Petrol Girls

Formed in London in 2012 around Ren Aldridge and Liepa Kuraitė, Petrol Girls operate between hardcore punk, post-hardcore and riot grrrl, with a direct, political approach rooted in British and European DIY scenes. After a self-titled EP in 2014, they released Some Thing in 2016 and the album Talk of Violence the same year on Bomber Music. The arrival of Joe York on guitar and Zock Astpai on drums stabilized the lineup and defined a nervy sound of abrasive guitars, taut rhythms and vocals that alternate between screaming, declamation and more spoken phrasing. In 2018 Petrol Girls issued the EP The Future Is Dark, followed by Cut & Stitch in 2019, a record that further develops contrasts between punk urgency, post-hardcore structures and rougher, more jagged passages. After Liepa Kuraitė left, Robin Gatt joined on bass and took part in the recording of Baby, released in 2022. The name Petrol Girls refers to the Pétroleuses, a reference consistent with lyrics that tackle systemic violence, power relations and bodily autonomy.