Lil from Girl Group is on her way back to Liverpool for a pirate-themed birthday party. Earlier, she’d been by the sea in her hometown. It’s an oddly perfect image for a band who mix playful chaos with a very real mission: feminist pop you can shout along to.
Girl Group – made up of Lil, Katya, Mia, Maria and Thea – are one of the most exciting new bands on the Live at Leeds: In The City 2025 line-up. Known for their bratty hooks, bold politics and unfiltered lyrics, they’ve quickly gone from mates messing about to one of the most talked-about new acts on the DIY circuit.
“We never intended on being in a band,” Lil says. “We were just mates for about six months before we even thought about making anything. When we eventually did, we needed to find a common musical interest because our tastes were all so different. For us, that was Wet Leg. We tried to rip off their song ‘Being In Love’ for our first single ‘Life Is Dumb’ and ended up making something we really loved.”
From there, Girl Group became a weekly fixture, though they treated it as a side project until fairly recently. Now, they’re fully in it, with all five members singing and writing together, and Maria producing on top of that.
The band’s roots run deep. “A lot of us were raised around music and creativity,” Lil says. “I come from a musical family and grew up in a pub where there were always live bands. Mia’s mum took her to Roskilde as a kid, Thea’s a descendant of poets and songwriters, Maria’s mum was always playing Joni Mitchell and Paul Simon – and Katya, who didn’t come from a particularly musical background, developed a strong connection to Disney Channel, which actually comes in handy when writing a hook.”
That mix of influences feeds into the band’s sound, but it’s their lyrics that really set them apart. “It tends to be women’s issues in some shape or form. The songs often come from the little things that annoy us; the things we rant to each other about, and all relate to.”
“Anger is a healthy and necessary response to sexism and oppression”
‘Rage Song’, their most recent release, is the clearest example of what they do best. “It’s definitely the loudest and most punk-influenced song of ours,” Lil says. “It’s sort of an unsent letter to the various male figures in our lives; the times when they’ve just not got it, and it’s made us want to scream.”
It’s not just catharsis, it’s a call to action. “Anger is a healthy and necessary response to sexism and oppression,” the band explain. “This song is about letting it out.”
And people are listening. They’ve picked up attention from BBC 6Music, the BBC Introducing stage at Reading & Leeds, and – somewhat unbelievably – Elton John. “Facetiming Elton John from Maria’s bedroom is definitely up there as one of the most surreal things,” says Lil. “To think that he’s even heard our music, never mind likes it, is insane.”
That wasn’t the only pinch-me moment. “Supporting Olivia Dean in Paris was very surreal, too. It was a much bigger audience than we were used to, and everything went wrong – technical issues, the lot. But the crowd were the loveliest, warmest and loudest we’ve ever had.”
Next up is Live at Leeds, the iconic multi-venue showcase for new artists, and a place where future stars cut their teeth. “We’ve never been before, but friends of ours have played, so to be offered a slot was very cool,” Lil says. “I’m from Bridlington, East Yorkshire, so every Yorkshire gig is special. Leeds is such a mint city, and there are loads of sick bands.”
They’re buzzing about the line-up too. “Panic Shack are so cool, we really resonate with them as a band. And Nxdia! It’d be great to see Divorce, Fcukers – who are a staple of our pre-show playlist – man/woman/chainsaw, Fat Dog, Adult DVD… yes, lots.”
Festivals suit Girl Group well. “Playing to crowds who are there to discover new bands is always really nice,” Lil says. “Then afterwards you have a rider beer and go and watch loads of cool acts you might not otherwise get the chance to see.”
When they’re not playing live or writing new material, they’re keeping things light. “We love partying and dancing, cocktails, dressing up, playing to adoring audiences, sleepovers, The Traitors, cups of tea and riddles.”
They’ve got new music and more shows on the way. “More releases, lots of live stuff, music videos, writing new stuff – general pop star duties.” And 2026? “We think it’s going to be a big year,” she says. “We have more music and gigs on the way and are writing lots of new music.”
There’s no shortage of ambition, but they’re in it for something bigger than just success. “Preferably, we’d like to be taken to parliament where we can enforce our feminist regime,” Lil says, only half-joking. “But really, we’d love to support idols of ours like Charli xcx. The end goal is to bring women – particularly women creatives – together, to create a community where their skills are nurtured rather than overlooked. And to give people who may not be that interested in feminism something to think about through our songs.”
And if you’re thinking of skipping their set at Live at Leeds? Don’t. “If you don’t come and see us,” Lil warns, “we will curse you.”
Live At Leeds: In The City takes place on 15th November; visit liveatleeds.com/city for more information.
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