Kathleen Hanna on the punk album that “changed my life”
The punk rock movement has been storied by countless incredible frontpeople, from the predictably shirtless Iggy Pop to the unpredictable energy of Bad Brains’ H.R. However, few of those lead singers encapsulated the revolutionary characteristics of the genre quite like Kathleen Hanna. As the singer, lyricist and driving force behind riot grrrl progenitors Bikini Kill, the Portland native has always been firmly entrenched in DIY principles, political activism and all the incredible, abrasive punk rock music that comes with it.
Punk had always been political, from the very early days of Detroit proto-punk and the sounds of the New York underground, but Bikini Kill took this political standpoint to an entirely new level. The band were a vital aspect of the riot grrrl movement, which encapsulated music as well as literature, film and political activism. For the first time, on a widespread scale, women were using punk music and culture to inspire a cultural revolution and rally against the widespread misogyny inherent in American society.
Bikini Kill were the archetypal feminist punk outfit, but they certainly were not the first punks to tackle topics of gender and identity. Even in the early days of the genre, bands like The Slits, The Bags or X-Ray Spex were challenging the status quo of gender ideology and breaking down archaic perceptions of femininity. Nevertheless, these groups were often much less abrasive in sound and lyricism as opposed to the likes of Bikini Kill or Bratmobile.
That distinctive sound of riot grrrl is often attributed to Hanna herself. Seemingly, though, the punk singer was first inspired to create those distinctive sounds by a largely forgotten group by the name of Frightwig. The band, formed by Deanna Mitchell and Mia d’Bruzzi in 1982, were years ahead of their time in multiple ways. One of the earliest all-female punk groups within the San Francisco scene, Frightwig pioneered a ruthlessly original sound, often covering topics of female alienation, misogyny and sexual violence.
Anybody who has ever listened to Fightwig will certainly be able to hear the deep influence the band had upon Kathleen Hanna and Bikini Kill. Although the band predated the riot grrrl scene by nearly a decade, it was their sound which paved the way for the music of the movement. As Hanna recently attested to Amoeba, “The record that changed my life was Faster, Frightwig, Kill! Kill!.”
The band’s second album, first released in 1986, took its name from the title of a 1965 exploitation film, Faster, Pussycat, Kill! Kill! Which certainly sets the tone for the revolutionary record. With abrasive political anthems like ‘Manifest Destiny’ or ‘Punk Rock Jail Bait’ sandwiched between catchy, fun tracks like ‘American Express’, the album is as varied in content as it is in sound. However, what is common throughout is its deep principles and important political stance.
Hanna recalled her first experiences with Frightwig, saying, “I was in Olympia, Washington at the time, and they were an all-women band, and they had these songs like singing about freedom from oppression,” adding that the band created “great punk rock music and nobody knows about them”. Surely, though, an endorsement from the great Kathleen Hanna is enough to cause a resurgence in the criminally overlooked San Francisco punks.
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