🎀 We’ve seen quite a few phases of riot grrrl. What’s so important about this revival wave that we haven’t seen in previous factions?

I just thought - I should be doing this. We need a new way. Riot girl is really dying & I really wanna bring it back - especially with everything that's going on in the world right now. It needs to come back now more than ever.

I'm a very political person. I want 2 get more into the protesting side of ways that activism can be done - mixing punk, protesting, gigs & making more of a community in the scene. Especially being gender fluid myself, I’m still figuring things out in that sense.

The old riot girl was so problematic with racism & transphobia. That's why with this new wave we wanna create a safe space for everyone, minus abusers & rapists . . .

Despite past efforts sexism still exists run by a male dominated industry with a high amount of predatory behaviour. The aim of riot grrrl is to give women a voice. So often women are silenced, afraid & alone - but this community helps to bring us together to fight for our rights.

“We wanna create a safe space for everyone, minus abusers & rapists.”

“So often women are silenced, afraid & alone - but this community helps to bring us together to fight for our rights.”

🎀 In one of your songs you talk about issues in healthcare. Why should we say fuck you to the system?

Well there's such a lack of support when it comes 2 mental health, when it’s such an urgent issue. My song ‘system’ is all about this - I want to help change & make things more accessible for people.

I mean I've been waiting for years & had multiple therapists. Waitlists are long & healthcare is unaffordable. Recently, we had a suicide awareness gig & raised around 500 pounds for it. We wanna make a movement, not just talk about it.

The writing of the song was so natural, I was mumbling lyrics about the messed up healthcare system & my anger towards it & we all just started joining in because we all felt that we just wanted help & raise awareness for it.

It connects with people too, like I see audiences faces light up whenever they hear that song & that makes me so happy just to be recognised. That's a fan favourite I think, it's such an immersive song for them.

“We wanna make a movement, not just talk about it. ”

🎀 How does music allow you to express yourself?

Yeah I don’t care about the shock value we seem to bring. Purity culture needs to die. It's such a misogynistic pedophile culture. I want to break that - I’m for the female gaze.

I want to break that chain & re-immerse the female gaze back into music. On stage I will wear freaky outfits, moan, do whatever I want. My aim is to be unproblematically controversial in a shocking way. I want people to say "I can't believe they would do that I love them,” & give people confidence to express themselves too.

“Purity culture needs to die. I’m for the female gaze.”

🎀 What are some misconceptions people have about your band?

We aren’t hateful. Some religious people in particular have been offended by one of our songs ‘teen angel’ which is about religious trauma. We have gotten so many hate comments, one even saying “it's not my fault you got touched at church,” which is insane.

But the true meaning of the track is about sexual assault. The song is inspired by Maleficent when she got her wings ripped off. I wanted it to be about her getting revenge on men & how she turns into this fallen angel who gets into witchcraft & spirituality. How she's more at peace now. It isn’t a hateful song. I mean I used to be catholic - it’s just about how I chose my own path & what I feel most comfortable in now.

🎀 Whats one thing that could improve the scene?

I want to bring girl pop to hardcore - just because it pisses people off. We definitely have some hardcore songs you know. But Brighton is sooooo good for hardcore, they actually teach you how to move & mosh - it can just be a bit restrictive & close minded sometimes.

🎀 How was opening for GRLwood?

Yes, so I've been mutuals with GRLwood for a few years now because we used to cover their songs.

I messaged them before we had any music out asking if they wanted to play, but someone else got an opening slot. So I tried my luck & asked again this year. I knew they were on tour but they’d said nothing about openers. So I messaged the promoter & I locked in, they said yes, after 2 weeks of silence I got the poster & there we were.

It was definitely the biggest milestone so far. I've looked up to them since their first album & I got to meet them & everything. The lead singer drew anything I wanted on my face & I got the setlist. It was motivation to keep going.

🎀 What's your main message?

We wanna inspire & educate people - even the far right. I feel like having peace is the bare minimum. We go to protests as a band like the palestine & womens rape awareness marches. We are actually trying to organise a music protest, like an outdoors one, there should definitely be more community.

🎀 What is one song that expresses your emotions the most?

One of my songs is called ‘Risk’, which is quite literally about taking a risk & being with a woman. I am proud of my sexuality & I want others to feel that way too. I want people to stop performing for others & making themselves miserable - to express themselves however they want to. In the song, I know what feels right & it makes sense for me. I am doing this for love.

🎀 Is Livids music a call out to yourself or to others?

I call out so many people within my lyrics, including myself.

One guy thought I wrote this song about him & I told him no - but I had written another song about him basically being a terrible person. And he still wanted to mix for us after - so that was fun.

It's hard to call people out but it needs to be done for them to take accountability. The songs are like a mirror for their bad behavior. I want them to reflect on what they have done from my point of view, but also how they have affected other people.

Some I won’t ever forgive but I hold sympathy in a way. I have made a lot of mistakes within my life too, even in my own music. Some of the lyrics are just a self call out & I read them to reflect back on the situation.

We will always call out predators & people who sexualise the alternative scene because we want to create a safe space & let those people take accountability & change. I'm very brutal in my lyrics, it’s a slap across the face.

“I’m very brutal in my lyrics, it’s a slap across the face.”

🎀 What's your dream band lineup (local edition)?

Edging for sure & chem sex party. I just love chem sex party, think it would make for a sick show.

🎀 What’s your thoughts on reviving DIY?

We host free gigs or ones under 5 pounds all of the time & recently we did this thing where people would bring in their own shirts & we would make merch out of them which was cool. I want physical Livid signs that I can hand out to fans.

MTV is closing down, everything feels like it's dying in the scene & I want to bring it back. We need to revive music. Spotify is evil, we should bring back bandcamp & other forms of music that aren’t funding a genocide. We always wanted to create the merch ourselves - originally some members would nick shirts from Primark & we got a lino print to put our logo onto shirts. Now with our current lineup our drummer Charlie has designed an incredible logo for us to use in the new era. More will be coming soon!

💞 Yapper: xviolet.202

🎀 Livid - on the new wave of riot grrrl & bringing girl pop 2 hxc 🎀

$talk us 🥵

🎀 Livid - on the new wave of riot grrrl & bringing girl pop 2 hxc 🎀

🎀 Danny Page - on being non-binary - just accept me as me & leave me the fuck alone 🎀

$talk us 🥵