Tuffragettes are back with a storming 10-track LP called ‘4’ – with all songs written, performed, engineered and produced by the amazing Frankie Tuffragette.

“I have so many songs inside of me. They’re my ovules in my creative imaginative transgender bender womanly non-binary womb, and I love nurturing them and setting them free to make their own journeys. “4” began as a difficult album to write, and ended as a collection of songs that came together in a beautiful way, and that I’m incredibly happy with and proud of. I feel like I’ve improved as an instrumentalist, as a songwriter, and as a poet, and really what more could I ask for from a creative project.”

We caught up with Frankie for a quick natter about the album.

For those unfortunate souls who’ve not encountered Tuffragettes before, sum yourself up in a sentence.

genrebending ‘punk metal & chill’ for dykes, fags, trans people, butches, fems, andros, weirdos, outsiders and oppression fighters <333

What have you been up to since we last saw you? (when you played LW Unplugged in Oct 2019 – seems like a lifetime ago!)

It does seem like forever ago! Since then I’ve finished writing the new Tuffragettes LP, “4”, which is out now! It’s the second Tuffra LP, I’m really happy it’s done and out there, and hope y’all dig it.

Big hats off for getting a release ready in these funny times. Has lockdown been a help or a hindrance to your creativity?

Actually it was such a help! I didn’t have to travel or be away from home as much, so I had a lot more time at home with my equipment to get it done. I also had sooo much more energy being away from the stares and the bigots, it really made a difference. HOMOPHOBIA & TRANSPHOBIA ARE STILL SO REAL! It’s amazing and heartbreaking the difference it can make to take a break from wider cis-het society. All this said, I know it’s been such a hard time for a lot of people, particularly marginalised people, and I wanna extend my love and to everyone too. Jonny Pierce from The Drums has done a really beautiful guided meditation which is up on Spotify, and I’d really recommend it to anyone for whom meditation can be useful xxx

Talk us through the album – what are your stand-out tracks/songs you’re most pleased with?

  • ‘Eat Yr Words’ is a big tune for me. It came straight outta the bitterness of being patronised, taken advantage of, and made to feel stupid that I think a lotta women and queer people can relate to.
  • ‘Rhinoceros’ is fulla riffs n chuggs, and reminds you not to let your ways of surviving in this world swallow the ways that you truly are.
  • ‘Make Yr Own Throne’ is a spark that I hope will help to ignite and mobilise, and encourage us all to keep standing up and taking back.
  • ‘F@CK!’, ‘Aurora’ and ‘Geyser’ are a love song trilogy to an amazing human I met on the first show of our European tour last year, and am in a really nourishing, special relationship with 1.5 years later ❤

Tell us about the recording – when, where, who and how did it happen?

So this one happened the same way all my music does: in my bedroom on my own with an old mac, logic 8, a shitty audio interface, a basic pair of headphones, a basic speaker set, and some old budget instruments. If I can do it, you can too! And if yr a queer woman or non-binary person based in London and need a little help, msg me on frankie@tuffragettes.com and I’ll give ya some tips! You can also get in touch with OMNII, an amazing sound collective of women and non-binary sound makers, and First Timers, who put on yearly workshops for first-time musicians and bands ❤


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