The Amniotics are a four-piece alternative rock band based in Dublin. Drawing inspiration from the ‘90s riot grrrl movement, Kate Bush and more contemporary artists like Pillow Queens, Wet Leg and CMAT; the group have already developed a reputation as a rowdy live act and for as vocal advocates for women in music.

The Amniotics’ singles ‘Boomerang’ and ‘HMPB’ earned the band airplay at home and abroad, garnering high praise from the local music press and a spot at Whelan’s Ones To Watch 2024 showcase.

Having played at Loud Women Fest in September, and featured at Ireland Music Week, we had a chance to catch up with the band.

How did you meet and start playing music together?

Katie: Rebecca had initially been in the band with Loeka and two other lovely ladies. We met in BIMM and had all found our love for each other’s music there. We started playing together about 2 years ago: Our first gig was a sleepover themed show with Trinkets and Habi, it went amazingly! Since then, we have been exploring and performing our songs and we are so proud to be where we are.

Do you come from musical families?

Loeka: I grew up in a family where music was always around; whether it was my mom playing classical pieces on the piano, my dad playing The Beatles and Fleetwood Mac over the living room speakers or my brother playing the trumpet. I was around 6 years old when I started to learn the piano and picked up drums around the age of 13 as my interest for music grew.

Katie: I have been singing since I was a child, started playing guitar when I was 14 and my big brother is my main influence. He always showed me music I had never listened to and inspired me to pick up the bass.

Cat: my parents weren't musicians as in they didn't play any instruments, but my mum used to sing all the time and had an excellent ear. My dad less so, but he has always supported me in my musical journey. My uncle used to play guitar and would teach me to play The Cranberries when I was a child. My other uncle used to play blues tunes on the harmonica and we would gig together back in Italy when I was a teenager.

Where did the name 'The Amniotics' come from?

Rebecca: I wanted to start a punk band, and traditionally punk bands have really gross and provocative sounding names, but I wanted something that wasn't masculine sounding, something without traditional machismo. The Menstruators seemed to be going a bit too far, so, there you go.

Your music has been described as musically muscular and tuneful. How would you personally define your sound, and how has it evolved since your debut single "Boomerang"?

Cat: We like being muscular and tuneful. It's pretty accurate for what we have done so far. Our foundations will always be muscular and tuneful, but as musicians who listen to various music genres - from Patti Smith and Sleater Kinney to Chappell Roan and Kneecap - we love to step out of our comfort zone and explore new worlds sound wise. We do that a lot in the rehearsal room, that gives us joy. The introduction of a synth in our second single 'HMPB' has definitely marked the beginning of a new era for our sound, which will keep evolving throughout our next releases.

You’ve drawn inspiration from 90s riot grrrl icons and contemporary acts like Pillow Queens and Wet Leg. How do you balance those influences while creating something distinctly your own?

Rebecca: We're part of a musical generation predominantly inspired by women, but we're all songwriters with previous solo experience. The band started when I was 19, and I learned the quirks and tricks of the same people for three years.

Your live performances have earned quite a reputation. What makes playing live special for you, and how do you keep that energy fresh each time?

Cat: We love and respect each other and we love and respect playing music together. Before we go on stage we say it to each other. It's that simple! And also we make our songs as fun as possible to play live and make sure we never get bored by introducing little variations on our act here and there.

On that note, you've recently played at Ireland Music Week. How was that experience for you?

Loeka: Playing at Ireland Music Week was one of the most fun and exhilarating gigs we have ever played. It felt like a new milestone to be able to show all the hard work we have put into our music and the band over the last two years. Especially to an audience of people that have been there and supported us from the start.

Your debut EP No Man Cool is slated for release in Spring 2025. What themes or stories can listeners expect from this project?

Rebecca: Tales from Dublin Bus, love, anger, and dead monarchs.

The EP touches on themes like love, friendship, and living in Dublin under late-stage capitalism. Can you share how these topics have shaped your songwriting process?

Rebecca: Dublin is the silent character of "HMPB" and "Boomerang". As a band it's the body that drew us all together, and as a songwriter it's the backdrop of my work. The EP is a document of us becoming friends, falling in love, and surviving in a city that is getting rid of space for people like us. I've cobbled together lyrics from things I overheard on the LUAS, or things that happened to us, and sonically we've played around with synth textures that imitate the sounds of Dublin.

How does No Man Cool differentiate itself from your earlier singles “Boomerang” and “HMPB”? Are there any new elements or surprises in your sound?

Cat: For 'No Man Cool' we're using some different equipment including an analogue handmade modular synth and a vocoder. We're also working on harmonizing more with our four voices. And, of course, our distorted guitars, bass and drums will still be there.

You’ve been vocal advocates for women in music. What challenges have you faced as a “no-man band”, and how do you use your platform to inspire change?

REBECCA: When we started out we were treated as a gimmick. I was shoved into a wall during a gig by the headliner's frontman, and this was dismissed as him being "in character". Since we started we've been pushing against the idea of what punk traditionally is. Half the Irish punk scene is lads from Shankill with lecturers for parents, and their authenticity is never challenged, so why should ours be? And, of course, a journalist joked that I was sexist because I didn't pick men to be in The Amniotics.

The reason that we've made it this far is not because we appealed to tastemakers, but because a community of young women, queer, and non-binary people saw what we were doing and grew up around us. The best part of my career has been meeting girls and NB kids younger than me who told us that The Amniotics inspired them to start making music. We have to pay that forward.

How do you see the current landscape for women in the alternative music scene, both in Ireland and internationally?

Rebecca: It's growing and changing for the better. Pillow Queens, Girlfriend, and M(h)aol have blazed a trail for us.