Exclusive - Seven Artists That Inspired DOWNGIRL

  • Exclusive - Seven Artists That Inspired DOWNGIRL
    POSTED
    By Brenton Harris

    DOWNGIRL photographed in black and white

    Fiery four-piece femme-punk band DOWNGIRL have announced their highly anticipated debut EP Manic (out September 22nd).



    Hailing from Gadigal Land, DOWNGIRL's no-holds-barred approach to punk, unapologetically powerful sound and unique ability to inject powerful social commentary into their music, has lit a fire in the Australian underground.  Released today, the lead single from Manic, Boys is the perfect example of their capacity to unleash raw emotion.  Packing ominous basslines, rolling drums, and overdriven off-beat guitar stabs, Boys is driven by frontwoman Alexandra Neville's powerful, growling vocals and screams, which deliver biting lyrics that put a spotlight on controversial societal norms.

    A menacing pre-chorus with the band sinisterly chanting "boys fighting boys fighting boys" then explodes into a wall of blood-bubbling punk. Kristen Adams rips out a cutting guitar solo before the slow-burning bridge that has Neville repeating the brutal, "he stands on god", then adding, "wiping his boots on his face". For the final round, she belts out a haunting scream with a volatile chorus to close the track.

    Directed by Marguerite Lorraine Walsh, with Dan Knott serving as director of photography, the Boys music video creates a powerful contrast to its thematic content serving as an empowering celebration of authenticity and resilience. Shot in a warehouse, it depicts a series of men in a stereotypical "manly" fashion - standing tall and looking strong, sporting singlets and sweatpants. Omnious shots of the band crowded around by the group of men, are followed by their hands grasping at their hair and faces. The menacing tone highlighting the systemic toxic masculinity is then contrasted as the clip slowly reveals the men with their own individualistic traits as they break free from oppressive societal constructs. 

    To celebrate the arrival of Boys and the launch of vinyl pre-orders for Manic,  DOWNGIRL were kind enough to chat to Maniacs about the influences that have helped to shape their fiery sound. 

    Seven Artists That Have Inspired DOWNGIRL 

    Turnstile
    "THE breakthrough hardcore band. I love how Turnstile have brought hardcore to a broader audience with amazing hooks, cathartic lyrics and just insane raw energy. Tracks from their album ‘GLOW ON’ always make regular appearances on our road trips on tour. Makes us feel all ooey gooey that mainstream audiences still want that grit and grunge."
     
    Paramore
    "This band has been a fav since the emo days. Hayley Williams especially has always been someone to look up to. She is so gracious and committed to what she believes in, an incredible songwriter with one of the greatest voices. Their latest album blew us away and me and Ska can’t wait to see them in November!"
     
    Regurgitator
    "Have loved this band since seeing the clip for '! (The Song Formerly Known As)' on Rage as a littl'n. These guys put the fun in music but also have a sense of self-awareness. Our rule is to make music as long as we're having a good time doing it. Though we put our hearts into this EP, we also didn't take ourselves too seriously."
    Ramones
    "Punk legends. There's a comfort in their simplicity and their use of dynamics is something we aspire to."
    The Flaming Lips 
    "Equal parts weird and beautiful. They are a band like no other and that individualism is certainly something to be respected. Although we have many influences and they come out in our music, we encourage each other to be ourselves and use our own voices even though that at times can be a little scary!"
    David Bowie
    "Who doesn't love this gender bending alien? He's one of our musical and performance heroes."
    Emma Dilemma 
    "An exciting artist from across the ditch who can write a good hook and spin a wild yarn, songwriting qualities that we try to achieve. She’s also very, very cool."
    DOWNGIRL - BOYS SINGLE ART
    Boys is out now. Listen here. 

    Listen to Boys on our Metal Maniacs playlist.

    Shop For Paramore Merch

    Paramore bundle

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DOWNGIRL photographed in black and white

Fiery four-piece femme-punk band DOWNGIRL have announced their highly anticipated debut EP Manic (out September 22nd).



Hailing from Gadigal Land, DOWNGIRL's no-holds-barred approach to punk, unapologetically powerful sound and unique ability to inject powerful social commentary into their music, has lit a fire in the Australian underground.  Released today, the lead single from Manic, Boys is the perfect example of their capacity to unleash raw emotion.  Packing ominous basslines, rolling drums, and overdriven off-beat guitar stabs, Boys is driven by frontwoman Alexandra Neville's powerful, growling vocals and screams, which deliver biting lyrics that put a spotlight on controversial societal norms.

A menacing pre-chorus with the band sinisterly chanting "boys fighting boys fighting boys" then explodes into a wall of blood-bubbling punk. Kristen Adams rips out a cutting guitar solo before the slow-burning bridge that has Neville repeating the brutal, "he stands on god", then adding, "wiping his boots on his face". For the final round, she belts out a haunting scream with a volatile chorus to close the track.

Directed by Marguerite Lorraine Walsh, with Dan Knott serving as director of photography, the Boys music video creates a powerful contrast to its thematic content serving as an empowering celebration of authenticity and resilience. Shot in a warehouse, it depicts a series of men in a stereotypical "manly" fashion - standing tall and looking strong, sporting singlets and sweatpants. Omnious shots of the band crowded around by the group of men, are followed by their hands grasping at their hair and faces. The menacing tone highlighting the systemic toxic masculinity is then contrasted as the clip slowly reveals the men with their own individualistic traits as they break free from oppressive societal constructs. 

To celebrate the arrival of Boys and the launch of vinyl pre-orders for Manic,  DOWNGIRL were kind enough to chat to Maniacs about the influences that have helped to shape their fiery sound. 

Seven Artists That Have Inspired DOWNGIRL 

Turnstile
"THE breakthrough hardcore band. I love how Turnstile have brought hardcore to a broader audience with amazing hooks, cathartic lyrics and just insane raw energy. Tracks from their album ‘GLOW ON’ always make regular appearances on our road trips on tour. Makes us feel all ooey gooey that mainstream audiences still want that grit and grunge."
 
Paramore
"This band has been a fav since the emo days. Hayley Williams especially has always been someone to look up to. She is so gracious and committed to what she believes in, an incredible songwriter with one of the greatest voices. Their latest album blew us away and me and Ska can’t wait to see them in November!"
 
Regurgitator
"Have loved this band since seeing the clip for '! (The Song Formerly Known As)' on Rage as a littl'n. These guys put the fun in music but also have a sense of self-awareness. Our rule is to make music as long as we're having a good time doing it. Though we put our hearts into this EP, we also didn't take ourselves too seriously."
Ramones
"Punk legends. There's a comfort in their simplicity and their use of dynamics is something we aspire to."
The Flaming Lips 
"Equal parts weird and beautiful. They are a band like no other and that individualism is certainly something to be respected. Although we have many influences and they come out in our music, we encourage each other to be ourselves and use our own voices even though that at times can be a little scary!"
David Bowie
"Who doesn't love this gender bending alien? He's one of our musical and performance heroes."
Emma Dilemma 
"An exciting artist from across the ditch who can write a good hook and spin a wild yarn, songwriting qualities that we try to achieve. She’s also very, very cool."
DOWNGIRL - BOYS SINGLE ART
Boys is out now. Listen here. 

Listen to Boys on our Metal Maniacs playlist.

Shop For Paramore Merch

Paramore bundle

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