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.

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

The Courtneys

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

Alvvays

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

Selected discography: Singles – Bridgewater Way (2017)

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

The Seamonsters

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

Dolores Haze

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

Thunderpussy

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

Sheer Mag

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: Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Instagram • Spotify

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

Pixx

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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.

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.

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

Selected discography: Albums – Misty Coast (2017)

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

Saltwater Sun

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

Steve Buscemi’s Dreamy Eyes

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

Fiordmoss

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

The Hanged Man

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: Facebook • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

La Rissa

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram

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.

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.

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

Babe Punch

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Spotify

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

Bethlehem Steel

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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?

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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.

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.

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

Nelson Can

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

Ardyn

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

Cronicle

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

Charly Bliss

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

Selected discography: EPs – Waist Management (2017)

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

Cajsa Siik

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

Let’s Eat Grandma

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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

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: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify

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.

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, every day this week, we’ll be celebrating female flair.

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

The final picks were whittled down from a shortlist of close to 400, constructed with the help of a tip or two from friends around the UK music scene. We then split our selections into five equal parts, each roughly based around a specific genre or mood. These are:

• Part 1 (Today) – 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 (Tuesday) – A sugarier selection, featuring electropop and alternative pop picks and the band we most expect to achieve colossal success in the future;

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

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

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

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.

Finally, the name Women On Vox reflects that, while we’re promoting women in music, 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.

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

Or, if you’d prefer, dive straight into the music with the full Spotify playlist of Part 1:

British rock-and-roll is being fired back into the spotlight, as the appetite grows for bands with something to say and an attitude about it.

And as the genre comes back to the fore, Reading’s The Amazons are sure – with their debut album on the way – to be part of the conversation.

Their fiery alternative rock, ready-made for arenas and stadiums in the years to come, has been weightily tipped around the houses, and they’re off to some of the planet’s biggest festivals this year.

The Amazons’ new single Junk Food Forever was released last week, as were details of a new headline tour in the autumn.

They’re also at plenty of UK festivals, starting this weekend at Live at Leeds – and with both that and their album release looming, we caught up with guitarist Chris Alderton for a chat.

Read on for Chris on making an impact on British music, the effects of hype, and the band’s tips for this weekend’s first festival.

Thanks for taking the time to chat to us! You’ve been on tour for most of this year so far. What have you all been doing recently, resting?

Chris: “There’s no rest for the wicked, last week we had our first proper day off since 15 February! Earlier this month we hit the road again for the second half of our UK tour, including Glasgow, Manchester, London and then our homecoming show in Reading to finish – which was well worth the wait.”

The Amazons have set out to make an impact on, and even reinvent, British rock-and-roll. When was the last time that rock music was truly great in the UK?

Chris: “I guess commercially great, it’d be the back end of the 90s and early 2000s. Those bands – Radiohead, Oasis and the Gallaghers, Muse, Kasabian, and so on all still headline festivals. When I was at school, those were the bands everyone was excited about and wanted to be like.

“But, for us, British rock-and-roll has never not been great – it’s not about the commercial success, but the fuck off attitude. Hopefully kids growing up with bands like Foals, Wolf Alice, Royal Blood and Arctic Monkeys will create another wave of people getting behind bands, pushing British rock back into the foreground again.”

The Amazons, the album, is out on 26th May. It’s a pretty clichéd thing to ask, but what are you thinking now we’re so close to the release?

Chris: “Aside from the occasional flashes of nervousness, the general feeling is still anticipation and excitement to finally get it out. We’ve been waiting to release the album for a year now, so we’re very ready to tour it and try some new ideas at the shows.”

What is the one track on the debut album that sums up The Amazons and what you’re all about best?

Chris: “Our recent single Black Magic is probably the closest we get to an all-rounder, but there’s a few tracks on the album that I think will tilt some heads.”

Recently you also released the video for that track. It’s full of symbolism that we’re told is open to interpretation. How much of that was your doing, or was it the vision of the director? We know sometimes bands don’t really know much about it until they see it!

Chris: “The video was a collaboration between our frontman Matt Thomson and our resident photographer and videographer Matt Goff. Matt T provided the vision and the feelings that the song is supposed to convey and Matt G weaved that train of thought into a video, which he then directed.

“We’ve had some bad experiences by getting lazy and handing the project over to someone else, so we went for the more hands-on approach on this one and it worked out.”

Did any good album material end up on the cutting room floor? Anything you disagreed on taking out?

Chris: “There was one track that split the group into two during the track listing, but after a good ol’ 4-way brawl complete with hair-pulling and ball-crushing, all the kinks were gently worked out. We’re all happy with the track listing now and we have a few songs to put in our back pocket for later.”

You’ve been picking up lots of hype recently, as happens when a band starts to break. How do you deal with that? Can it go to your head?

Chris: “Of course it can, and if we’d had an ounce of the attention we’re getting now after we put our first bedroom recording up on SoundCloud 3 years ago, then it would have.

“But I think we’ve grounded ourselves by playing to 3 people in a dingy Barnsley venue, and a man and his dog everywhere else in the UK for 2 years. Getting the BBC Sound Of [on this year’s long list] felt more like recognition for all of our hard work than a sign that we’re the dog’s bollocks, we know we’re more of a dog’s pube at the moment.”

So, coming up soon, you’re at Live at Leeds this weekend. How are you looking forward to playing there?

Chris: “It’s our first UK festival of the season so we’re pumped to say the least. Had a lot of people talk to us after our shows saying they’ll be there so hopefully they’ll keep their word.

“Live at Leeds is a city festival that’s done right. It strikes me as a proper new music lover’s festival, filled with a lot of the best upcoming bands at the moment, and with a touch of the more established acts to ensure you’ll definitely see a good show by the end of the day.”

You’re playing the O2 Academy stage with Black Honey, DMA’s and Slaves. How familiar are you with them, have you met?

Chris: “We first met Black Honey at the first Flying Vinyl Festival in Hackney and a few times since then. Yet to meet DMA’s or Slaves, but we’ve heard good things so looking forward to meeting them.”

Are there any other bands across Live at Leeds this year you’d pick out as a must see?

Chris: “Always. A big plus to playing any festival is it gives us a chance to see all the bands we’ve not had the chance to see while on tour.

“A must-see for me personally is HMLTD. I find them intriguing, and have heard good – but also strange – things about their live shows. Then our pals The Big Moon released their album last week, so we’re excited to catch up with them.

“There’s a band from Newcastle called The Pale White, who are featured on our On The Road Spotify playlist, and supported us on a few dates in the UK. We’ve been driven to the edge of insanity while trapped in the van with their songs stuck in our heads, which is a good thing! Their new single’s killer and they kick-ass live too.”

You’re at loads and loads of festivals this summer too. What are some of the highlights on your schedule?

Chris: “Isle of Wight, Best Kept Secret, Fuji Rock, Valley Rock and BBK Bilbao are a few of the bigger ones we’re playing, but we’re predictably most excited for Reading and Leeds in August. Seeing some of our favourite bands rise up the bill through the years has been a real marker for the level of success that they’re having, so to know we have our foot on the ladder now is incredible.

“Going to Japan for Fuji Rock is nuts too. It’ll be interesting to see what the people of Japan make of Matt’s hair and height!”

What are the odds on another headline tour later this year? Sometime around the autumn, right?

Chris: “The odds are very high: It’s just been announced! It’ll be in the first two weeks of October, and tickets went on-sale on Friday.”

The self-titled debut album from The Amazons is released on 26 May. They’re at Live at Leeds this weekend, playing the O2 Academy stage at 6:15pm. The rest of their UK festival and tour dates for 2017 are:

The Amazons UK Festivals

April 29 – Live at Leeds – Leeds, UK
May 18 – The Great Escape – Brighton, UK
May 27-28 – BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend – Hull, UK
May 28 – Liverpool Sound City – Liverpool, UK
June 11 – Isle of Wight Festival – Isle of Wight, UK
August 25 – Reading Festival – Reading, UK
August 26 – Leeds Festival – Bramham, UK

The Amazons Autumn UK Tour

October 2 – The Waterfront – Norwich, UK
October 3 – The Leadmill – Sheffield, UK
October 4 – The Liquid Room – Edinburgh, UK
October 6 – Rescue Rooms – Nottingham, UK
October 8 – Riverside – Newcastle, UK
October 9 – Tramshed – Cardiff, UK
October 11 – Phoenix – Exeter, UK
October 12 – O2 Forum Kentish Town – London, UK
October 13 – Engine Rooms – Southampton, UK
October 14 – SWX – Bristol, UK