‘Since Yesterday: The Untold Story of Scotland’s Girl Bands’ movie review: a poignant exploration of highs and lows
It shouldn’t be news to anyone that the music industry has always swayed in favour of men. Yet, when you’re a young girl, and the concept of sexism isn’t something you are particularly conscious of, it can be confusing to see guitar bands predominantly featuring men or festival lineups with few female names decorating the bill. Where are all the women?
In the new documentary Since Yesterday: The Untold Story of Scotland’s Girl Bands, directors Blair Young and Carla J Easton explore the all-female Scottish bands who made music in spite of the opposition they often faced in a male-dominated industry. Highlighting both the highs of being in a band with other women and the lows of misogynistic experiences, the documentary is a beautiful display of the powers of female friendship, music, and solidarity with one another.
The documentary mixes interviews with members of groups like Strawberry Switchblade, Lung Leg, The Ettes, and Sophisticated Boom Boom with animation, archival footage, and clips of young girls discovering records and plastering posters on the walls of a bedroom. By including clips of little girls dressed as members of these bands and listening to these inspiring girl groups, Since Yesterday emphasises the importance of finding music that shapes and influences you at such a formative age. How can little girls aspire to be musicians if they can’t see anyone like them represented or taken seriously in the world?
Since Yesterday highlights the issues that many of these all-female groups faced—whether they were 1960s duos or post-punk bands—while also shining a light on their achievements and digging them out of undeserving obscurity. Starting in the 1960s, we see Jeanette McKinlay from The McKinlay Sisters recall the duo’s time supporting The Beatles before a lack of financial support forced them to give up their hopes of enduring success.
We are then taken through the decades as pioneering women tell their stories, which include both fond memories and moments of hardship. Easton squeezes the best out of everyone she interviews, resulting in engaging storytelling that brings these accompanying archival performance clips to life. Moira Rankin from His Latest Flame is particularly animated, while Rose McDowell from Strawberry Switchblade is unapologetically honest and hilarious, allowing viewers to really get a sense of the individuality and passion that made these bands so special.
Throughout the film, the interviewees emphasise the importance of togetherness and female solidarity, which makes dealing with sexist attitudes and sometimes even sexual abuse a little less isolating. Since Yesterday doesn’t shy away from showing us the difficulties faced by these bands, with a common theme being the loss of opportunity for all-female groups because of motherhood. Several band members discuss their decisions to walk away from music, sometimes reluctantly, because of pregnancy.
In the case of the late 2000s indie-rockers, the Hedrons, they were told a certain label wouldn’t back them because they were all at the age where they might get pregnant. Their existence as women was enough for investors to doubt their ability to remain a reliable act, and they ultimately disbanded a few years later.
Narrated passionately by Easton, the documentary shows us the current initiatives that are helping female, non-binary, and transgender musicians in Scotland to thrive in an industry that still gives men a considerably easier time, as well as find a sense of community. Taking us from the ‘60s to the present day, Since Yesterday is as fun as it is insightful and eye-opening.
