I’m a massive fan of the punk genre – particularly the underground scene! So, when I heard Femegades’ new EP Not All Men, I was very excited! They’re an amazing band who are sure to hit the bigtime with their own brand of politically infused punk rock. If you missed them, you can listen to the entire EP at the bottom of this interview!
By Jane Howkins
You recently released an EP titled Not All Men, which we reviewed. What can you tell us about the EP?
Hopefully it is an evolution from our first EP. There’s a bit more variety sonically in terms of a mix of punk, grunge and the lighter touch of Daddy Says. I think we’ve definitely pushed our own boundaries thematically, and hopefully the messages don’t miss the mark.
How has the reception been for not all men, and where can it be purchased?
The reception has been really positive, particularly once people understand that the title is an ironic one!
We feel our songs aren’t necessarily the most cryptic, but it was a lesson that sometimes really spelling things out for people isn’t the worst idea.
It is available on all streaming platforms, plus it can be downloaded on Bandcamp. And we’ve got limited edition novelty CD copies on there as well!
Do you plan to release any singles from the EP?
We released the first three tracks as singles (Speechless, Be Alone, Daddy Says), each with a unique video – well worth checking out on YouTube!
Are there any plans to release a full-length album?
We’d love to one day! Whether that will ever be possible logistically, I dunno. At the moment EPs make a lot more sense. And to be honest, even pushing to 5 songs feels ambitious.
Has the pandemic hindered your work much?
Other than the odd gig cancellation, catching Covid during recording etc. really the opposite I think, actually.
Lockdown really accelerated things for us, giving us the chance to record the first EP remotely.
Your music mixes together punk, grunge and alt rock. What/who influences you most as an artist? What have you been listening to recently?
Taylor Swift’s Anti-Hero is on repeat at the moment. Influences would be Nirvana, Fugazi and anything from the Riot Grrrl era. Plus plenty of non-musician feminists.
You’re quite a political band. Are there any causes you’d like to draw attention to?
Wow… where to start?! We’ve written quite a bit about broad subjects that maybe don’t get the mainstream coverage such as surrogacy. Subjects that only recently I’ve started to question and not just accept the liberal position on.
One specific cause that was an inspiration for our song Leash off the first EP is the case of Nikki Addimando, who is serving a sentence of 7.5 years for killing her abusive partner. It encapsulates everything that women are fighting against – domestic violence, sexual exploitation and victim blaming.
You’re based in London. What is the local music scene like?
There’s still a number of really great venues. There’s also so many lost ones – Alleycat, Borderline and the Astoria spring to mind. It’s a scene where finding a good promoter is key. People don’t take a punt on a live music night anymore, I think because so few do any real promotion.
Do you have any UK tour dates lined up?
Not at the moment… we’re still getting back in the swing of things after the arrival of baby Femegade, but hopefully we can get back out playing live early 2023 and play some of the new songs we’ve been working on.
Any last words for the fans?
Stay tuned for 2023… we’re going as fast as we can to make sure we have something special to share next year new music-wise!