Sex, drugs and gender equality: female-fronted rock bands/musicians you should be listening to right now

AC/DC, Def Leppard, Metallica, The Rolling Stones: all rock gods of the past. All of these bands have millions of fans all over the world. They’ve broken records and placed themselves firmly in the history books.

Another thing they have in common? All male. All white. (Except for Robert Trujillo of Metallica.)

There are so many women in rock who are killing it just as hard as the men; they’re just not getting the representation they deserve. Women of color and queer women in rock get even less representation. Yes, you know Paramore and Evanescence’s “Bring Me To Life.” But here are 10 more female-fronted rock bands/musicians you need to add to your daily rock routine.

Judas Priestess

My Favorite Songs: “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming,” “Screaming for Vengeance”

Yes, the band’s name is similar to Judas Priest. It’s because they’re an all-women rock tribute band to Judas Priest. The New York City-based musicians cover Judas Priest songs and kick ass while doing so.

New Years Day

My Favorite Songs: “Come For Me,” “Angel Eyes”

If you had an emo phase similar to mine, you’ve likely heard of New Years Day. New Years Day was very popular amongst emo kids in my junior high/high school, and for good reason. Lead singer Ash Costello has a stunning voice and striking look. Her staple bi-colored hair (it’s usually red and black but now it’s blonde and black) is as integral to the band as their powerful ballads.

Thunderbitch

My Favorite Songs: “Leather Jacket,” “I Just Wanna Rock n Roll”

With a name like “Thunderbitch,” you can’t help but fall in love with them. Thunderbitch is a band based out of Nashville. They are headed by Brittany Howard, the very talented vocalist of the Grammy-nominated band Alabama Shakes. The band is somewhat of a side project for Howard. The band has released one self-titled album that includes the two songs listed above.

Lacey Sturm

My Favorite Songs: “Chasm,” “I’m So Sick,” “Impossible”

Lacey Sturm first gained notoriety for being the frontwoman for the famous Texas-based rock band Flyleaf. She was with the band for 10 years and released three albums with the band before she parted ways. (It was a very sad day for me; I’ve been in love with the band since like sixth grade.) After she left Flyleaf, Sturm continued her music career. She released a solo album, called “Life Screams,” in 2016. She has been touring and collaborating with different bands ever since.

Juliet Simms

My Favorite Songs: “100 Little Deaths,” “Heart Song,” “Evangeline”

I know so many fun facts about Juliet Simms. Did you know she’s married to Black Veil Brides frontman, Andy Biersack? Did you know she was the runner up on the second season of “The Voice?” Okay, maybe I only know two, but still. Simms really gained some fame after being on “The Voice” but her music career began much earlier. She was the frontwoman for Automatic Loveletter, a band she started with her brother in 2005. The band disbanded in 2012, likely due to Simms being on “The Voice.” Since then, Simms has had a successful solo career and has released several singles, an EP and a full-length album.

Tonight Alive

My Favorite Songs: “Disappear (Feat. Lynn Gunn),” “World Away,” “Thank You & Goodnight”

Ah, more emo royalty. Much like Flyleaf, this is a band I’ve been following for about 10 years and I am obsessed with lead singer Jenna McDougall. I love her. Hailing from Sydney, Australia, this band started making music in 2008. They’ve released four albums together, one of which featured guest vocals from Lynn Gunn, lead vocalist of PVRIS. You’ll hear more about her later. Usually, the band tours all year long but they’re currently on a tour hiatus due to COVID-19.

Doll Skin

My Favorite Songs: “Outta My Mind,” “Mark My Words,” “Your Idols Are Dying”

Doll Skin is a band I wish I’d known about sooner. A friend recommended them to me last year and I fell in love. Doll Skin is an all-women band from Phoenix, Arizona. They specialize in punk and alternative rock, a beautiful duo. They’ve released four albums, one of those being a reimagined version of their first album, and have toured extensively with other bands. Their latest album, “Love is Dead and We Killed Her,” gained particularly high amounts of praise and several of the songs on the album rose high on Billboard charts.

Straight Line Stitch

My Favorite Songs: “Cold Front,” “What You Do To Me,” “Yesterday’s Gone”

Surprisingly, though I’ve known about this band since junior high, I only recently started listening to more of their music. And it is good. Straight Line Stitch formed in 2000 in Knoxville, Tennessee. What I love most about this band is that they’re metalcore. Lead vocalist Alexis Brown has some insane vocal cords and she screams in many of Straight Line Stitch’s songs. “Screaming” is a singing technique popular in heavy metal, punk rock, etc. that quite literally makes it sound like the singer is screaming. Brown is very good at it and I love it. Although they are still an active band, they, unfortunately, haven’t released music since 2011.

PVRIS 

My Favorite Songs: “No Mercy,” “White Noise,” “Dead Weight”

The first time I heard PVRIS, I was shopping in Hot Topic. The perfect start to a beautiful romance. PVRIS (pronounced “Paris,” not “piv-ris,” as I mistakenly said for quite a while) formed in 2012 in Lowell, Massachusetts by lead singer Lynn Gunn and bassist Brian MacDonald. The band has released three studio albums, three EPs, over a dozen singles, and a plethora of music videos. Their first two albums had a very alt-rock/pop rock feel but their latest album, “Use Me,” has more of an electropop sound. It’s a bit of a disappointment for me but I would still die for Lynn Gunn. I saw PVRIS live my freshman year of college and she was the sweetest, mildly awkward performer I’ve ever seen.

Halestorm

My Favorite Songs: “I Like It Heavy,” “Mz. Hyde,” “Rock Show”

Halestorm is probably the most popular band on this list and is undoubtedly my favorite. The band has technically been together since 1997, since lead singer Lzzy Hale and her brother have been writing and performing songs since they were 13 and 10 years old, respectively. Despite their early beginnings, Halestorm’s first album wasn’t released until 2009. Since then, they’ve released three more albums, 10 EPs, 19 singles, and almost 20 music videos.

In 2013, after the release of their second album “The Strange Case of…,” Halestorm won the Grammy for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance for their song “Love Bites (So Do I).” Lzzy Hale became the first woman to ever win in that category. In 2019, the band was nominated for the Best Rock Performance Grammy for their song “Uncomfortable” but sadly did not win. Regardless, I want to be Lzzy Hale when I grow up. I think she’s the coolest person in the world.

Here’s a playlist with all the favorite songs listed and then some!