Dive into the World of Poolgirl
At 7:41 PM on June 11th, 2023, classical flute student Gwenna Pirozzi tweeted that they were “very serious about starting band now” and asked anyone interested to hit them up with what instrument they play. Several tweets and Instagram story callouts later, Rachel Bradbury, Gwenna Pirozzi, Miranda Powell-New, Manya Ziemiecki, and Laura Clark came together to form what would soon be known as Poolgirl: an emerging alternative rock band based in Montreal/Tiohtià:ke.
One of the group’s most frequently asked questions is about their name, which happens to be the inverse of Girlpool, a now-disbanded indie rock band. To clear things up, percussionist Bradbury—who has seen Girlpool in concert—says that they “zero percent thought of” Girlpool when brainstorming band names, and were mainly working off of Notes app lists of words everyone thought would sound cool. With T-shirts depicting a woman lounging in a swimming pool juxtaposed with lyrics capturing the joy of “drinking beer and playing pool,” the band says it’s up to the listener to decide what the name means to them.
Nearly a year and a half after Pirozzi’s aspirational tweet, Poolgirl has released their first EP, racked up thousands of streams on Spotify, played the internationally-acclaimed POP Montreal music festival, and developed a loyal following of 20-something-year-olds with dyed hair and facial piercings who shout along with the band all across the city. From the smoke-laden atmosphere of Traxide to the vibrantly graffitied concrete slabs of the Van Horne Underpass, Poolgirl never fails to curate a safe and welcoming concert environment. This is a result of the band’s creation of their own space in a scene that often tends to be dominated by men. Instead of attempting to break into a scene they had no interest in belonging to, Poolgirl has instead forged their own path. This includes booking their own shows, often “with [their] people,” and playing benefit concerts for organizations whose values align with theirs, such as Rock Camp Montréal, a nonprofit organization that empowers girls, trans kids, and queer kids through music.
With only two released singles in their repertoire, the band was selected to perform at POP Montreal, a five-day-long music, film, and visual art festival that invites acts from all over the globe to play at over 50 venues across the city. When Powell-New, who applied on behalf of Poolgirl, broke the good news to the rest of the band, everyone was “screaming with joy.” In addition to delivering an electrifying performance at Mile End’s Quai des brumes on September 28th, being accepted meant seeing their name on the POP Montréal advertisements on the metro and the festival’s iconic beer cans. Balancing festival performances with school and work can be hectic but the band agrees that they “wouldn’t trade the experience for the world.”
Playfully titled I Can’t Swim, Poolgirl’s debut EP is a four-track testament to the band’s artistic versatility. Although the majority of the songs they perform tend to transform every venue into one large moshpit, new tracks “Lucy” and “Pool Party” offer a glimpse into the group’s more mellow side. With the upbeat, anger-fueled tracks “Charity” and “POS,” the EP is an eclectic mixture of rage, queer joy, and somber melodies. Beginning with the cover, a collage designed together by all five band members, the EP is a collaborative effort from start to finish. Although the bulk of the lyrics are composed by Powell-New, the band ties everything together with very open communication, allowing every member to offer their input. With artistic influences ranging from indie duo Wet Leg to riot grrrl pioneers Bikini Kill, and educational music backgrounds including classical voice training and percussion performance, I Can’t Swim weaves these differences together to form a cohesive and catchy EP.
Along with the new EP, Poolgirl fans can expect new merch and music videos, in addition to a full-length album in the future. However, Poolgirl will be on hiatus from around February to April 2025 to focus on songwriting. The band plans to use this time to jam and work on new music but will not be playing any shows. That being said, make sure to take a dip on January 18th at Batiment 7, which will be Poolgirl’s last show before the hiatus.
I Can’t Swim
Released December 6th, 2024
1. Lucy
2. Charity
3. Pool Party
4. POS
All songs by Poolgirl
Gwenna Pirozzi - Bass
Miranda Powell-New - Vocals
Manya Ziemiecki - Rhythm Guitar & Background Vocals
Rachel Bradbury - Percussion
Laura Clark - Guitar
Matt Sagar - Recording
Mixing & Mastering - Sarah Harris
Artwork by Poolgirl