Time is supposed to mellow us, but for Petrol Girls it has distilled their feminist politics into an ever more potent cocktail. Fitting, given that their logo from day one has been a flaming molotov. Since their formation in 2012, the band has been known for playing fast-paced, chaotic punk that takes aim at everything from sexual violence to immigration policy, but over the last few years their sound has evolved in a more nuanced direction.

Their 2016 debut album Talk of Violence was a blast of pure political rage, while 2019’s Cut & Stitch saw vocalist Ren Aldridge exploring familiar themes from a more personal perspective.

Latest offering Baby sees the band turn another new corner. This time, by embracing irreverence.

“Our whole thing for a long time, and a big focus of the last record, was making political struggle sustainable,” Ren says. “And I think having a good time where possible, and things being not totally serious all the time, is really essential.”

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