March isn’t just the time to wear green and celebrate St. Patty’s Day, it’s also time to truly reflect on the accomplishments of women in your life and afar via Women’s History Month. Plus, this is your reminder to continue to support women artists, small businesses, and beyond. One way to celebrate ladies this month and every month is, of course, by buying their music and attending their shows.
Sure, we here in the alternative sphere love Paramore, Spiritbox, Avril Lavigne, and the like. But it’s vital to keep an eye on who is on the rise, too! These nine rockers, punks, and indie girlies are the essential acts to add to your Spotify this month. (Trust us, you’ll want to say you knew them before they took over the world.)
Read more: 5 Femme Bands That Slap According To Diva Bleach
Rico Nasty
Rico Nasty may have just made the pop-rock song of the year. (I know it’s only March, but I want to call it now.) After dropping “TEETHSUCKER (YEA3x),” she revealed that her new album LETHAL is due out on May 16 via Fueled By Ramen. This is a match made in heaven, as Rico Nasty is no stranger to work in the alternative sphere. After all, she’s collabed with the likes of 100 gecs and 6arelyhuman.
Ethel Cain
Ethel Cain, the woman you are. The recent drop of her album Perverts is the ideal blend of spooky and horny. Its experimental nature and focus on ambient sounds and droning boosts it into a league of its own. Aside from her music, the artist is admired for her social media posts—such as in the case of her poignant Tumblr musings or her Instagram Story that threatened Drake with “rally[ing] the Amish” to support Megan Thee Stallion. They don’t call her Mother Cain for no reason.
ALT BLK ERA
ALT BLK ERA, aka sister duo Nyrobi and Chaya, are poised to be your most-streamed artist in 2025. Fresh off the release of their debut LP Rave Immortal, the English duo is masterful in their mixture of hard rock, nu metal, grunge, and house is instantly recognizable and, for lack of a more journalistic phrase, a total vibe.
Daisy Grenade
Daisy Grenade isn’t just the duo me and my bestie aspire to be like, the pop-rockers call it how they see it in their songs such as “HYPOCRITE.” Their infectious, high-energy tunes are the pick-me-up you’ll need for your long days at school, the office, and beyond. Plus, Daisy Grenade is the band to follow on Twitter/X as they readily call out the rampant misogyny in the scene—including that which they’ve experienced firsthand. It’s not always easy to be a woman in the alt world, but they’re definitely helping make it a better, safer place.
Scowl
Santa Cruz act Scowl is fronted by the iconic Kat Moss who packs the band’s lyrics with unbridled feminine rage, and it’s the kind of hardcore and hard rock music every alternative woman deserves. Fortunately, Scowl is on their way to releasing their record Are We All Angels on April 4, wihch features singles such as “Tonight (I’m Afraid),” “B.A.B.E.” and “Not Hell, Not Heaven.”
The Linda Lindas
The Linda Lindas are punk rock goddesses who just wrapped a recent run with Green Day, Rancid, and The Smashing Pumpkins. Rising to fame in their early teens, the band is a testament to proving that you’re never too young to reach your dreams. Now, with the recent release of their sophomore album No Obligation, the quartet is truly leading the charge for the next generation of riot grrrls and punks around the globe.
Bishop Briggs
After skyrocketing to acclaim with “River,” Bishop Briggs has not slowed down one bit. After experiencing the passing of her dearly beloved sister Kate in 2021 and becoming a first-time mother in 2022, the artist poured her grief, joy, and rage into 2024’s Tell My Therapist I’m Fine. Just in time for March, Bishop Briggs unleashed a deluxe version of the record featuring the instantly iconic “Woman Is King.” She sings, “A woman is wild/A woman can sting/If you ever doubt her/She’s a dangerous thing.”
The Aces
The Aces are the definition of music by girls for girls. The quartet, heralding from Utah, deliver upbeat indie pop bangers that celebrate queer love and navigate heartbreak, growing up Mormon, and beyond. Lead vocalist Cristal Ramirez is a true-to-form storyteller who will take you on a journey with the band through groovy bass lines, transcendent choruses, and glorious guitar melodies. Their most recent singles, “The Magic” and “Jealous,” are both playlist must-adds.
Amira Elfeky
If you don’t know the name Amira Elfeky, you’re about to. The Los Angeles rising artist recently signed with Atlantic Records, offering a dynamic blend of grunge, nu-metal, and hard rock. She even covered System Of A Down’s “Lonely Day,” with soaring, haunting vocals. Luckily, if you have tickets for Bring Me The Horizon‘s upcoming North American tour date, you’ll be able to see the budding artist in the support slot.
