The Twistettes are a bass-driven punk duo made up of sisters, Jo and Nicky D’arc. Taking influence from riot grrrl, indie, and a bit of psychobilly, they’re bringing their anthemic tunes to the LOUD WOMEN stage this year at Rebellion Festival.
Read on, and get to know them…
When did you decide to form The Twistettes?
We’re sisters so have been playing music together since childhood in various forms, but The Twistettes came into existence in 2016. That’s almost 10 years now! We’ve released 4 albums, and created a lot of noise and chaos during that time. Our music has changed since 2016 but still has the main components – loud, simple, intense. Our most recent album just came out in May. It’s called ‘Red Door Open’. Go check it out!
For anyone not familiar with your music, how would you describe your sound?
We are a two-piece known for our dirty, twisted bass sound and thumping driving drums. We mash art-rock, riot grrrl, punk and real-deal indie with a touch of psychobilly, creating visceral, hooky anthems.
If you had to recommend one of your songs to a new listener, which one would you choose?
I think from the new album, ‘Big Boned’ is a good jump off tune. This was the first single we released, and is a fun one to play live. It’s got our signature loud, relentless sound. A lot of our music is politically charged, as is this one. It also has a sense of tongue-in-cheek fun as well, which we enjoy weaving into our tunes.
What can we expect from your set at Rebellion?
You can expect a wall of sound from two psychic power-women haha!! Our music is catchy yet abrasive, funny yet poignant. We will play most of the new album ‘Red Door Open’. We’re really proud of it so want to play the tracks out live as often as we can. We will also be playing tracks we enjoy most from the first two albums, ‘Jilt the Jive’ and ‘A Strange Play’.
You’re playing the LOUD WOMEN stage this year. What would you say to someone who maybe doesn’t understand why we still need things like LOUD WOMEN?
We have been friends with LOUD WOMEN from very early on in the band’s career. LOUD WOMEN has been an integral part of bringing women together across the world, boosting confidence, and offering a sense of community and a platform to share our music.
I can see that things are improving, and access to the music industries is widening and becoming more inclusive which is great. That is a lot to do with the work of organisations like LOUD WOMEN, as well as many outspoken musicians and activists over the years. The discussion is broad and nuanced but in as simple terms as possible – there is still a need because the industries are not representative and the road to being in (and staying in) the industries is harder and less clear for women. Misogyny is still alive and well people and we need to keep challenging!
Are there any other bands on the line-up you’re particularly looking forward to seeing?
Loads! The likes of The Meffs, The Selector, Goo, Peter Hook and The Light, Anarchistwood, The Guillotines and The Damned are on our list. We quite enjoy wandering and checking out new bands we’ve not heard of before, and Rebellion is a great festival for that so I’m hoping to stumble upon a few gems as well!
What else are you up to this year?
Yes, we’re touring in August and September, and are releasing a new single from the album at the end of June called ‘Leaf Upon a Tree’. Our singer/bassist has an electronic project called Minerva Wakes that will be releasing new material at the end of the year as well.
Thank you so much to The Twistettes for answering these questions!
Rebellion Festival takes place 7-10 August 2025 – full details and tickets here
You can find The Twistettes on Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
