The Ataris

War On Women is a co-ed feminist hardcore-punk band. Formed in Baltimore, MD in 2011, W.O.W. use driving riffs and in your face vocals that attack the listener both sonically and lyrically, penning catchy and confrontational songs that touch on rape culture, street harassment, the gender wage gap, transphobia, and other vitally pertinent social issues.

Riff-fueled manifestos are nothing new for War On Women. The co-ed feminist punk troupe has been tackling injustice one song at a time since their 2010 inception. Storming out the gate with teeth gnashing and spitting venom, War On Women’s self-titled 2015 debut crossbred riot grrrl ferocity with the nimble aggression of thrash. Hailed for their crystalline jabs at societal ills, War On Women prove that hardcore can incite change that ripples far beyond the parameters of the stage.

War On Women are neither a crew of young bucks nor a contagion of seasoned legends. They don’t fit neatly into metalloid machismo or hulking hardcore tropes. They have nothing to prove, and there’s nothing more delightfully dangerous than that.

Georgia Maq became something of a local hero as the leader of revered punk trio Camp Cope, calling out music industry sexism over fearsome indie rock salvos while garnering widespread international acclaim. In late 2019, Maq surprised everyone by releasing her solo debut, Pleaser, a refreshingly bright and catchy missive of electro-pop tunes about heartbreak and love. A suite of singles in ‘Someone Stranger’ with Alice Ivy, ‘Joe Rogan’, ‘tropical lush ice’ and live EP recorded at the Sydney Opera House showcase the breadth of her taste and range.

Ever since, Georgia has chased a more genuine form of pop music in her solo career, a vision hat retains all of the glamour and universality but feels unburdened from capitalist underpinnings. Mining the evergreen themes of romantic, sexual and self-love, Georgia Maq’s solo venture was not so much a transformation as it was a revelation. Opening up on her vulnerabilities and heartbreaks, her continued evolution is far beyond the Greek girl from Naarm that first set fire to the rain.