There’s nothing we love more than women who transcend the music binary and Gland, a punk trio from New Orleans, does exactly that and more. Members Kallie, Farra, Switch, and Jean make up the feminist-as-fuck punk band which released the music video for their song “Cram It” this past weekend, off their first album Neurotica. The song is an anthem for riot grrrls everywhere and you won’t be able to get the hypnotic vocals out of your head.
The video, which was directed by Sarrah Danziger, begins with three pre-teen girls, who are made up as “mini-me’s” of the band members themselves — faux tattoos and piercings included. Each of the pint-sized doppelgangers, who outside the video are friends of the band, acts out the process of getting glammed up, practicing winged liner and layering on coats of red lipstick. They then stage a band practice and turn a blind eye to a boy that tries to mock their musical ambitions. These young girls essentially act as symbols of what the band members of Gland wished they had been during their youth — musicians who fearlessly ignored judgment from others and continued to play their instruments regardless of what the boys said.
The focus then shifts to the members of Gland as their grown-up selves, having matured into badass young women that split their time between cruising around the fringes of New Orleans, shooting a picture of George Zimmerman in the face, and tagging the side of a building with bubble-letter graffiti — all while fearlessly giving a finger to the patriarchy.
Fans of The Runaways, Bikini Kill, and The Cranberries are sure to pick up on the vintage vibes that the lyrics and the instrumentals evoke throughout the title track and it’s clear to see that the female rockers of the past have played a huge influence on Gland. Don’t be fooled, however, into thinking that this band is just like every other garage-punk revival group. Gland brings something that other bands have skimmed over: an unfiltered and unabridged feminist message.
From body-positivity to intersectionality, this video secretes feminism from every pore and we are living for it. It takes a lot of lady balls to touch on so many different layers of feminism and Gland embraces a multitude of perspectives in a way that’s artistic yet rebellious. Keep your eyes peeled for more fem-tastic content from this southern girl group and check out some of their other tracks on their Bandcamp.
Photos Courtesy of Community Records and @instagland69
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