016), Sistronix (2013); Singles – End Of The World / Hobo Playa (2012)

Estrons

Estrons
Estrons

In a sentence: Robust, sharply-cut alternative rock from a Welsh band that dislike being labelled as punk while nonetheless capturing much of its energy and spirit.

We’ve picked: Glasgow Kisses from last year’s Cold Wash AA-side. Early single Make a Man is also excellent.

Hometown: Cardiff, UK
Vocalist: Taliesyn Källstrom
Spotify followers: 7,943
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: EPs – She’s Here Now (2016), Whoever She Was… (2015); Singles – Cold Wash (2017), Strobe Lights (2017), Drop (2016), Make A Man (2015), C-C-Cariad (2014)

Hey Charlie

Hey Charlie
Hey Charlie

In a sentence: Rarely seen outside of their matching outfits, Hey Charlie play infectious grunge-pop with sugary dual harmonies and potent guitar lines.

We’ve picked: Love Machine, their first contribution to 2018. It isn’t a Girls Aloud cover, by the way.

Hometown: London, UK
Vocalists: Lizz Steichen, Sophie Scott
Spotify followers: 1,687
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: EPs – Young & Lonesome (2017); Singles – Love Machine (2018), Hey (2017)

False Advertising

False Advertising
False Advertising

In a sentence: Instrument swapping grunge scene favourites that get better with every release, organisers of next month’s Falsetival event in Manchester, and a solid live band to boot.

We’ve picked: Not My Fault, from their I Would Be So Much Happier If I Just Stopped Caring EP.

Hometown: Manchester, UK
Vocalists: Jen Hingley, Chris Warr
Spotify followers: 803
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – False Advertising (2015); EPs – I Would Be So Much Happier If I Just Stopped Caring (2017), Brainless (2016); Singles – Give It Your Worst / Scars (2016)

BERRIES

BERRIES
BERRIES

In a sentence: London prospects flaunting a stainless take on alternative rock that’s less raspy than others in favour of a more tuneful, yet equally riff-ready, approach.

We’ve picked: Wild Vow, a standalone single put out last year. Their most recent single, Faults, appeared in February.

Hometown: London, UK
Vocalist: Holly Carter
Spotify followers: 242
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: EPs – Those Funny Things (2016); Singles – Faults (2018), Wild Vow (2017)

Babe Punch

Babe Punch
Babe Punch. Photo: Iona Skye Wood

In a sentence: A riotous East Midlands upstart producing both fractious garage pop and, more recently, in-your-face punk.

We’ve picked: 2017’s Control. For a different angle, check out early track Snake Tongue, currently only available on SoundCloud.

Hometown: Nottingham, UK
Vocalist: Molly Godber
Spotify followers: 231
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: EPs – Control (2016); Singles – Stanford (2017), Control (2017), Fixation (2015), Snake Tongue (2015)

Shit Girlfriend

Shit Girlfriend
Shit Girlfriend

In a sentence: A brash punk collaboration between Blood Red Shoes’ Laura Mary Carter and Miss World’s Natalie Chahal.

We’ve picked: Mummy’s Boy, the first of two singles, both released last year. Sadly, we understand that the project has already reached its conclusion for the moment.

Hometown: London, UK + Los Angeles, CA, USA
Vocalist: Natalie Chahal, Laura Mary Carter
Spotify followers: 413
Links: TwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Singles – I Don’t Wanna Die (2017), Mummy’s Boy (2017)

Petrol Girls

Petrol Girls
Petrol Girls

In a sentence: Punk scene titans using their considerable platform to speak about issues including consent, sexual violence and harassment in the music community.

We’ve picked: Barbed single Touch Me Again, from 2016’s Talk Of Violence album.

Hometown: Bristol, UK
Vocalist: Ren Aldridge
Spotify followers: 1,672
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Talk Of Violence (2016); EPs – Some Thing (2016), Petrol Girls (2014)

Skinny Girl Diet

Skinny Girl Diet
Skinny Girl Diet

In a sentence: A modern day riot grrl triumph from sisters Delilah and Ursula Holliday, featuring DIY-styled production and a biting expression of feminist social commentary.

We’ve picked: Yeti, the opening track proper from their Heavy Flow debut album.

Hometown: London, UK
Vocalist: Delilah Holliday
Spotify followers: 5,581
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Heavy Flow (2016); EPs – Reclaim Your Life (2015), Skinny Girl Diet (2013), Girl Gang State Of Mind (2013); Singles – Skinny Girl Diet (2013)

Dream Nails

Dream Nails
Dream Nails. Photo: Poppy Marriott

In a sentence: Formed by young feminist activists, Dream Nails are four arresting, self-proclaimed punk witches creating spiky music that’ll stick around in your head.

We’ve picked: Tourist from last year’s Dare To Care EP, although they’re best known for their anti-Trump statement Deep Heat.

Hometown: London, UK
Vocalist: Janey Starling
Spotify followers: 711
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: EPs – Dare To Care (2017); Singles – Double A Side (2018), Bully Girl (2016), DIY (2016), Deep Heat (2016)

Dronningen

Dronningen
Dronningen

In a sentence: Taking their name from the Norwegian for “The Queen”, Dronningen bill themselves as electro-rock, binding brisk riffs and danceable beats with Beatrice Bonnano’s thistly vocal snarl.

We’ve picked: Sugarbox, taken from the EP of the same name.

Hometown: London, UK
Vocalist: Beatrice Bonnano
Spotify followers: 49
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: EPs – Sugarbox (2017), Royal Riot (2016), Carry On Dancing (2014)

Dilly Dally

Dilly Dally
Dilly Dally

In a sentence: Phenomenal alternative rock from a Canadian four-piece with a uniquely gloomy sound thanks to Katie Monks’ gravelly vocals.

We’ve picked: Purple Rage from Sore, released back in 2015. The band are finally in the studio, so we’re hopeful of new material this year.

Hometown: Toronto, CA
Vocalist: Katie Monks
Spotify followers: 10,965
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Sore (2015), EPs – fkkt (2016); Singles – Know Yourself (2016), Gender Role (2015), Candy Mountain / Green (2014), Alexander (2013)

Kamikaze Girls

Kamikaze Girls
Kamikaze Girls

In a sentence: Acutely lo-fi duo from Leeds that produce noisy pop, hefty rock laments and, most notably, frantic punk rock.

We’ve picked: Berlin, the hectic lead single from debut album Seafoam. If you’d like to check out their fuzzy pop side, try Lights and Sounds.

Hometown: Leeds, UK
Vocalist: Lucinda Livingstone
Spotify followers: 919
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Seafoam (2017); EPs – Sad (2016), Kamikaze Girls (a.k.a. The Girl Gang Sessions) (2014); Singles – Tonic Youth (2015)

Destroy Boys

Destroy Boys
Destroy Boys

In a sentence: The unmistakable sound of U.S. West Coast punk from a breezy twosome that count Green Day among their famous fans.

We’ve picked: Gold Medal, from last year’s AA-side single on Uncool Records.

Hometown: Sacramento, CA, USA
Vocalist: Alexia Roditis
Spotify followers: 917
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Sorry, Mom (2016); EPs – Grimester (2016); Singles – I Think I Should Makeout With Other People (2018), Methatonin / Gold Medal (2017)

Bitch Falcon

Bitch Falcon
Bitch Falcon

In a sentence: Heated alternative rock from Dublin, typified by grungy riffs and at their best when Lizzie Fitzpatrick turns up the vocal intensity.

We’ve picked: Syncope, released as a single last April. We’re also pretty partial to Clutch and their stark early effort TMJ.

Hometown: Dublin, IE
Vocalist: Lizzie Fitzpatrick
Spotify followers: 1,729
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Singles – Of Heart (2017), Wolfstooth Reloaded (2017), Syncope (2017), Clutch (2017), TMJ (2015), Breed (2015), Wolfstooth (2015)

The Franklys

The Franklys
The Franklys

In a sentence: Consciously capturing the graininess of their live sound in their studio work, The Franklys are unvarnished alternative rock with a spry hint of garage-punk.

We’ve picked: Castaway, the opening track from their Are You Listening? debut album.

Hometown: London, UK
Vocalist: Jennifer Ahlkvist
Spotify followers: 350
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – The Franklys (2017); EPs – The Franklys (2013); Singles – What You Said (2014)

Goat Girl

Goat Girl
Goat Girl

In a sentence: Overcast, politically-fuelled indie rock with shades of alt-country from one of the leading lights of a riotous London scene that stirs as vociferously as ever.

We’ve picked: Latest single The Man, released at the beginning of February. Their 19-track debut album is released in April.

Hometown: London, UK
Vocalist: Clottie Cream
Spotify followers: 6,911
Links: FacebookInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Singles – The Man (2018), Scream (2017), Cracker Drool (2017), Crow Cries / Mighty Despair (2017), Scum (2016), Country Sleaze (2016)

Angelic Milk

Angelic Milk
Angelic Milk

In a sentence: Charming noise pop from the unlikely climes of Russia, via the awesome PNKSLM label, from a band first formed as a bedroom pop project by Sarah Persephona aged 15.

We’ve picked: Tie Me Up from Teenage Movie Soundtrack is our favourite, but Ripped Jeans from the same EP is the best fit for our playlist.

Hometown: St. Petersburg, RU
Vocalist: Sarah Persephona
Spotify followers: 1,427
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: EPs – Demos To Rowland S. Howard (2016), Teenage Movie Soundtrack (2016), PALE (2015), Sacred Holidays (2013); Singles – IDK How (2015), Saint​-​Brooklynsburg Mixtape (2014)

ShitKid

ShitKid
ShitKid

In a sentence: Unconformist, occasionally discordant, sometimes plain daft Swedish solitary producing uncluttered music that she personally describes as “anti-pop”.

We’ve picked: Sugar Town, featured on both EP 2 and debut album Fish. Tropics and Oh Me I’m Never are two other favourites from her relatively prolific body of output.

Hometown: Gothenburg, SE
Vocalist: Åsa Söderqvist
Spotify followers: 4,414
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Fish (2017); EPs – This Is It (2018), EP 2 (2017), ShitKid (2016)

TEAR

TEAR
TEAR

In a sentence: Jagged garage rock with a tinge of punk thrown in, recorded with straggly DIY vigour for influential Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess’ independent label.

We’ve picked: Careless Again, the single we described as a “surefire epic” last year.

Hometown: London, UK
Vocalist: Camille Benett
Spotify followers: 145
Links: FacebookTwitterSpotify

Selected discography: EPs – VINYL01 (2017), TEAR (2015); Singles – Never Fade Away (2017)

Bethlehem Steel

Bethlehem Steel
Bethlehem Steel. Photo: Montana Elliot

In a sentence: Grubby rock fuzz, dominated by dirty guitar lines and long instrumental breaks just as much as it is by Rebecca Ryskalczyk’s untamed, revealing vocals.

We’ve picked: Finger It Out, the wonderfully bedraggled single from their Party Naked Forever album.

Hometown: New York City, NY, USA
Vocalist: Rebecca Ryskalczyk
Spotify followers: 788
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Party Naked Forever (2017); EPs – Docking (2015), Grow Up (2014)

Sœur

Sœur
Sœur

In a sentence: A proper British rock band, packing in meaty riffs and dual, interweaved vocals from frontwomen Anya Pulver and Tina Maynard.

We’ve picked: No Fire, a weighty single from the back end of last year.

Hometown: Bristol, UK
Vocalists: Anya Pulver, Tina Maynard
Spotify followers: 547
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Singles – No Fire (2017), Left Living (2017), Pass Out (2015); EPs – What Separates Us (2017)

VUKOVI

VUKOVI
VUKOVI

In a sentence: Scotland’s snappy answer to the pop-punk of America’s Warped Tour.

We’ve picked: Target Practice, first released in 2012 and later remixed for last year’s self-titled debut album.

Hometown: Kilwinning, UK and Troon, UK
Vocalist: Janine Shilstone
Spotify followers: 7,674
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – VUKOVI (2017); EPs – Sweet Swears (2012), …But I Won’t Wear You Again (2012), It Looked So Good On Me… (2011); Singles – Boy George (original, 2016), Animal (original, 2016), Bouncy Castle (original, 2015), So Long Gone (2014)

Sløtface

Sløtface
Sløtface. Photo: Martin Høye

In a sentence: Empowering pop-punk from the Nordics, taking aim at the patriachy in the catchiest of ways.

We’ve picked: Nancy Drew, the punchiest single from last September’s debut album Try Not To Freak Out.

Hometown: Bergen, NO
Vocalist: Haley Shea
Spotify followers: 11,767
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Try Not To Freak Out (2017); EPs – Empire Records (2016), Sponge State (2016); Singles – Shave My Head (2015), Angst (2014)

Have You Ever Heard The Jane Fonda Aerobic VHS?

Have You Ever Seen The Jane Fonda Aerobic VHS?
Have You Ever Seen The Jane Fonda Aerobic VHS?

In a sentence: Bizarro synth-driven punk from Finland that sounds just as nutty as their name suggests.

We’ve picked: Bambi Act, featured on their new album Jazzbelle 1984 / 1988.

Hometown: Kouvola, FI
Vocalist: Susanna Stemma-Sihvola
Spotify followers: 1,373
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Jazzbelle 1984 / 1988 (2018), Teenage Sweetheart (2015); EPs – American Heartbreaker High School Girls (2014); Singles – Taxidermia / Moron (2016), Grey Panthers / Junkyard (2014)

Part 4 of FEISTY’s Women On Vox will be published on Thursday 15 March 2018. Like what you’ve heard? Let us know, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

FEISTY’s Women On Vox: Part 2

FEISTY's Women On Vox 2018
Part 2 of Women On Vox profiles artists including Pale Waves, Let's Eat Grandma, Peaness and Anna of the North

Women On Vox is our series highlighting talented ladies in music by tipping over 100 brilliant bands where women take centre stage.

In Part 1 we started by showcasing the female flair of some of our absolute favourites, starting with red-hot London trio Dream Wife and altogether profiling 25 artists across guitar-drawn styles, from indie rock to plush grunge to party punk.

Today we’re shifting the spotlight onto women from the lively world of alternative pop, featuring some of the more melodic, sharp and sugary music that we adore.

Charly Bliss
Charly Bliss feature in Part 2 of Women On Vox. Photo: Em Grey

Our picks include electropop aplenty, but also indie earworms, Scandipop darlings and chilled electronica, all with complete profiles penned by FEISTY editor and Women On Vox assembler Katy.

We’ve also included vital statistics on every artist, and the essential discography you’d need to track down to gather their entire essential output.

Read on for the full second installment, or alternatively skip straight to the sounds with our full Spotify playlist:

Pale Waves

Pale Waves
Pale Waves

In a sentence: Of all the bands we’re featuring across five parts, it’s this polished indie pop quartet – with their backing from the Dirty Hit juggernaut – that we’re most certain will go astronomical in the years to come.

We’ve picked: The Tide, the single that announced them as an unsigned prospect back in 2015 and since reproduced for their All The Things I Never Said EP.

Hometown: Manchester, UK
Vocalist: Heather Baron-Gracie
Spotify followers: 54,026
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: EPs – All The Things I Never Said (2017); Singles – Television Romance (2017), There’s A Honey (2017), Heavenly (2015), The Tide (original, 2015); Demos – Lust (2014)

Anna of the North

Anna of the North
Anna of the North’s Anna Lotterud. Photo: Jonathan Vivaas Kise

In a sentence: Borne of an almost implausibly romantic backstory, Anna of the North’s ice-cool music is some of the most essential electropop of the decade, first noticed as a SoundCloud viral hit and now immortalised on their outstanding debut album.

We’ve picked: Someone, one of our favourites from Lovers.

Hometown: Gjøvik, NO
Vocalist: Anna Lotterud
Spotify followers: 51,099
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Lovers (2017); Singles – Oslo (2017), Us (2016), The Dreamer (2015), Sway / Undervann (2014), ILYAF 1996 (2014)

Kitten

Kitten
Kitten

In a sentence: Dominated by their prodigious frontwoman Chloe Chaidez, Kitten create consistently immaculate alternative pop music, sprinkled with synths and ranging from perky guitar pop to their current retro-spirited brilliance.

We’ve picked: The new single I Did It! is one of our favourite tracks of 2018 to date.

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Vocalist: Chloe Chaidez
Spotify followers: 16,499
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Kitten (2014); EPs – Heaven Or Somewhere In Between (2016), Like A Stranger (2013), Cut It Out (2012), Sunday School (2010); Compilations – Diamonds (2015); Singles – I Did It! (2018), Steal The Night (2016)

Fickle Friends

Fickle Friends
Fickle Friends

In a sentence: Packed with sleek pop hooks, Fickle Friends’ prolific output of glistening, catchy electropop finally builds to a crescendo this Friday with the release of a debut album we’ll be sure to have on heavy rotation.

We’ve picked: Glue, first released last year as a single and included on their full-length. Cry Baby is our favourite to not make the cut.

Hometown: Brighton, UK
Vocalist: Natassja Shiner
Spotify followers: 45,878
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – You Are Someone Else (2018); EPs – Glue (2017), Velvet (2015); Singles – Cry Baby (2016), Say No More (2015), For You (2014), Play (2014), Swim (first mix, 2014)

Skott

Skott
Skott

In a sentence: One of Scandinavia’s everpresent army of electronic pop starlets, Skott’s music follows mainstream tropes more closely than her peers but still possesses that unmistakable Swedish gleam.

We’ve picked: She’s released a new EP since – Russian Soul is the clever highlight – but Glitter & Gloss from early last year remains our favourite.

Hometown: Vikarbyn, SE
Vocalist: Pauline Skott
Spotify followers: 35,000
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: EPs – Stay Off My Mind (2018); Singles – Remain (2017), Mermaid (2017), Glitter & Gloss (2017), Lack Of Emotion (2016), Amelia (2016), Porcelain / Wolf (2016)

Wild Ones

Wild Ones
Wild Ones. Photo: Jeremy Hernandez

In a sentence: Underrated indie pop group, with vocals that resemble CHVRCHES at their poppiest and something altogether more sombre in their more muted moments.

We’ve picked: Standing in the Back at Your Show, the wistful second single from last year’s Mirror Touch album. For something more syrupy, try album track No Money.

Hometown: Portland, OR, USA
Vocalist: Danielle Sullivan
Spotify followers: 11,434
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Mirror Touch (2017), Keep It Safe (2013); EPs – Heatwave (2015), You’re A Winner (2010); Singles – Yard (2014), Hold On, We’re Going Home (2013)

Kristin Kontrol

Kristin Kontrol
Kristin Kontrol

In a sentence: The solo electropop reinvention of Kristin Welchez, frontwoman with dearly-missed indie icons Dum Dum Girls.

We’ve picked: Standalone single Concrete Love, but the unabashedly synth moments of X-Communicate are all essential.

Hometown: San Leandro, CA, USA
Vocalist: Kristin Welchez
Spotify followers: 4,779
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – X-Communicate (2016); Singles – Concrete Love (2017), Baby Are You In? (2016)

Nelson Can

Nelson Can at Headrow House in Leeds
Nelson Can. Photo: Katy

In a sentence: Danish troupe combining pulsating bass riffs, vocal allure and thumping drums to create a mixture of fun indie disco and sultry pop-rock.

We’ve picked: Miracle, the high energy indie floorfiller from last year’s EP3.

Hometown: Copenhagen, DK
Vocalist: Selina Gin
Spotify followers: 4,746
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Now Is Your Time To Deliver (2014); EPs – EP3 (2017), EP2 (2014), Nelson Can (2012); Singles – On Christmas Night (2017), Troublemaker (2012)

Gothic Tropic

Gothic Tropic's Cecilia Della Peruti
Gothic Tropic. Photo: Katy

In a sentence: Powerful alt-pop from the boundless Cecilia Della Peruti, influenced by R&B, psychedelia and new wave and scurrying around styles accordingly.

We’ve picked: Your Soul, a lush pop composition from her debut album Fast or Feast.

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Vocalist: Cecilia Della Peruti
Spotify followers: 3,393
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Fast Or Feast (2017); EPs – Awesome Problems (2011); Singles – Puppet Master (2015), Underwater Games / Bird Of Prey (2014)

Ardyn

Ardyn
Ardyn. Photo: Isaac Eastgate

In a sentence: Gloucestershire duo with a knack for producing impeccable pop music, epitomised by smooth rhythms and Katy Pearson’s gentle, tuneful vocals.

We’ve picked: Together, taken from their third EP Bloom.

Hometown: Stroud, UK
Vocalist: Katy Pearson
Spotify followers: 3,832
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: EPs – Bloom (2017), The Valley (2016), Universe (2015)

Cronicle

Cronicle
Cronicle. Photo: Katy

In a sentence: An alternative girl turned electropop hopeful, Cronicle combines the pop stylings of her native Nordics with UK garage and dance music influences.

We’ve picked: Head Up & High, her first and only proper single release to date.

Hometown: Stockholm, SE
Vocalist: Melanie Mohlkert
Spotify followers: 56
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Singles – Head Up & High (2018)

HALIE

HALIE
HALIE

In a sentence: Norwegian teen with marked similarities to Scandipop star Sigrid and a good tip to follow in her footsteps in the future.

We’ve picked: The endearing debut single Echo.

Hometown: Bergen, NO
Vocalist: Hannah Emilie Grung
Spotify followers: 924
Links: FacebookInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Singles – Youth (2018), Echo (2017)

Pixey

Pixey
Pixey

In a sentence: Youthful, bedroom-produced pop from giddy Merseyside fledgling Lizzie Hillesdon.

We’ve picked: Lively single Hometown, complete with its punchy, breakbeat-inspired instrumentation.

Hometown: Liverpool, UK
Vocalist: Lizzie Hillesdon
Spotify followers: 609
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Singles – Hometown (2017), Birthday (2017), Young (2016)

Peaness

Peaness
Peaness

In a sentence: Preppy indie pop from a cheery trio that contrast in approach, albeit not underlying lyrical depth, with the rawer bands that they often share a stage with.

We’ve picked: Ugly Veg from the Are You Sure? EP, a track about environmental damage and food waste.

Hometown: Chester, UK
Vocalists: Carlea “Balla” Balbenta, Jess Branley
Spotify followers: 861
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: EPs – Are You Sure? (2017), No Fun (2015)

Charly Bliss

Charly Bliss
Charly Bliss. Photo: Shervin Lainez

In a sentence: Sugary pop-punk with grungy undertones, starring lively frontwoman Eva Hendricks and her one-of-a-kind candy vocal style.

We’ve picked: Glitter, the most memorable single from their debut album Guppy.

Hometown: Brooklyn, NY, USA
Vocalist: Eva Hendricks
Spotify followers: 12,943
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Guppy (2017); EPs – Soft Serve (2014); Singles – Turd (2016), Clean (2013)

Miss World

Miss World
Miss World

In a sentence: Scuzzy guitar pop from the oddball solo project of Natalie Chahal, taking inspiration from ’90s girl rock and unhealthily obsessed with blow-up dolls.

We’ve picked: Click and Yr Mine, the gooey lo-fi standout of the Waist Management EP.

Hometown: London, UK
Vocalist: Natalie Chahal
Spotify followers: 207
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: EPs – Waist Management (2017)

The Regrettes

The Regrettes
The Regrettes

In a sentence: Zippy power pop, inspired by riot grrl and classic punk, and telling tales of teenage life.

We’ve picked: Come Together, the opening track from February’s Attention Seeker EP.

Hometown: Eagle Rock, CA, USA
Vocalist: Lydia Night
Spotify followers: 22,486
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Feel Your Feelings Fool! (2017); EPs – Attention Seeker (2018), Hey! (2015); Singles – Back In Your Head (2017), Marshmallow World (2016)

Thea and the Wild

Thea and the Wild
Thea and the Wild. Photo: Julia Naglestad

In a sentence: Thea Glenton Raknes creates clean indie pop with enduring choruses and glossy production, developing two acclaimed full-lengths to date.

We’ve picked: When a Kiss Becomes a Habit, from her new album Ikaros.

Hometown: Oslo, NO
Vocalist: Thea Glenton Raknes
Spotify followers: 821
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Ikaros (2018), Strangers and Lovers (2014)

ASTR

ASTR
ASTR

In a sentence: Previously a twosome that fused R&B with electronica, ASTR reappeared recently as a solo project, dropping two easygoing singles at the back end of February.

We’ve picked: Ritual, our favourite of the new tracks. The EPs, while they haven’t aged well as a whole, contain a gem or two.

Hometown: New York City, NY, USA
Vocalist: Zoe Silverman
Spotify followers: 36,428
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: EPs – Homecoming (2015), Varsity (2014); Singles – Ritual (2018), In Your Eyes (2018)

La Lusid

La Lusid
La Lusid

In a sentence: Laidback, loungy, analogue-feeling pop from a band that have become more widely accessible since taking the decision to move away from their native Swedish tongue.

We’ve picked: Brand new single Empty Bones, released earlier this month.

Hometown: Stockholm, SE
Vocalist: Paulina Palmgren
Spotify followers: 267
Links: FacebookInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: EPs – Legend (2017), Legend (Swedish Version) (2017); Singles – Empty Bones (2018), Årsta Brygga (2017)

The Marías

The Marías
The Marías

In a sentence: Chilled electronic pop from a viral marvel who’ve enjoyed widespread adoration since the release of their debut EP last year.

We’ve picked: I Don’t Know You, the spellbinding opening track from the Superclean Vol. I EP.

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Vocalist: Maria Zardoya
Spotify followers: 19,666
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: EPs – Superclean Vol. I (2017)

Cajsa Siik

Cajsa Siik
Cajsa Siik. Photo: Elinor Wermeling

In a sentence: Cult indie singer-songwriter from Sweden who, with her ethereal vocals and dainty, plush instrumentation, has ascended in stature from album to album.

We’ve picked: It’s unlike any of her other output, but we’ve went with the incredible old-school synthpop edit of White Noise by Forêt de Vin. We’d love to see her work with him again.

Hometown: Umeå, SE
Vocalist: Cajsa Siik
Spotify followers: 3,332
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – Domino (2017), Contra (2014), Plastic House (2012); EPs – Ego (2013); Singles – White Noise (Forêt De Vin’s 1988 Edit) (2017), Change Of Heart (2015), State Of Low (2015), Follow You Down (2015)

Sheila and the Kit

Sheila and the Kit
Sheila and the Kit. Photo: Elsemarijn Bruys

In a sentence: Electropop upstarts and potential future movers from the Netherlands, a cheeky little pleasure with glossy vocals and ritzy, polished synths.

We’ve picked: The second single Next 2 U, released last year. It’s one of three singles to date.

Hometown: Amsterdam, NL
Vocalist: Suzanne Kipping
Spotify followers: 59
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Singles – Good Love Stories (2018), Next 2 U (2017), Homeschool Sweethearts (2017)

Let’s Eat Grandma

Let's Eat Grandma
Let’s Eat Grandma. Photo: Charlotte Patmore

In a sentence: Young duo that take the fundamentals of pop and experiment zealously, from the eclecticism of their debut album to the wacky all-out pop of their 2018 rebirth.

We’ve picked: New single Hot Pink, a celebration of femininity and a much glossier take on their sound.

Hometown: Norwich, UK
Vocalists: Rosa Walton, Jenny Hollingworth
Spotify followers: 11,945
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: Albums – I, Gemini (2016); Singles – Hot Pink (2018), Sink (2016)

GIRLI

GIRLI
GIRLI

In a sentence: Not to be missed, the unparallaled world of singer-slash-rapper GIRLI is one of biting lyricism, insatiable rhythms and – as her proud moniker suggests – lofty femininity.

We’ve picked: Hot Mess. Specifically, the sharp original, although there’s a single take featuring Anteros to check out too.

Hometown: London, UK
Vocalist: Milly Toomey
Spotify followers: 14,255
Links: FacebookTwitterInstagramSpotify

Selected discography: EPs – Hot Mess (2017), Feel OK (2017); Singles – Mr 10pm Bedtime (with The Tuts, 2017), Hot Mess (with Anteros, 2017), Fuck Right Back Off To LA (2016), Girls Get Angry Too (2016), It Was My Party Last Night (2016), Too Much Fun (2016), Girl I Met On The Internet (2016), Breaking My Phone (2016), So You Think You Can Fuck With Me Do Ya / ASBOys (2015), Handbrake (2014)

Part 3 of FEISTY’s Women On Vox will be published on Wednesday 14 March 2018. Like what you’ve heard? Let us know, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.