You’ve probably seen Courtney Barnett sporting a Chastity Belt singlet in her recent press shots, or on stage at Glastonbury. However if your curiosity, or perhaps more-likely fear, hasn’t spurred you to Google “Chastity Belt,” now is the time, because the Seattle rock band consisting of four friends – guitarists Julia Shapiro and Lydia Lund, bassist Annie Truscott, and drummer Gretchen Grimm – is coming to Australia for their debut tour!
As the story goes, the four-piece who formed in a small college town in Eastern Washington arrived at a frat party, flipped over a ping-pong table, screamed "Chastity Belt," and threw together a one-song punk act that won them a battle of the bands competition, naturally turning them into musicians.
The band released their debut album, No Regerts, in 2013 with notably titled tracks, “Giant Vagina” and “Pussy, Weed, Beer,” and unsurprisingly (they did take out Buzzfeed’s top spot for “most painfully awkward band photo”) caught the attention of cult-label, Hardly Art who released their sophomore album, Time To Go Home in 2015 to critical acclaim.
While reclaiming language historically used against women, lead vocalist, Julia, who also fronts Seattle punk band, Childbirth, is constantly entertaining. Her endlessly quotable lyrics of boredom, going out, getting laid and more importantly, gender inequality is built on a foundation of post-post-punk energy, jagged rhythms and instrumental moves that couldn’t be anyone else’s.
Their transcendent and charming live shows have taken them on tour to Europe twice, earned them the support slot on one of Courtney Barnett’s multiple US tours, seen them share stages with Wire, Death Cab For Cutie and Protomartyr as well as gracing festival line ups including Sasquatch, Sled Island, The Great Escape and NXNE.
With a new album on the horizon, recording it in July, the four-piece will charm their Australian audience with a sturdy back catalogue of impressive material taken from Time To Go Home & No Regerts, while also providing a taste of what’s about to come from their much anticipated forthcoming album.
Listen back to Mixing Up The Medicine for a live set from Chastity Belt. Studio 5 Live is proudly brought to you by PBS.
