Axe Girl

The pleasantly crowded atmosphere of the Astor that greeted by pop punk trio, Axe Girl, led by Addison Axe, whose fun and natural stage presence kept the hundreds of mingling onlookers occupied. The three-piece have the angst of bona fide punk rockers and the charisma of seasoned musos. Playing a guitar riff-heavy and bass-driven setlist created with passion and determination, they busted out songs from a diverse repertoire that included WA, Backseat and their real catchy hit, Give Me Your Tee Shirt, which was followed by a playfully clever pun regarding their merchandise, Axe stating, “I hope you love tee shirts as much as I do.” - The Music

Openers Axe Girl delivered a bouncy, poptastic set led by the obvious onstage experience of the Jebediah rhythm section Vanessa Thornton & Brett Mitchell, and the quirky talent of frontwoman/guitarist Addison Axe. They’ve got the enthusiasm and the songs, and the more faces they get into, the more their stock shall rise. - X-Press Mag

Anthemic, tongue-in-cheek pop-rock awesomeness from Addison Axe and company. Catch them at WA Pride Fest in Russell Square on Saturday, November 2; and at YaYa’s on Saturday, November 9 as part of WAM Festival. - Xpress Magazine

Axe Girl battle Boys Boys Boys! in a double single launch this Friday, May 23, at The Bakery. BOB GORDON chats with Addison Axe.

Axe Girl have released the second single from their forthcoming debut album, a moodier outing called Silence.

“Silence is about the repetitive nature of a doomed relationship,” says vocalist/guitarist, Addison Axe. “It’s not a breakup song, but is bleak all the same. For me it’s a cold, icy song and I sometimes get sad singing it, but it’s one of my favourite songs from the album.

“Sometimes joy or the feeling of elation can be so similar to the feeling of great sorrow, the way it floods your whole body and that’s kinda where Silence sits for me. In the middle.”

It may sit in the middle, but Silence portends that Axe Girl’s forthcoming album may have more flavours than some might have thought.

“It’s certainly a lot darker than our first single, Give Me Your Teeshirt, which is one of the reasons we chose it, to give a real sense of the light and shade of the record.

“I would definitely describe the album as a summery, beachy fun-times record – which is probably what people who have seen us live are expecting, but there are a few ballads scattered in there too and Silence is one of them.”

Addison is also these days moonlighting as the guitarist in Boys Boys Boys! – their exclamation, not ours (!) – who will share the stage at a mutual single launch this Saturday. It ain’t just a normal gig.

“Okay so it’s Axe Girl vs Boys Boys Boys! in a battle – to the death – for intergalactic dance supremacy. Axe Girl are definitely the underdogs in this competition. And rightly so, we are basically shit at dancing. Also Boys Boys Boys! are really good.

“However we have a few sneaky tricks up our sleeves, and have been recruiting our not so un-co buddies to boost morale. Also our routine is way simpler so it’s easier for y’all to learn. We have some pretty awesome surprises for on the night too, it’s gonna be an epic party.”

As the second half of 2014 dawns, Addison is pleased to note that Axe Girl will be as busy as they wanna be.

“We have a few exciting things coming up,” she says. “We’re plating at State Of The Art on Saturday, May 31, and Astor Rocks on Monday, June 2. Our album comes out in September and we’ll be touring Australia towards the end of the year, which is gonna be rad!” - XPress Magazine

he fun summery vibes of Axe Girl kept the music coming relentlessly. These cats earn the ear worm award for their bouncy track Give Me Your Tee Shirt which has had constant rotation in my head since, aided by the rip-your-heart-out cuteness and vocal prowess of lead singer Addison Axe. - XPress Magazine

Axe Girl offering up some zero-shits-given rock and it's well tasty.

Dave Ruby Howe, triple j
30 Oct, 2012 - Triple J

Define your genre in five words or less:
A tropical wonderland.

What’ve you got to sell CD-wise?
We have an EP out called Ghost Romance; you can download it for free at axegirl.bandcamp.com or get a retro CD copy at a gig near you.

When’s the gig and with who?
We’re playing at the Cherry Bar this Friday March 15 with The Mercy Kills and The Morrisons. Not only is it our first show in Melbourne, it’s also our first gig out outside of Perth so we’re pretty stoked.

So, someone is walking past as you guys are playing, they then go get a beer and tell their friend about you... what do they say?
“FUCK YEAH!” That’s what I [Addison] would say anyway. And my ‘friend’ would probably turn to me and say “Err… shouldn’t you be on stage…?”

How long have you been gigging and writing?
We formed Axe Girl a year ago and actually had our first gig booked before we’d even met, so it was a whirlwind romance that was only supposed to last a couple of months before I got on a plane back to London (where I’m from). But you can’t ignore something magical, and I knew this band was made to be, so I followed my gut, stayed and here we are a year later. No matter what happens in the future it’s the best decision I ever made.

What inspires or has influenced your music the most?
The Tyrannosaurus Rex comes up time and time again. Also the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Wolverine have been strong influences in the past. The Wizard of Oz has also been influential in a negative way because it makes me so angry – but all emotion is creative, I guess.

What do you think a band has to do these days to succeed?
Stay together… If you’re having fun and making music then you’re succeeding, right?

Tell us about the last song you wrote.
The last song we wrote is called Tee Shirt. It’s about when you wake up somewhere after an adventurous night wearing nothing except your underpants, and desperately need to borrow a tee shirt, and everything else in life becomes insignificant in the epic quest for decency.

What advice would you give to bands that are new on the Melbourne music scene? Come to Perth!
- The Beat Magazine

Western Australia rockers Axe Girl caught my ears thanks to frontlady Addison’s powerful, soulful vocal and their infectious make-you-want-to-dance rock n roll grooves. Addison a former London East-ender, moved to our shores one summer, met her soon-to-be bandmates and couldn’t bear to leave. Axe Girl are another band I love so much I included them on my Favourite Jams of 2012 list. Recently I interviewed Addison about all things Axe Girl.

What kind of music would you say that you make?

ADDISON AXE: I always find this question tricky, it’s hard to answer without sounding either desperately generic or eye-rollingly pretentious… I’m feeling like today is a generic day so I shall sum all our work (annoyingly easily) into four words: indie-punk-grunge-pop.

Who or what inspired you to start making music?

AA: My father is the reason I started listening to, playing and writing music. I would listen to him playing piano and singing for hours. There was always music in the house, and for a long time I didn’t realize that this was unique. From a very young age my brother and I would dance and sing along. And then we would sit together at the piano making up songs, and then go out busking. When you start that young it never occurs to you to be nervous or insecure or to temper you performance in anyway – which is a blessing.

Axe Girl has been described as “Think Gwen Stefani having a scrap down an alley with Brody Dalle and Courtney Love”; were/are you inspired by these women?

AA: Absolutely! No Doubt were my favourite band as a teenager, and are the reason you’ll here trumpets on the album when it comes out! Aside from the obvious fact that all three are total ass-kickin, rockin’ babes, I love them because there is so much humor and irony in their music; one-dimensional, sincere lyrics that take themselves too seriously do nothing for me. I’ve always aspired to find a quirky twist on a dark subject or a sarcastic edge to emotional ones. It’s therefore an immense honor to be compared to these three great lyricists.

How did you start playing music? When did you first pick up a guitar?

AA: I used to watch ‘Top Of The Pops’ (British version of Countdown) religiously from the age of five and mime along using my dad’s ukulele, sunglasses and a backwards baseball cap. I started playing my dad’s guitar in the back seat of the car when I was 12, and by the end of the day I had my first song, and by the end of the week I’d put together my first band and signed up to the school battle of the bands competition! Since that moment I’ve never looked back.

How has Axe Girl evolved from your beginnings in London?

AA: Axe Girl started its journey in London (where I grew up) and has taken me on some crazy, wild and wonderful adventures, and undergone a few line-up changes whilst finding its feet. It was only when I started to play with Ness, Brett and Nat that all the pieces fell into place and truly made sense – and that’s why I moved to Australia.

What are your songs inspired by? Is there reoccurring themes you find coming through in your work?

AA: Real universal human emotions are always embedded somewhere in all the songs. Love, lust, loss, hope, faith, ambition, self-loathing, fear. These are the elements I believe make music so powerful and speak to people in that inexplicably magical way. I endeavour to sit these themes against unexpected backdrops. Santa Claus keeps popping up in my lyrics recently –which is kinda weird – What does that mean?! I’m fascinated by Day of the Dead imagery at the moment, since a trip around the states, so I’m finding lots of ghosts and skeletons fighting to be in the songs.

When do you like to write them and where?

AA: I write music all the time, mostly at home with my guitar… but lyrics require more focus and discipline, so I generally lug my laptop to my favourite café, snuggle into a leather armchair and several long macs later, I’ll have something ready to work on with the band. I usually bring the blue-prints for a song to the others and then we jam and work together to create something magic.

How would you describe performing? How do you feel when you get on stage?

AA: Like I’m home. I feel like I’m the person I want to be.

What is your favourite song to sing/play live and why?

AA: At the moment probably Ghost Romance…it’s so energetic and driving… and cheeky. Once Brett starts that killer beat there’s no stopping till you get to the end.



Tell me about the music community where you live; positives and negatives?

ADDISON AXE: It’s interesting that you use the word community, because I now live in Perth, WA and it’s the first time I’ve lived somewhere with that community vibe. Coming from Bristol and London, there’s no real camaraderie, it can feel pretty cold and competitive and you’re isolated because there are so many people. Here you all get to know, support and help each other out. There’s not a competitive atmosphere in Perth a - Conversations with Bianca

Perth’s rock scene has a swathe of strong women rocking out the sounds, with the likes of Abbe May and Felicity Groom making sure the double X is represented. But it’s taken the unique insight of a West Coast outsider to take the rock chick formula one step further and create a veritable super group: enter Axe Girl.

Heading up the Axe Girl experience is the fluro orange haired Addison Axe, a formerly based UK actor and singer songwriter. She’s joined by Ness Thornton (Jebediah) and Nat Ripepi, two of the local industries most respected female musicians, and drummer Brett Mitchell (Jebediah).

‘I was over for the Fringe Festival doing a show and us guys just started jamming and it felt really right,’ said Axe of how the band formed. ‘I honestly didn’t want to go home really, but I had to go back and pack up a few things so I could head back.’

Axe is a feisty, life-loving ball of musical energy whose point of view is as loud as her hair.

‘Playing music is always what I’ve wanted to do ever since I was five years old and was watching Top Of The Pops (The UK equivalent of Countdown). I used to mime along with air guitar and then my dad bought me a real one, and since I was 11 I’ve been writing songs and been in bands.’

And now here she is, in sunny old Perth, cutting a new sound for herself and her band members. It’s a brash, loud statement that starts in your toes and, very soon, makes you want to dance. It’s sultry, but only for that instant before it rips your speakers apart.

Axe is planning on making Australia her home base for now, the appeal of an antipodeans’ adventure and all it can yield far more intriguing than an Olympic London.

And with a winning team behind her, Axe seems destined to go for gold. After all, Axe Girl are getting more and more gigs around the traps.

‘We’ve got loads of shows booked.,’ Axe confirmed. ‘We’re doing a residency at The Hydey and then we’re supporting Loose Lips at The Norfolk soon too plus a bunch of shows at Mojos. At the moment we’re playing gigs until we raise enough money to make a record.

‘The idea is to record a record, slowly but surely. We’ve had our first session in the studio and that’s gone really well.’

The sound will be all original tracks brushed with the girls big rock sound. And if the live shows are anything to go by, the forthcoming album will be explosive and gutsy: a real tour de force of what girls with guitars can really do.

‘There’s been quite a buzz as well, so soon after we’ve started playing,’ added Ripepi, who recently was given the all clear after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer last year.

‘There’s a real buzz from the people who have seen us and from the people in the industry. And people have said that just to see three strong females up front is quite new for Perth.’

‘We feel very excited about this project,’ concluded Axe, ‘and it feels very good for people to come in at this level because of the intimacy and because of the atmosphere.’

by Scott-Patrick Mitchell
- Out in Perth

As frontwoman Addison Axe attests, if you’re thinking
of heading to Axe Girl’s debut EP launch at the
Norfolk Basement this Friday, November 9, expect “a
lot of sweat, blood (usually mine), tears (of joy) and
beer. All simultaneously if you’re in front of the stage,
and more sporadically if you’re a pussy and stay near
the bar”. JENNIFER PETERSON-WARD reports.

When, in early 2012, London singer/guitarist Addison Axe was
packing her bags for summer holiday and to perform at the Perth
Fringeworld Festival she wasn’t to know exactly how life-changing
the 10,000 mile journey would be.
“I came to WA on a short trip to perform at the Fringeworld
Festival. I was acting in a show called The Yellow Wallpaper... I had a solo gig
booked at The Bird as part of Fringe, but there was a miscommunication
between the venue and my UK agent. It became clear that they were
expecting a full band. I was about to set them straight, but was seduced
by the idea of the challenge,” Axe begins.

Having already indulged in some jamming with bassist
Vanessa ‘Ness’ Thornton (Jebediah, End Of Fashion, Felicity Groom) after
a spontaneous meeting “at the pub”, Axe enlisted her new friends help in
recruiting a makeshift band for the performance.
“I put the word out, and before long I’d somehow recruited
Ness and [guitarist] Nat Ripepi (this bit still baffles me) and we started
working on some songs with a drummer pal of Nat’s. Before long we
seemed to have a handful of other gigs lined up. All seemed to be falling
into place, when the drummer we’d been playing with suddenly pulled
out three days before we were supposed to support Felicity Groom at
Mojo’s due to a double booking with his other band. We all started getting
ready to freak out, when Brett [Mitchell, Jebediah] appeared like a knight
in shining armour. Little did he know that one small favour to his longtime-
friend Ness would trap him in Axe Girl forever,” Axe explains.

After only a month of making music together Axe was due to
return home to the UK, however the strong connection the bandmembers
felt, combined with their increasing presence on the local scene, led her
to make the difficult decision to forge a new life down under.
“When the time came for me to get on the plane back to
London, I couldn’t believe how uneasy I felt. We’d had a totally awesome
summer, and I was gutted it was ending. We we’re all feeling a bit weird
and sad, and it just hit me that know-one was making me go back… and
that was it,” she explains. “I got on my flight back to London, sold a bunch
of stuff, packed a bag, stored a stack of cardboard boxes in my grandma’s
garage, said bye to my friends and family, and came back. Seems kinda
rash but it was definitely the right decision.”

While Axe says our beaches, great weather, and laid-back living
have made the big move easy, it is her ability to play regularly with her
new band - the semi-eponymous Axe Girl - which is the greatest bonus.
Having garnered an enthusiastic following on the local scene, the quartet
are gearing up to launch their debut EP Ghost Romance, which was
recorded with the legendary Dave Parkin at Blackbird Studios.
“Musically, I think the sound reflects the fun we have playing
together. We we’re keen to capture the feel and energy that we play the
songs with live. All the awesome people who’ve been supporting us
over the last year (making it possible for us to record in the first place)
have been doing so on the basis of our live show, and we didn’t want to
disappoint,” Axe says of Ghost Romance.

“You can download the EP for
free at axegirl.com. It’s our way of thanking everyone for the love we’ve
been shown thus far. Learn the words, choreograph a dance routine and
come show off your moves at the Norfolk!” - X Press Magazine

As frontwoman Addison Axe attests, if you’re thinking
of heading to Axe Girl’s debut EP launch at the
Norfolk Basement this Friday, November 9, expect “a
lot of sweat, blood (usually mine), tears (of joy) and
beer. All simultaneously if you’re in front of the stage,
and more sporadically if you’re a pussy and stay near
the bar”. JENNIFER PETERSON-WARD reports.

When, in early 2012, London singer/guitarist Addison Axe was
packing her bags for summer holiday and to perform at the Perth
Fringeworld Festival she wasn’t to know exactly how life-changing
the 10,000 mile journey would be.
“I came to WA on a short trip to perform at the Fringeworld
Festival. I was acting in a show called The Yellow Wallpaper... I had a solo gig
booked at The Bird as part of Fringe, but there was a miscommunication
between the venue and my UK agent. It became clear that they were
expecting a full band. I was about to set them straight, but was seduced
by the idea of the challenge,” Axe begins.

Having already indulged in some jamming with bassist
Vanessa ‘Ness’ Thornton (Jebediah, End Of Fashion, Felicity Groom) after
a spontaneous meeting “at the pub”, Axe enlisted her new friends help in
recruiting a makeshift band for the performance.
“I put the word out, and before long I’d somehow recruited
Ness and [guitarist] Nat Ripepi (this bit still baffles me) and we started
working on some songs with a drummer pal of Nat’s. Before long we
seemed to have a handful of other gigs lined up. All seemed to be falling
into place, when the drummer we’d been playing with suddenly pulled
out three days before we were supposed to support Felicity Groom at
Mojo’s due to a double booking with his other band. We all started getting
ready to freak out, when Brett [Mitchell, Jebediah] appeared like a knight
in shining armour. Little did he know that one small favour to his longtime-
friend Ness would trap him in Axe Girl forever,” Axe explains.

After only a month of making music together Axe was due to
return home to the UK, however the strong connection the bandmembers
felt, combined with their increasing presence on the local scene, led her
to make the difficult decision to forge a new life down under.
“When the time came for me to get on the plane back to
London, I couldn’t believe how uneasy I felt. We’d had a totally awesome
summer, and I was gutted it was ending. We we’re all feeling a bit weird
and sad, and it just hit me that know-one was making me go back… and
that was it,” she explains. “I got on my flight back to London, sold a bunch
of stuff, packed a bag, stored a stack of cardboard boxes in my grandma’s
garage, said bye to my friends and family, and came back. Seems kinda
rash but it was definitely the right decision.”

While Axe says our beaches, great weather, and laid-back living
have made the big move easy, it is her ability to play regularly with her
new band - the semi-eponymous Axe Girl - which is the greatest bonus.
Having garnered an enthusiastic following on the local scene, the quartet
are gearing up to launch their debut EP Ghost Romance, which was
recorded with the legendary Dave Parkin at Blackbird Studios.
“Musically, I think the sound reflects the fun we have playing
together. We we’re keen to capture the feel and energy that we play the
songs with live. All the awesome people who’ve been supporting us
over the last year (making it possible for us to record in the first place)
have been doing so on the basis of our live show, and we didn’t want to
disappoint,” Axe says of Ghost Romance.

“You can download the EP for
free at axegirl.com. It’s our way of thanking everyone for the love we’ve
been shown thus far. Learn the words, choreograph a dance routine and
come show off your moves at the Norfolk!” - X Press Magazine