If there’s one band that mastered the art of combining punk and literature, it’s Muncie Girls. The Exeter-based trio released their second full-length album Fixed Ideals this August, and just like their 2016 debut From Caplan to Belsize, it’s an allusion to writer Sylvia Plath. Biting lyrics about feminism and politics mingle with bright insights on friendship and churning guitars – all to be seen live on October 27th.
Muncie Girls formed in England’s eclectic rock club The Cavern, where singer Lande Hekt and lead guitarist Dean McMullen started putting on their shows in 2010. They became involved in the local punk/DIY scene and started their own fundraising events before long. Drummer Luke Ellis joined in 2012, and the band went on to release two EPs, Revolution Summer (2012) and Sleepless (2013), earning them praise and fame outside their club’s walls. Splits with Great Cynics and Sandlotkids followed. From Caplan to Belsize was the record that earned them a nomination for Best British Newcomer at the Kerrang! Awards 2016.
Caplan and Belsize are the two hospitals the protagonist in Plath’s novel The Bell Jar is admitted to. The record takes the listener on a journey much like she experiences: From the schooling experience and educational systems that support the elite, to misogyny and females having to prove their worth time and time again, to waking up crying about governmental decisions. All wrapped in a grounded classic punk package.
The songs on Fixed Ideals are as political and urging to become active as ever, but personal issues such as mental health, drinking, and solidarity in friendships earn a spotlight. A more multi-layered sound is being presented that misses nothing of the raw energy the band’s previous releases were filled to the brim with.
Muncie Girls have toured with well-established punk acts such as The Wonder Years, Taking Back Sunday and Such Gold in the past, and have appeared on the stage of several international music and media festivals, including Glastonbury Festival and the Belgian Groezrock. Following their gigs in England this summer, they have just set foot onto the continent to play in Mainland Europe, where fans can see them at more than ten shows in Germany; One of them being at Berlin’s Cassiopeia on October 27th.
Don’t miss your chance to witness the up-and-coming power of Muncie Girls! Write to win(@)indieberlin.de for a chance to win 2 tickets to their Berlin gig.
