AD feature with Ardbeg
Punk, as it was when it first emerged in the ‘70s, might be gone. CBGBs’ graffitied walls are now a fashion boutique. The Ramones’ stopped chanting “Hey ho, let’s go!” in 1996. But the spirit of that revolutionary scene is still alive and kicking as bands from the modern era look to the past and find something that strikes a chord in its attitude, songs or sound. Here are nine of the best acts keeping punk going in 2022.
WILLOW
Who: Former hair-whipping star and daughter of The Fresh Prince himself, Will Smith, helping lead the pop-punk resurgence
From: Los Angeles
How has punk inspired them: Willow calls herself “punk Picasso” in her Instagram bio and her music positions her as a painter mixing musical styles on her palette. Just as punk drew on reggae, ska and more, the LA star shared an updated take on that genre-blending on her 2021 album ‘lately I feel everything’, picking up elements of surf, alt-rock, rap and more.
Check out: ‘Transparent Soul’
The Linda Lindas
Who: Teens (and tween) reigniting riot grrrl approved by punk greats
From: LA
How has punk inspired them: The four-piece have grown up surrounded by punk culture and use its spirit to craft songs that both embody its celebration of the imperfect and unpolished, and highlight some of the struggles people their age and POC everywhere face
Check out: ‘Oh!’
Grandmas House
Who: Rising punk band challenging modern materialism and summoning the soul of Sleater-Kinney
From: Bristol
How has punk inspired them: Their sound could be lifted straight from the ‘70s – gloomy chugging guitars striking simply and effectively, topped by Poppy Dodgson’s gravelly bark that plays with society’s preconceptions around what a female vocalist should sound like
Check out: ‘Girl’
Crawlers
Who: Four-piece building a safe space for their fans with songs that tackle social issues
From: Merseyside
How has punk inspired them: They give voice to important issues affecting the world around them and encapsulate the unwritten manifesto of bands like The Clash to use their songs to stand up for something
Check out: ‘Statues’
Bob Vylan
Who: British punk’s next great artist, combining the genre with the grit of grime
From: London
How has punk inspired them: Bob Vylan share a no-holds-barred approach when it comes to their music, filling their visceral songs with important and timely messages about social injustice, inequality and more
Check out: ‘Pretty Songs’
Dream Nails
Who: Self-proclaimed “punk witches” conjuring up compelling and captivating modern punk anthems
From: London
How has punk inspired them: They’re keeping the very punk-inspired riot grrrl attitude alive in the topics they broach in their songs and have an impressive arsenal of tracks to pogo along to while shouting about the world’s issues
Check out: ‘Deep Heat’
Amyl & The Sniffers
Who: Aussie pub/punk rockers with one of the most brilliantly chaotic live shows around
From: Melbourne
How has punk inspired them: You can hear the sound of it just oozing through their sound – a dirty, sludgy but fast-paced and frenetic dart through influences like hardcore punk band, Power Trip, and local heroes, Cosmic Psychos
Check out: ‘Guided By Angels’
The Regrettes
Who: Sprightly pop-infused punk from one of LA’s most highly-regarded cult acts
From: Los Angeles
How has punk inspired them: A certain section of punk has always dealt with empowerment and The Regrettes put that notion front and centre in their songs, concocting tracks that give you the strength to stand up for yourself
Check out: ‘Monday’
Nova Twins
Who: Amy Love and Georgia South – two future rock icons melding punk, metal, rap, electro and more in raw anthems
From: London
How has punk inspired them: The duo’s eclectic influences not only draw from punk icons like New York Dolls and Talking Heads, but follow the incredibly punk tact of being musical magpies and cherry-picking elements from other scenes. Just as the scene’s ‘70s acts took inspiration from ska and reggae, Nova Twins look to everyone from N.E.R.D. and Kanye West to KISS and MC5 to mix together and make their own sonic stunners
Check out: ‘Cleopatra’
These artists are keeping punk alive through their attitudes, songs and sound, ensuring the spirit of the ‘70s never dies. The same spirit will be held in the final Saturday of Islay’s Festival of Music and Malt (Fèis Ìle), Ardbeg Day, the loudest event in the whisky calendar and a global celebration of all things Ardbeg. This year the event falls on 4th June, with festivities set to take place at the Distillery, online, and at local events around the world.
To celebrate the launch, it has released its latest palate “punk-turing” Limited Edition, Ardcore (RRP: £105, ABV: 46%). This spirit is all about what happens up front, centre stage, with the malt incinerated to hair-raising levels to be as unconventional as the music that inspired it, and just as memorable.
For more information on Ardcore, please visit, Ardbeg.com. Ardcore is available to buy from Ardbeg Embassies, whisky specialists, online retailers and from the Ardbeg Distillery Visitor Centre.
The post 9 artists in 2022 that have been inspired by punk appeared first on NME.
