Riot Grrrl Revival
The Riot Grrrl movement may seem like a thing of the past, but for many women in the punk band scene, it is still alive and thriving.
The Riot Grrrl movement is a feminist punk movement that started in 1991 in Olympia, Washington when a group of all-girl bands including Bikini Kill and Bratmobile (who were later dubbed the pioneers of the movement) got together to figure out how to deal with sexism in the punk music scene. These women decided they were going to start their own underground punk movement that focused on allowing women to be angry about the hardships they had faced. This movement was not only about making music but also creating inclusive spaces for all women. Many bands also produced feminist ‘zines inspired by the movement.
Despite the rising popularity of punk music in the 1990s due to bands like Nirvana and Alice in Chains, there were not many women on stage. The culture that came along with the punk scene was just as important as the music itself. Since this culture consisted of being generally loud and angry and moshing in crowds, women began to take more of a side role in the scene because men did not believe women were of the same caliber.
The Riot Grrrl scene was originally meant to be underground as a safe place for young women to speak freely and play music, whether it was good or not wasn't important. They used songs to speak out about politics, sexism, sexual assault, and racism. Through their music, they could express their anger about not being taken seriously in the male-dominated industry.
The songs they played may have contained strong sentiments about political topics, but it was not mainstream media coverage that these women were aiming for. They were hoping to inspire other girls to tell their truths and feel comfortable expressing themselves without the judgemental opinions of men in their industry. These bands sang about their personal experiences so that the women who came to the shows knew they were not alone in whatever they were going through.
The movement did not attempt to reject stereotypical feminine traits but instead leaned into them while making them unique. They juxtaposed their femininity alongside loud, angry music to show that women can be delicate and strong at the same time.
The mainstream popularization of the Riot Grrrl movement led to its initial decline in the late 1990s. What was once a safe space for women became a commercialized culture that musicians and publications profited from. The idea of an “angry rocker girl” quickly became a surefire way for a female musician to garner media attention. The movement also helped to encourage the idea of girl power and paved the way for women in the future to pursue musical careers with less criticism.
With movements centering around sexual assault in Hollywood and the music industry such as the Me Too and TIME’S UP, the Riot Grrrl movement could not be more relevant today. What seemed like a short-lived movement has begun to creep its way back to the forefront of many all-girl punk bands because of the uprising of women who are refusing to keep quiet any longer. Women around the world have dared to speak up about their experiences with sexual assault which has inspired female musicians to in turn express these feelings in their music.
One band that is a lively force within the revival of the movement is the rock and roll duo Proud Miranda, which consists of the married couple Kate and Amanda Miller. Proud Miranda was formed in April of 2019 in Tampa, Florida because Kate and Amanda were both musicians and decided to start a band together after they got married.
In true Riot Grrrl fashion, to Proud Miranda, “Songwriting is the ultimate outlet for both of us to process our emotions and work through issues.” By using their songwriting skills to focus on their raw emotions and personal problems, they can create authentic music that women can connect to. Many women have had similar experiences as others, but are afraid to speak up in fear of being silenced or ridiculed. When musicians sing about these very real issues women face, they help to normalize speaking about taboo subjects.
They use their music to talk about things they have experienced and would have appreciated hearing about when they were growing up; “We have songs about struggles with mental health and substances but also very positive, lighthearted love songs. Most importantly these are queer love songs and we love putting those out into the world because we both grew up never really hearing anything like that.”
These women emulate the unapologetic energy that Riot Grrrl bands of the 1990s became so popular for. They want women to relate to their songs and understand that struggling is alright and to be expected: “The one thing we hope people take away from our music is the desire to share their own stories through music. We want people to know how much freedom there is when you write your songs or start your own band. Music is for everyone.”
Women are often told to keep quiet to appease men but instead of doing that, they have chosen to be brave and speak out. By speaking their truth in music, they have found a creative outlet to connect with other women who share their values and relate to their struggles.
According to Proud Miranda, “Riot grrrl is very much alive and well and always will be. It is less about a particular style of music and more about a way of interacting with the world. If any person feels othered, ostracized, or kept out of the music scene, the Riot Grrrl movement can empower them to create their own space and own it.”
The movement is not just for one type of woman but instead opens itself up to people of all races, sexualities, religions, and backgrounds of any kind. It is about creating a space where people who are normally left out of the conversation feel safe contributing. Women can use this space to get angry and let out their pent-up frustrations about the unfairness that they face every day.
According to a study done by Women in Music and the Berklee College of Music, 84% of self-employed female musicians said that they had been treated differently in the industry because of their gender and 68% said that their gender affected their employment. In recent times, women still constantly face discrimination and belittling in the male-dominated music industry. Despite the overwhelming number of female punk bands, the men in charge of the punk industry such as Kevin Lyman, who founded and ran Warped Tour, a traveling rock festival around for 25 years, claimed that there just weren’t enough girl bands to book.
The dismissal of concerns about the lack of female representation in popular rock and punk festivals shows how the industry still needs feminist movements to elevate female musicians. Proud Miranda states it perfectly by saying, “To us, Riot Grrrl represents carving out a space for female musicians in the male-dominated world of punk rock. The Riot Grrrl movement made it so it didn’t matter how good your gear is, how well you play, all you needed was the fire and desire to create loud music and have your voice be heard. We carry that inspiration with us every day as a band and are eternally grateful for the door our foremothers kicked down for us. We want to carry that same torch and make sure everyone feels that same freedom to create and be heard.”
Another band that helps to bridge the gap for women in the punk industry is Doll Skin. Doll Skin is a punk band from Phoenix, Arizona that formed in December of 2013 while they were in high school. The band consists of Meghan the drummer, and Sydney the singer. Despite two of their members unexpectedly quitting this past year, Doll Skin continued to prevail and has even released a new single recently called Control Freak.
In the early years of Doll Skin, the band Bikini Kill, who pioneered the Riot Grrrl movement, heavily inspired them. The band had a sleepover where they watched a documentary on the frontwoman of Bikini Kill, Kathleen Hanna, and would often perform Bikini Kill’s song “Rebel Girl” at live shows.
Although live music is currently on a hiatus due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Meghan, the drummer from Doll Skin, talks women in the music industry have been able to overcome that using online communities. “The Riot Grrrl movement was a prominent era that was based so much around underground punk shows, and women all coming together to liberate each other. Nowadays, with live shows being put on pause, it's been tough for all of us to come together. But we liberate each other through the internet, which feels good, but not as loud as empowering as playing together and screaming in each other's faces. 'Girls to the front' is badass, and we will always be proud of the Riot Grrrl influence in our early years.”
Doll Skin is not afraid to speak out and openly criticize the struggles they have had to face as women in the industry. They know what it is like to be berated by men in their industry and want their fans to know that they will not stand for that. According to Meghan, their songs focus on a broad range of topics from “personal struggles, political opinions, songs about people that have fucked with us in the industry (mostly men, unfortunately), songs about punching nazis...you name it.”
They want their fans to feel connected to them through their songs. Although the content of their songs may be personal experiences, they hope that their fans can relate to these songs and feel less alone. This is what makes the Riot Grrrl community so strong, the constant support from others around them.
One of the most important things about this movement is how the individuals within it have been inspired by it. One musician who can relate to this is 16-year-old Layla Barry who hails from Middletown, New Jersey, and found herself heavily influenced by Riot Grrrl culture.
To her, the Riot Grrrl scene is “feminine freedom in its most raw form.”
One of Layla’s biggest inspirations is Kathleen Hanna, the lead singer of Bikini Kill. Kathleen inspired Layla to fully express herself through music because of how she was unapologetically herself. “Kathleen being overtly and openly sexual and confident but not performing for the male gaze is so appealing to me and helped me so much in my (and still) in my formative years because it was just so powerful and raw, kind of primal in a way.”
The power that Kathleen Hanna held as a woman in the punk scene when it wasn’t the norm and Riot Grrrl music in general inspired Layla to be the untamed version of herself that she needed to be.
No matter what the movement is called or who is a part of it, people all over the world connect with the ideas within the Riot Grrrl movement. This movement is necessary and important to give a voice to those who feel silenced and ignored.
Women deserve a place to share their opinions loudly and boldly without ridicule or push back and the Riot Grrrl movement gives them that.