What are your names?
Melissa, Joe, James and Andrew.
What is the band’s name?
Stranger Girl
How did you come up with the band’s name?
We wanted something accessible but with a bit of intrigue. Stranger Girl was based on the idea of unknown people, the mystery they possess and how they could end up changing your life. It was an idea that came to me on a bus ride home, and we rolled with it.
What is your genre of music?
We’d describe it as indie nerd-pop.
Give us a little bio about you.
We’re an indie band from Brighton with some big pop sounds and an indie rock attitude. We started at uni and have been in our current line-up for the past two years. We’ve played lots of shows in Brighton and London and are about to put out our debut EP ‘Black Hole Radio’ this summer! Our previous singles got some exciting features including BBC Intro’s ‘Track of the Week’ and placements on Spotify curated playlists such as ‘Hot New Bands’. We’re super excited to share our EP, coming out 18/06.
What made you go into music?
We all separately discovered a love of music growing up. For myself (Melissa) it was an escape from all the trials and tribulations of being a teenager at school, and something I really found a passion in. I then received a guitar for my sixteenth birthday and started writing songs as soon as I could. I loved songwriting so much and decided to pursue it at university, where I met Joe, James and Andrew and the band eventually formed.
Who are your influences?
Our influences include the Strokes, Blondie, Weezer, Indoor Pets, Haim and loads more.
Are you a signed?
Not yet, but it’s definitely something we’re excited about. We can only do so much on our own!
Your new single ‘Powerhouse’ is out, tell us more about the single.
Powerhouse is the lead single from the debut EP ‘Black Hole Radio’. It’s a bit of a journey of a song, with belty choruses and moody verses. We first put this song together about two years ago as one of the slower and more emotional songs of our live set. When we recorded and produced the single, we got to hear it in its fullest state and decided it had the impact we were looking for to be the leading single for the EP.
What is the meaning behind the single?
Powerhouse is an emotional single about dreaming of bigger things. It was written during a time where I wasn’t at my happiest, and had all these ideas of love, career success and happiness that I was wishing for. It’s about discontentment and the frustration I was feeling at this time.
Who did you work with on the single?
It was just us! We wrote, recorded and produced the single and EP all in-house. We had a particular vision and idea of the sound we wanted, and decided to make it ourselves to really put our own touch on it.
Describe the track in two words.
Emotional, dreamy
We are also set to see a brand new EP ‘Black Hole Radio’. Tell us more about the EP creative process.
Since it’s our first it’s a bit of a patchwork anthology of different creative processes. There are songs on there that started out ages ago and evolved through many nights on stage and in practice rooms, like ‘Powerhouse’ and ‘Bad Side’. And some of them are brand new and written during the various lockdowns, barely played them in a room together at all and still finding their feet, which will definitely sound totally different two years down the line as we get back in front of crowds again.
Who did you work with on the EP?
It was pretty much all done in house. We have allot of skills in the band that we use to get stuff done outside of writing and performing. Joe, our bassist, and Andrew, our guitarist, are both pretty handy in the studio and recorded, mixed and mastered everything between them, with a little help from the people at Brighton Electric and Church Road Studios at the recording stage.
Describe each track in two words.
Guilty Games: Fiery attitude
Powerhouse: Emotional, dreamy
Spitballing: Feisty, frustrated
Damage: Honest, loud
Bad Side: Mischievous, anxious (could probably use that on all of these)
Will we see a Music Video for the any of the tracks and if so, what can we expect?
“Chance would be a fine thing” *taps nose*
What else can we expect in 2021?
Hopefully all of the live shows that the government, public transport and our purse strings will allow!
Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
We want to be regularly touring, first album released on a great indie label and at least a coffee blend with our name on it, if not a beer.
What quote or saying do you always stick by?
Ooh tough one. There are many solid Dumbledore or Gandalf quotes, wizards are wise, it’s in the name. But a mantra we tend to live by is “You make your own luck.”
When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget?
Our instruments (though none of us own a car so we’re a martyr to the house drum kit), our playback machine (saves on hiring a keyboardist and a choir), a spare lipstick, my hair curlers and bananas for the boys (for the nerves, natural beta blockers don’t ya’ know?)
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
Yeah! Our Instagram and Facebook, and our Twitter . And you can go to strangergirlmusic.co.uk for regular updates and shows.
