2 minute read
VENUS GRRRLS
Image by Milly Hewitt
STEVE SPITHRAY TALKS TO LEEDS-VIA-HARTLEPOOL’S VENUS GRRRLS ABOUT THEIR RIP-ROARING RETURN
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As the late afternoon sun begins to fade over Middlesbrough, Venus Grrrls’ singer GK (with the rest of the band close behind) is almost bouncing down the road in silver make-up, padlock jewellery and leopard skin print, in anticipation of her band’s early evening Twisterella Festival set.
We meet in the doorway of an abandoned restaurant, near The Townhouse venue they are playing, for a very quick but gimlet sharp chat about the band’s forthcoming new EP. It’s almost two years since their debut EP on Monomyth Records and, global pandemic aside, I wondered what she and her merry band of space punks had been up to in the meantime? “Without being able to gig we’ve just been writing as much as possible, remotely if we could, and most of our upcoming releases were written during various lockdowns. We just got together when we could and got in the studio to do as much as possible.”
The singer is right to come across as confident, and partner in crime, synth player Grace, concurred. “We would properly cram things in when we were together.” GK: “So, we’d do a live session, a photo shoot and a studio session all within, like, three days. It was definitely exhausting but we managed.”
I wave my hand almost regally (and, truth be told, three pints in) at the sights and sounds of Twisterella Festival and Linthorpe Road’s unique early evening atmosphere – it must be good to get back to all of this, I ask GK. “We’re going on tour in November including Newcastle, Leeds and Mutations Festival in Brighton. Our first headline tour. Exciting but nerve-wracking because it has been so long.”
Their four track EP includes two new songs and two previously released as singles, so it feels like a transitional release and there is a clear evolution in the band’s sound starting to develop; it’s still spiky, punky rock, but with a confident alt. pop sheen that places them far ahead of their peers. GK: “We had a lot of big things planned for 2020 that were all unfortunately cancelled but now our next single Sudocream Queen will be out at the end of October and our new EP on the 5th of November.” Grace: “It’s a new sound for us because it’s all with [producers] Sugar House Music. The two singles we’ve done with them previously are on it and we’ve got two new songs, so it’s definitely in that transitional realm. Especially Glisten which is a lot more synthy and I think next year’s releases will reflect that more.”
It’s GK who has the last word before they head into the venue to perform what ends up being a rip-roaring set which only further serves to cement them as a band to watch out for. “I think next year will be really good for us.” She says, prophetically. “We’ve got loads of new songs written and ready to record so we’re really excited to get them out. We are due back in the studio in January so we’re just trying to keep the momentum up and act as if nothing happened. We just carry on. What else can you do?!”
Venus Grrrls release Potions EP on 5th November. They play Head of Steam, Newcastle on Monday 8th November www.venusgrrrls.com
