Pop band Girl Group is redefining girlhood. The music industry, quite like the world at large, can be a difficult place for women to navigate. And Girl Group is unafraid to explore those nuances, from rage to the need for validation. With the release of their EP Little Sticky Pictures, they’re holding nothing back. Behind the glittery pop exterior are lyrics confronting the darker reality of womanhood. However, even as they sing about compulsive obsession with the superficial and a need to prove themselves, they don’t allow the world to take away their fun or the friendship that makes the band so special.
The five-piece is comprised of Katya, Maria, Thea, Mia and Lil, who met in Liverpool and became quick friends. Bonding over a shared frustration over the music industry, they rejected preconceived ideas of what a girl group should be. Pushing aside the male gaze and artificial images, a new Girl Group was born. Two years later, they’ve continued to challenge expectations. Between their all-woman crews, their bold lyrics, and their playful style taking inspiration from artists such as Wolf Alice and Sabrina Carpenter, Girl Group is proving themselves to be an unstoppable force.
So far, they have released two EPs, Think They’re Looking, Let’s Perform, and, most recently, Little Sticky Pictures. And following this latest EP, they’re far from done. In fact, with their latest single ‘Food Shopping,’ it seems like they’re just getting started. So, while they’re on a path that only goes up, we had to chat with them about all things Girl Group.
Welcome to The Honey Pop! Could you introduce yourself and your music to any readers who may not be familiar?
We’re Girl Group, a Liverpool-based, feminist 5-piece who makes sometimes cunty, sometimes emotional alt-pop tunes.
You’ve mentioned that your band was born out of spite. First of all, excellent motivator. How do you channel that into your music?
We often write angry songs, or at least, songs about things that anger us. These are almost always topics that we have ranted to each other about, so we’re never short on inspiration hehe.
You’ve cited some of your inspiration as “feminist punk literature.” Do you have a favorite or one that has influenced your music the most?
Well, we definitely read a lot of feminist literature and books chronicling the lives of women in punk. Books like Girls to the Front by Sarah Marcus, which is all about the riot grrrl movement have definitely influenced our project as whole. And books like Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez definitely give us lots to write about, as well as motivation to continue with our project and ethos.
How has performing changed your perspective on craving validation, if at all?
If anything it’s probably made it worse lol. Performing is the best thing ever and, being on stage, we get a lot of positive validation from fans, but when you allow that to affect your self-esteem, as most people in our situation do, you are then vulnerable to the negative affects of that being witheld. Love it tho hehe mwah mwah.
Something that you’re very open about is your frustration with the music industry. What has it been like navigating as young women?
We feel very lucky to have found the team that we have, at the time we did. We feel very safe with our immediate ‘industry contacts’. Because, creatively, we work only with women and non-binary people, we escape many of the grievances most women encounter (would recommend haha). But we have of course had cases of men in venues underestimating or belittling us or our sound tech, or heard interviews written up by men who certainly put their own spin on what we’ve said but I’m happy to say they feel quite rare.
Since forming the band in school, how have you found that the music industry at large compares to the scene at school?
We’ve been pleasantly surprised. As I mentioned, our experience hasn’t been as scary as we thought it might be.
Do you all write on the same song? If you do, what’s it like working with all of your different styles?
Yes, each song, both words and music, is written by all five of us. It can definitely be challenging because we have such different influences and tastes, but we also respect each other’s opinions and are quite good at communicating (luckily).
Speaking of style, what’s so cool is that you balance unapologetic femininity with a war on the patriarchy. Was that a conscious choice?
I’d say that was a conscious choice. We have always wanted to emphasize femininity in Girl Group and reclaim it as something to be celebrated rather than dismissed as childlike, unserious or uncool, as well as doing so in a way that is perhaps more suited to the female-gaze.
The visual presentation of Little Sticky Pictures is so fun! Obviously, the cover is very similar to Think They’re Looking, Let’s Perform. How do these two EPs relate to each other in your mind?
We like to think of Little Sticky Pictures as EP 1’s older sister in that is similar in tone, but a bit more mature and existential.
What is the inspiration behind the name Little Sticky Pictures?
It’s a line from ‘Your Fantasy,’ a song on Think They’re Looking, Let’s Perform. It is used to describe what it feels like to be perceived under the male gaze: frozen, two-dimensional, existing to please.
How does ‘Food Shopping’ fit into everything? Why did you choose to release it after the rest of the EP?
To be so honest, it was mainly due to [some kind of technical distributing reason which now escapes me], but I think we’re actually grateful it happened that way because it has made the release of our most heart-felt song quite special. It meant that people who had the vinyl had a little secret track, which is such a fun thing to be able to do. It is also arguably the most unlike the rest of the EP, and with it being so nostalgic and retrospective in theme and feel, releasing it later actually just feels perfect.
Thanks for chatting with us! Do you have a parting message for your fans?
Thank you for being interested in what we’re doing<33 keep fighting misogyny ! And come to our gigs pls haha.
If you’ve read this far, we’ll assume you’re caught up on Girl Group’s discography. If you’re not, now is the time! Claim your spot as an early Girl Group fan, and then let us know your favorite track over at @thehoneypop on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
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