W: Charlie Jolley

GIRLBAND! are an emerging Nottingham three-piece that have stormed into the public eye with their bold, talking point songs. Their latest single “Thelma and Louise” was released on August 5th 2025 and is another track successfully laced with infectious instrumentals and the post-punk charisma of frontwoman Georgie, whose stylish confidence is reminiscent of a young and plucky Joan Jett. The band’s January-February tour of the UK plans to champion independent venues in this dying climate of live music.

In a world dominated by technology and the dizzying rise of AI, we’re at risk of losing music’s
authentic roots. Everything is so dangerously accessible and digestible that people aren’t turning out
as frequently to see indie bands in indie venues. GIRLBAND! themselves described independent
venues as the “back bone of the music culture in the UK” and simply stated “If we lose them, we lose
the scene”. The band are touring as part of Independent Venue Week (in association with Solo) to try
and reignite this unmatched spirit of community that only live, grassroots music can bring. Even
though GIRLBAND! have seamlessly rocketed into success with their signing to EMI North and their
international tour of festivals such as Glastonbury and Great Escape, they still recognise the
importance of such venues, acknowledging “They gave us our first shows, our first community, and a
place to grow as a band. These rooms connect people through music and keep the UK scene alive”.
The band’s most popular song is their LGBTQ+ anthem “Not Like The Rest” from 2024 which
explores identity angst and coming of age in a small town devoid of diversity. They released the
subsequent music video in 2025 starring Bella Ramsey, accumulating almost a million hits. The
video’s series of cutesy Heartstopper visuals starkly contrasts the cold grey setting that it’s filmed in,
perfectly encapsulating the spirit of the song, and its audible contrast between a neat, anthemic
melody and Georgie’s anger-fuelled vocals. Being filmed in their hometown of Nottingham, the song
also has an intensely personal dimension to it. Georgie explained that “these stories are so personal
and part of a life journey”, and made it explicit that the lyrics sentimentally narrate her own coming
out story.
This effortlessly cool trio are bulldozing into 2026 with their much anticipated tour. They have proven
themselves to consistently deliver socially relevant songs that resonate with a multifaceted, identity
fumbling generation. GIRLBAND! are both musically and sincerely not like the rest.