Grandmas House are pretty much on record as being one of the rowdiest bands around, and their brand new EP, Who Am I, is no exception. With four tracks, all of which are massive-sounding outpourings of emotion, Who Am I is undeniably some of their best work to date.
The singles released from this EP, including ‘Body’, which is already their most streamed song on Spotify, have garnered lots of attention from the music press – they’ve been featured on Steve Lamacq’s show on BBC Radio 6, and they’ve been on the cover of some brilliant Spotify punk playlists. They’ve also opened for some big names (IDLES and TV Priest, to name a few), and their 2021 single, ‘Always Happy’, was even featured on Apple TV’s Bad Sisters. After listening to this EP, it’s clear where all the hype has come from – and it’s clear that it’s only going to grow.
The EP starts off with ‘Body’, which at this point should need no introduction. The band say the song is meant to be an anthem for people who don’t feel comfortable in their own skin, for people who feel like they don’t fit in. In the age where everyone is constantly bombarded with TikToks and Instagram Reels and pictures of seemingly perfect people, it’s refreshing to hear women screaming about how insane that actually is – about how it can make you feel completely disconnected, dissociated, disengaged. ‘Body’ doesn’t attempt to offer solutions to these feelings, but it’s great for reminding you that, yes, those feelings are valid, and it’s not just you.
A highlight has to be the fluid use of languages on ‘How Does It Feel?’ – the second track on the EP. The band say it was included to display the feelings of confusion people experience when going through a break-up – the quick and almost jarring switch between French and English feels almost indicative of the feeling of just not understanding someone, despite them being entirely familiar to you. The track is an outpouring of emotion, of uncertainty and disorientation, with Yasmin Berndt’s made-for-punk vocals being the cherry on top – her constant questioning of “How does it feel?” sounds angry, almost, as if she’s not shying away from these feelings. It’s shockingly raw and real-sounding, something that is severely lacking in many self-professed punk bands.
All in all, the new EP can best be described as loud. Loud in the literal sense, of course, but also loud in that it sheds light on the ever-present gender inequality in the music industry; loud in that it so clearly displays how painfully absent the female voice can seem in the punk scene. Bands like Grandmas House are so important for this very reason, and they’re definitely a band to keep an eye on.
Words: Rosie Smith
‘Who Am I’ is out now via Brace Yourself Records. Stream or purchase the EP here.