Manchester’s Loose Articles just dropped new single ‘Guitars, Cars, Knickers and Bras’, a plaintive lament on workplace misogyny.
The track is taken from their debut album, Scream If You Wanna Go Faster, released last year via Alcopop! Records.
The band tell us:
“Skimmed off the top of shallow chitchat—‘I only watch blokes play guitar, women in knickers and bras’, over and over, and over—‘Guitars, Cars, Knickers and Bras’ was plucked from a workplace conversation about women in music, scrawled across the pages of the ‘Workplace Misogyny Diary’. The track points to the collective issue of not being taken seriously as a female musician, which is something we as a band have all experienced: ‘Are they your dad’s records?’, ‘Is that your boyfriend’s guitar?’, ‘You’re pretty good, for a girl’. Disillusioned sexism channeled into an anthemic sardonic chant; Guitars, Cars, Knickers and Bras, all the essentials.”
Alongside the single, the band have just revealed that BBC Radio 6 Music DJ Emily Pilbeam will be acting as a special ambassador for their Arts Council England-funded Kick Like A Girl Extra Time! touring project for 2025. Commenting on the news, Emily Pilbeam says:
“It’s such an honour to be invited by Loose Articles to be their Ambassador for their upcoming Kick Like A Girl: Extra Time tour. I’ve been an admirer of Loose Articles for a long time and I remember being so inspired by what they did with Kick Like A Girl in 2023, so to be a part of it this year feels extra special. There are so many barriers for women getting into the music industry so to be part of something that (pardon the pun) is trying to kick those barriers down, is incredibly empowering.”
Starting later this month, the Kick Like a Girl tour presents an alternative touring model, giving inclusive, intimate access and entry-level insights into the music industry. They will be sharing the secrets of what it’s really like to be in their shoes, and a part of the Loose Articles touring team, which includes female booking agents, crew, promoter, and management.
Although tickets will be available to all-comers for the shows, the KLAG project is aimed at primarily engaging young women and non-binary people from marginalised backgrounds and groups who typically aren’t represented in the music industry. The band will illuminate the pathways into the often male-dominated music scene with community outreach locally via local community groups in each town including Lancashire Music Hub, Sound Waves Cumbria, More Music Morecambe and local Library Services.
Commenting on the project, the band say:
“This is the second Kick Like a Girl tour and from the reaction we had during and following the last one, we feel more than ever the importance as a band to be doing tours like this. We feel passionately about making changes in the music industry to address inequality. We want to create a shift away in the industry we operate in from being white male dominated.”
“Across all the job roles that exist—from being in a band to being a sound tech, promoter, manager etc—we want to encourage young women and non-binary people to get involved and feel like they can succeed in this line of work. As a band our song topics touch on gender roles and overcoming the struggles of being a gender minority in a male dominated industry, so why not actually practice what we preach about in our songs and really try to make a difference? We want all of the gigs we play to be a safe space for all regardless of gender identity. Everyone is invited to get involved with the party!”
Part of the funding from Arts Council England will also be used to subsidise overheads for the venues— all of which are independent, often overlooked on the mainstream touring circuits, and providing a vital service to their communities—meaning ticket prices can be kept low and accessible.
If you are a woman or non-binary person, you can come along to shadow both the band and crew at soundcheck, and ask as many questions as you like afterwards. Your name will be added to the band’s VIP LAFC club, and you and a guardian/friend will be placed on a special VIP guest list that night for the show. These special VIP tickets are free and available on a first come, first served basis.
Participants will continue to be part of the band’s music industry journey with early invites to tours, the opportunity to join a gig buddy scheme, attendance at special events, and they’ll signpost you to music industry opportunities that are happening locally.
For a free ticket to a soundcheck and Q&A sign up here.
Debut album Scream If You Wanna Go Faster is out now via Alcopop! Records
KICK LIKE A GIRL EXTRA TIME! Tour Dates:
26/01/25 – Salty Dog – Northwich
01/02/25 – The Ferret – Preston
02/02/25 – The New Adelphi – Hull (Femme/Queer All Dayer)
07/02/25 – Sunbird Records – Darwen
08/02/25 – The Snug – Atherton
13/02/25 – The Empire – Rochdale
14/02/25 – Bootleg Social – Blackpool
21/02/25 – FutureYard – Birkenhead
22/02/25 – The Vale – Mossley
28/02/25 – Barrow Underground – Barrow
08/03/25 – More Music – Morecambe
