Dream Nails

Dream Nails, a four-piece riot grrl band out of London, are enthusiastically DIY and selfproclaimed “punk witches,” at each famously riotous live show putting a hex on misogynistic figures and conservative politicians with their deeply infectious riff-heavy tune “Deep Heat.” Their mix of chunky basslines and sparkling harmonies are reminiscent of “The Ramones meet Bikini Kill” with a whole new updated outlook on the industry, and how their songs and actions as a band can change it for the better.

For their song about “hating your job,” they recall an event at their Leeds show opening for Cherry Glazerr where a member of the crowd dropped to his knees, raised his arms to the sky, and exclaimed, “That’s my life!” Three months later, he messaged the band to say that he was inspired to quit his job, and then at Christmas time informed them that he now runs a pet-sitting business and it’s the best decision he’s made in his life. It’s this kind of deeper change that Dream Nails are working to inspire in everyone, from quitting a corporate job, to hexing horrible politicians, to creating a safer space for women and nonbinary people.

They advocate for a “girls to the front” initiative, taking time in their set to invite women and non-binary to approach the front of the crowd, and sending men to the back, in order to encourage a safer and more fun atmosphere, in the setting of a punk show where the weight of a patriarchal society is often emphasized. Bassist Mimi Jasson notes that creating that safer space at the front of the crowd is for the band as well: “When you see the women and nonbinary people coming to the front, it actually is so mutual, because I feel a lot safer with them

being there as well. This is our space!”

Creating that safe space at shows is top of the list for them: “I want women and nonbinary people to feel safe, to feel that is their space and no one else’s, and to feel like we are on their side,” says lead vocalist Janey Starling. If that can’t be achieved on the side of the men in the crowd, the show will be stopped; “We’ll take our instruments off and refuse to play,” bassist Anya Pearson explains. If they can’t create a safe space physically, their songs can’t complete the process emotionally, by encouraging a release of anger and emotions in a fun environment that is their greatest pursuit by performing these songs. Screaming along to “Deep Heat” (“nobody cares if your dick is on fire”) or “Joke Choke” (a song about how rape jokes are not funny) are two completely different releases of emotion, but either way are two “really extreme releases of emotion that are really therapeutic when you do it publicly and collectively,” Janey explains. Crafting a breathable space for people who perhaps struggle to find that in this world is so powerful, and so important to them.

They take using their platform as a band in the public eye very seriously, which Anya points out scares off a lot of bands in fear of losing popularity, somehow. “It’s important to write songs about someone’s emotional space and communicate that side of things, but I think it’s weird to, once you establish yourself as someone with a voice, not to use it to share the stories of other people, or to identify campaigns that need attention and help and energy, because that kind of thing can really help.” They are currently proving this by using their platform to sell a zine (something they make to go along with every release) about reproductive justice and raise money for Abortion Support Network, an organization that raises money to support women coming over from Ireland to seek a safe and legal abortion. It goes much further than that, however, and the topics raised in the zine range from this, to parental rights to women who go to jail while pregnant, to healthcare rights as a trans person.

“Our whole approach to feminism is a lifelong journey of learning and listening,” Janey explains, and she wants the people listening to

them to partake alongside them. “I want people to learn about this stuff and to think about things that they haven’t considered before, and to understand the scale of violence against women and the diverse oppressions that women are facing.” Drummer Lucy Katz notes how often bands use this pursuit of

activism in their music (alone) as a branding exercise. “We’re all quite cautious of a lot of bands appropriating certain political movements or ideas or even feminist ideas and concepts, and then taking them, sanitizing them, making them empty,” she says. “It feels such a shame and such a waste,

because for us, it’s so important to have substance behind that, and that’s something that we’ll never, ever let go of. And the minute we let go of that, we won’t be a band anymore.” Janey’s still very aware of the fact that art is not nearly enough in regards to activism or

political movements. “It’s a really important cultural platform,” she admits, “and it’s an incredible way to reach a lot of different people in different locations, but ultimately, it doesn’t really contribute to that much structural change. It doesn’t really put the work in motion that’s needed for liberation. It’s a step on the journey, but I think it’s pretty preliminary.”

Dream Nails playing The Bread Shed stage at Manchester Punk Festival (April 2018)

For now, they’ll continue pushing for the safe spaces and the breathable spaces, while calling out people who treat them wrongly (shout out to mansplaining sound engineers). They have each other to rely on, to laugh it off with, but it’s still so much more of a slog than for men. “You have to be a lot stronger,” Mimi points out, “and you have to deal with a lot more shit, and so it’s just like walking through mud or something, whereas the guys just have a nice paved road.” “And are worshipped,” Lucy adds. But they’ll keep slogging, and fighting the good fight, because that’s what it takes to be a woman in the music industry. For now, we have a new album to look forward to, which they can promise will be “all killer, no filler.”