Bristol punk-trio Grandmas House release their new EP Who Am I via Brace Yourself Records on 3 March. What a glorious noise this band make. Yasmin Berndt’s vocals are thrilling and along with Poppy Dodgson (vocals, drums) and Zoë Zinsmeister (bass) the trio create a dark punk world but one that is accessible to all, raucous and energetic with explosive energy. Who Am I follows their self-titled EP released in 2021.
The four track EP opens with ‘Body‘ and the guitar riff immediately grabs attention before the vocals of Yasmin stops the listener such is its distinct quality. Gravelly, emotive and powerful it’s accompanied by ferocious basslines and thunderous drums. Grandmas House say this track is: “an anthem for anyone that’s ever felt uncomfortable in their own skin. An urgent statement of disassociation, feeling trapped and not recognising yourself in the mirror, it’s an ode to anyone who has ever felt different.” Lyrically ‘Body’ is an expression of this struggle, creating a recognition of this for those who suffer:
“The darkness is taking me under
So I can’t see the sky
Been wondering around on this world for a while
What you see is just a lie
Haven’t seen myself for a second of the day
It feels like everyone is growing
And I just stay the same.”
‘How Does it Feel?‘ draws on frontperson Yasmin Belgian heritage and is sung in both French and English. Grandmas House are female, queer and unapologetic, forming because they: “wanted a place to scream about the stuff we care about, which is why we started writing music and learning our instruments which lead to us moving in together and starting the band”. They achieve this and more on this track. It sets off at a blistering pace and even though singing along maybe tricky, the guttural delivery in French only adds to the sense of confusion. The pounding drums and driving bassline complement the vocals. The pace only increases as the track progresses and the band expand on the track saying:
“‘How Does it Feel?’ is a call and response between two people about the feelings of confusion you go through when breaking up. Sung in both French and English it is an explosion of queer angst and emotion.”
‘Desire‘ starts with a guitar riff that explodes into mayhem and chaos. There is a relatively calm section before the frantic soundscape expands again. Grandmas House produce breathless songs, wild and untamed at times which is exactly how it should be. ‘Desire’ is centred around the theme of “meeting someone new and being immediately intrigued by them, and the confusion surrounding infatuation and trying to keep yourself grounded.” That confusion and perhaps resulting frustrations are beautifully illustrated in this track. And the abrupt end feels entirely appropriate.
The final song is the title track ‘Who Am I’ and the vocals here are urgent and at its forefront. They are almost spat out in distain. The chorus is questioning and the two parts vocal simply add to its power. The repeated chorus batters home its point. The band further explain:
“‘Who Am I’ is about being judged by someone without them really knowing you. Written from the point of view of someone being judged for the negative stereotypes of their zodiac sign, it’s an anthem by Gemini’s, for all the other Gemini’s out there.”
Grandmas House have supported IDLES, TV Priest, Pigs x 7 and Opus Kink. They have appeared on NME’s Essential Artists for 2022 list, performed at Austin’s SXSW, Paris’s Supersonic, the UK’s Sound City, The Great Escape, 2000 Trees, Truck Festival and Green Man (where they were Rising finalists in 2021) and this year return with a UK headline tour this March. With this their second EP there is no doubt that Grandmas House are here to stay and I urge you to see them live if you can.
Grandmas House Live Schedule
3rd Mar | Liverpool, UK – Kaz Stockroom
4th Mar | Bristol, UK – Exchange
9th Mar | Leeds, UK – Oporto
10th Mar | Glasgow, UK – McChuills
11th Mar – Sheffield, UK – Sidney & Matilda (Basement)
16th Mar – Leicester, UK – Duffy’s
17th Mar – Manchester, UK – YES (Basement)
18th Mar – Cardiff, UK – Clwb Ifor Bach (Downstairs)
23rd Mar – London, UK – The Victoria
24th Mar – Brighton, UK – The Hope & Ruin
For more information on Grandmas House please check out their facebook and bandcamp.
