Louise Distras: Punk’s Not Dead

It's more relevant than ever...

It's now 40 years since the summer of '77, four decades since punk exploded across the land in a wave of tabloid infamy.

At times, it can feel like another world. Yet if you scratch the surface, you'll find that punk is more relevant than ever – it's just that a fresh generation are busy twisting it into rebellious new shapes.

Take Louise Distras. The Wakefield born singer inspires on new cut 'Outside Of You', a rabble-rousing hymn to the disenfranchised, to those left on the outside of the pack.

She explains: "I’m standing up for the disenfranchised kids who get picked on at school, the kids outside the box whose world has been changed by the power of music…"

With this in mind Louise Distras has crafted a 'nu-punk' playlist – the bands and contemporaries she views as an inspiration…

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The thing about Nu-Punk is it is not retro or backwards looking instead it is inspired by the spirit and the energy of rebel rock through the ages. The music biz is still a sad, corporate fuck-up with a very narrow view of what pop music should be. People like Joe Strummer and Elvis Costello all the way back to Little Richard and Ray Davies of the Kinks had different ideas. Their music was raw, angry, abrasive – but still as addictive as hell.

Nu-Punk takes that attitude and builds on it for a new generation of disenfranchised kids. Nu Punk is a movement that stands on the shoulders of giants but has a different field of vision.

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Riskee And The Ridicule – 'Nobody Likes Us'

“Not being scared to say what you think is vital and if there was ever time that music needed to say something, it’s now. With so much music around that says nothing and hypnotises everyone into stagnation, someone should be leading the opposing charge and reinvigorating," say Riskee and the Ridicule,who are doing just that with their new album 'Blame Culture' – out now!

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Youth Man – 'Fat Dead Elvis'

Youth Man are the loudest live band in the UK and will gladly accept challenges to that claim. They are one of the most formidable and exciting live bands in the country, who leave a trail of trashed instruments, feedback and ringing ears in their wake.

If you haven't seen them yet, you will wish you saw in years to come. Their live show is a shrieking, thrilling wrecking-ball of human bodies, flailing limbs and chaos. With their currently emerging plans for 2017 brace yourself for more Youth Man.

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The Kenneths – 'All Cried Out'

Fast and rough around the edges, the London trio celebrate punk in its scrappiest form.

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Creeper – 'Suzanne'

I'm obsessed with this band and their debut album 'Eternity, In Your Arms' out now on Roadrunner Records. Creeper are currently flying the flag for nu-punk on the Vans Warped Tour across America, go check them out!

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Louise Distras – 'Aileen'

One night after a show I watched the Nick Broomfield documentary Selling Of A Serial Killer, which is about ‘America’s first female serial killer’, Aileen Wuornos. As someone who has experienced homelessness and sexual assault, Aileen’s story hit me pretty hard but left me feeling inspired to share it through my music.

The film also left me with my own questions about rape culture and the idea of nature vs. nurture, so I decided to make my own DIY film that explores the lyrical content of the single. It’s called Real Outlaw – A Commentary on Rape Culture and the Riot Grrrl Movement and it’s available via scanning a QR code that’s printed on the back of the 'Aileen' CD single.

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Catch Louise Distras live:

June
30 London Hope and Anchor

July
2 Manchester Sonderfest
7 Cheltenham 2000 Trees Festival
9 Coventry Godiva Festival
21 London Tooting Tram and Social
28 Wrexham Rewind

August
5 Blackpool Rebellion Festival
9 Newcastle Jumpin Jacks
10 Glasgow Broadcast
11 Dundee Beat Generator
13 Aberdeen Tunnels
15 York The Basement

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