Finding moments in between a busy schedule of live shows, “working till 3 in the morning, 4 in the morning”, the “long journey” of creating ‘GIRLBAND!’ has been a labour of love for Georgie, one of her proudest moments to date. “We very much stuck to our values… there’s no corners that have been cut, there’s no silencing anywhere, it just is 100% real”. With some tracks, including latest single ‘Neighbour’s House’ written before the band - made up of Georgie (vocals), Jada (drums) and Katey (bass) - existed, and many during tours, Georgie describes the creation process as “organic”. The album combines tracks that have barely been teased on social media with unreleased music that have become a staple part of a GIRLBAND! live show. “We've been playing ['This Is Not Goodbye'] as a band for 3 years… We're excited for that one to actually be released!”.
GIRLBAND! have established a discography that translates flawlessly into their live performances, with mentions of their support tours for Nxdia and Sting (“it was just incredible”), and their debut record is no different. For Georgie, it is ‘5am’ that she is most excited to play live: “It's got a very like raucous energy about it, kind of like early [The] Strokes and… really loud guitars” – a hallmark of a GIRLBAND! track. Georgie hints at rehearsing for upcoming shows, later confirmed as a series of intimate in-store performances and signings in November, shows “hopefully” in 2027 as well as “the album and more singles and more fun”.
The joyous energy that underpins the sonic world of GIRLBAND! seems to be worlds away from Georgie’s current “dark” reading list, despite having spoken about books being a source of lyrical inspiration, describing Don Carpenter’s 'Hard Rain Falling' as “such a non-party book”. Instead, she recommends the works of William S. Burroughs to read alongside listening to their debut album, or 'On the Road' by Jack Kerouac: “It's just about living in the moment and meeting new people and people wander through and they wander out.” The upcoming record has a clear theme of living in the present running through it. Georgie notes John Steinbeck’s 'Cannery Row' as another point of inspiration.
Declaring “finding freedom to be yourself” as to blame for GIRLBAND!, the band’s commitment to create a record that captures the messy thrill of a house party soon carries a deeper meaning. It is a house party, it is later discovered, that Georgie would soundtrack with Westside Cowboy’s album. She describes starting the band: “I came out and had the best summer of my life. I partied, I met so many new friends and became myself, everything became technicolour”. This is the atmosphere Georgie wants to carry into GIRLBAND!’s live shows, acutely aware of the dark times facing the LGBTQ+ community: “It's not just escapism, but it's something to hold on to that's part of who they are”. She notes fans coming out after seeing them live, and a woman in her 60s emotionally sharing how much queer representation matters at a Pride festival. “Those moments are like what it's all about for me”.
Even whilst witnessing the impact of her lyrics on the audience, Georgie doesn’t place herself at the centre of these moments. “I feel like it's nothing to do with me as an artist or the band. It's just a channel for emotions regarding a bigger picture of humanity. And I think that's what's beautiful about music.” The trio’s passion for a “real core fan base” rather than virality sees a band seeking something far deeper than fame, hoping their authenticity breaks through an oversaturated market and pressure of AI music: “I don’t think AI music can replicate that [authenticity], I think bands like Lambrini Girls and Nxdia are a perfect example of that”.
When asked about the realities of being a rising artist under these pressures, she says: “I don't think any artist really wants to be on social media. It's not what we picked up guitars for.” Georgie remains hopeful, encouraging fans to watch live music, “keeping it kind of DIY. I think buying merch and albums and pre-ordering our album”. For artists she shares there is a responsibility to create music that “rallies people together”. For her it is Carole King’s ‘Tapestry’: “It makes it feels like there's a friend talking to me in the room”. In a post-pandemic world, and in the day of AI, it is having a clear message that allows “fans to be able to get behind and feel like there's a reason to go out the house on a rainy Tuesday night and go to a gig”.
For GIRLBAND! this message holds intertwining identities and a political weight that many much larger artists shy away from, noting how music has soundtracked many political movements. “I think it's just a part of what art is… that's why [books] get banned because they say things that people don't want to necessarily hear.” When conversation touches on the ongoing genocide in Palestine, Georgie shares: “I read a tweet, someone said, I wish we could go back to 1963 when music wasn't political… Have you ever listened to Bob Dylan? Have you ever listened to Jimi Hendrix? The reason Woodstock happened, of course it has to be political. Everything is, and it's not just political, it's sticking up for something that is inherently wrong”. Offering a nod to the pressure that must face bigger artists, although dubbing Ed Sheeran a “wet lettuce”, for Georgie there is no question: “It's really important to speak about all these things because these kids in Palestine would love to go to an Ed Sheeran gig and just feel the joy, but they can't.”
For a band with their debut album on the horizon, the addictively gritty yet anthemic sound that has captivated many an audience has such joy because of the far deeper message that is at GIRLBAND!’s core. As the interview closes with a throwaway reference to plans for a sophomore album, it is clear that this is a trio who deserve their flowers.
Maisy Neale
@maisycreative
Image: ‘GIRLBAND!’ Official Album Cover