W: Joseph Murphy
Just six months into their career, teenage punks Hypoxic Angels are storming into their first tour, kicking off at Trinity Bar, Harrow. The group have one mission, to tell the world ‘Females can be loud, they can be strong and can fucking play instruments’. Inspired by The Molotovs, Bikini Kill and Destroy Boys, the band has its sights set on world domination, and it’s looking like they’re ready for it.
Three close friends, Layla Rashid (Vocals and Guitar), Georgie Timms (Vocals and Drums), and Harriet Turner (Bass) work together to create a loud, proud and resolute performance. The girls describe the group’s coming together as a simple click.
The band delivers a wildly gritty sound intended to provoke, with vocals dipping between visceral rage and a sharp, rebellious melody, uncompromising percussion and a disgustingly gritty bass. The group operates in a world of classic punk callbacks and modern Riot Grrrl style.
With a tone of humour in their inter-song breaks, the band brings their skit-centric chat to each song, bringing a story with each. A personal favourite, ‘Vote for Cornflakes’ tackles the rising cost of modern existence in a staunchly ’90s-inspired track with serious singalong qualities. One of the band’s talents is simply good showmanship, an undeniably confident stage presence, especially in covering Leslie Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me”, spinning it into a blasting anthem of in-your-face individuality.
Singer, Layla, says the band is looking at the release of a full album, working with their producer Jon Martin, “we’re using the album as a way to explore our sound and our story”.
Whilst writing the upcoming album, Drummer, Georgie, spoke with The Molotovs’ own Matt Cartlidge, who quoted “Be inspired by the world around you”.
“I took that and said, ‘If I’ve had a rubbish day, let's write a song about it’, just to put all that emotion directly into the music. Because we’re all so close, we can connect and inject that energy in.”
Layla agrees, “There’s a lot in the world that is easy to be angry about, and it’s a direct route to the punk genre, but really we feed off each other’s energy more than anything, we’ve got a lot to show off”
Bassist Harriet highlights punk as an outlet in an era of uncertainty and frustration for the youth of today. Citing the togetherness of the group and the chance to play live music, the group want to experience the feeling, just as much as the audience.
With a modern industry dominated by post-punk, the trio are a refreshingly confident and resistant act. With the number one rule, ‘Turn It Up’, they’re delivering a loud and uncompromising female energy. The young group are undoubtedly going a long way.