Signed to Rough Trade since 2016, Goat Girl are a South London-based trio consisting of multi-instrumentalists and songwriters Lottie Pendlebury (she/her), Rossy Jones (they/them) and Holly Mullineaux (she/her). They combine insightful social commentary with a sound that ranges from punk to country to electronic pop.
On 2018’s self-titled debut album, they vented their frustrations about Brexit, sexual harassment and relationships to a mix of punk, country and goth. The album was well received by the critics, with Pitchfork describing it as ‘absurd, playful, and more than a little unsettling, sounding at times like a less romantic Libertines.’ The following year saw Goat Girl playing on the John Peel Stage at Glastonbury.
Their second album, ‘On All Fours’, was released in January 2021 and was also critically acclaimed. The album saw an electronic element added to the mix, but this expansion to their sound did not come at the cost of their biting social commentary. As the NME wrote: ‘on ‘On All Fours’, Goat Girl builds on this knack for addressing bigger issues with smaller everyday stories – and draws from an increasingly electronic pool of musical influences.’
New album ‘Below the Waste’ is due out this month, co-produced with John ‘Spud’ Murphy. The band’s approach to the new release is confident and mature whilst maintaining a playful sense of curiosity and wonderment. Delving deeper into the extremes of their distinctive sound, Spud’s knowledge, enthusiasm and patience provided a safe pair of hands to bring Goat Girl’s lofty ambitions to life.
Weaving effortlessly between disparate elements of expansive noise-rock, delicate folk experimentation and satisfying synth-pop, their unique combination of styles and unorthodox recording methods is a testament to their new collaborative production style.
Lead singles ‘Motorway’ and ‘Ride Around’ can be found on all streaming platforms and give a good taste of what is to come on the album; the former is reminiscent of Au Revoir Simone, while the latter is very Sonic Youth-esque.
In support of the album, they embark on a UK tour that sees them playing bigger venues than previously, and takes in Newcastle’s The Boiler Shop on Friday 28th June.
Tickets, priced at £16.50 in advance, are available from boilershop.net.
