PINS

The girls of PINS have been making headlines since their debut show in 2012 because of their all-girl lineup and meticulously cultivated stage personas. Far more worthy of press is that they are powerhouse musicians dominating the grunge scene in Manchester and bringing it worldwide. (PINS plays Doug Fir Lounge on April 28.)

PINS was pieced together in 2011 by singer and guitarist Faith Holgate, who had been feeling depressed and knew music was the only thing that could make her happy. This drove her to start a project, and over the next year, through a handful of chance meetings and good luck, met and befriended guitarist Lois McDonald, bassist Anna Donigan, and drummer Sophie Galpin. From the start, these girls have meant business, wasting no time booking tours around the world and, in the span of just four years, releasing two full-length albums.

Not only do PINS create fresh, cutting garage pop, but they also manage their own cassette label, releasing work from artists they find and love, like September Girls and Abjects. And PINS only grows more impressive from there. In the few short years they’ve been together they have played a handful of festivals, including SXSW most recently. Five years ago, when the band was coming together, it doesn’t seem like any of these girls could have fathomed that this is where they would end up, and it’s clear they’re only going to grow from here. »