Playlist Guide: The Girl Groups of Indie Rock

By Cassidy Segovia
Music Journalist

Welcome to Playlist Guide, a series of articles dedicated to playlists I create and share with you all to enjoy. For this week’s playlist topic, I selected songs from a few of my favorite indie rock girl groups for International Women’s Month. 

I chose one song from seven different bands who are not necessarily in the public eye but have an amazing discography. The following girl groups showcase so much raw talent and energy that needs to be heard. Varying from different sub-genres, such as new-wave and punk, this playlist encapsulates sounds of the rock genre from the female perspective.

Chaise Longue – Wet Leg

Wet Leg is a newly formed British indie-rock band featuring the works of Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers. They released their 2021 single, “Chaise Longue” and it was not long until it went viral online. The music video currently has three million views on YouTube, and the band has around 240 thousand followers on TikTok. 

Listen to “Chaise Longue.”

Lay All Your Love on Me – Pale Honey

Pale Honey is Swedish indie-rock duo, consisting of members Tuva Lodmark and Nelly Daltrey. In 2017, they released “Lay All Your Love on Me,” a cover of ABBA’s original song by the same name. In this cover, they use a catchy guitar riff throughout the song as well as an eerie delivery of the chorus. Pale Honey’s version of this song provides a juxtaposition between ABBA’s traditional warm sound with Pale Honey’s chilling delivery.

Listen to “Lay All Your Love on Me.”

Klartraum – Gurr

Gurr is a German rock duo formed by Andreya Casablanca and Laura Lee. “Klartraum” is a track from 2016, featured on their first full-length album, In My Head. Casablanca shows off an impressive vocal range, with mild growling and shouting. This song is the epitome of an all-girl garage rock band that sounds very similar to various female rock bands of the 1990s.

Listen to “Klartraum.”

Vixen – Destroy Boys

Destroy Boys is a trio punk-rock band from California. Their punk rock influences are shown in their 2018 track, “Vixen” and they have such a fun and addictive way of playing/singing their music. They also performed this track on an Audiotree Live video performance, showing the members smiling, head-nodding, and having a great time. 

Listen to “Vixen.”

Go Away (1982 Demo Version) – Strawberry Switchblade 

Strawberry Switchblade were a Scottish new-wave band from the 1980s. Their signature sound reminds me of artists and bands such as Siouxie and the Banshees and Cocteau Twins. In this demo, “Go Away” gives the audience a quirky yet haunting rendition of their edited album version. This track never fails to provoke positive emotions from those who listen to it.

Listen to “Go Away.”

Take It as It Comes – Vivian Girls

Vivian Girls is a rock band from New York. “Take It as It Comes” has interludes of a conversation between two of the band members with lyrics that every girl who has struggled with a crush can relate to. This is a fun, light-hearted track that gives the female (or male/non-binary) listeners some advice through song form.

Listen to “Take It as It Comes.”

Scott Get the Van, I’m Moving – Cayetana

For my last track on this list, I chose a track from Philadelphia rock band, Cayetana. This song guided me through my high school days, and I still listen to it even after the band’s breakup in 2019. The lyrics intertwine with a borderline punk-rock character that pulls listeners in and leaves them searching for every release they have ever made.

Listen to “Scott Get the Van, I’m Moving.”

Listen to The Girl Groups of Indie Rock playlist on Spotify!