Ladyshark

While Monsters, the debut album by Ladyshark, may feel very immediate, it’s actually been around for a while. The Nashville punk duet unflinchingly addresses the monsters that have stalked us well before Donald Trump was a sickly twinkle in his Nazi father’s eye and, unfortunately, will continue to stalk us for long after. Monsters is a profoundly feminist album that confronts assault, partner violence, and sexism with steady hands, steadfast hearts, and blistering guitar riffs.

I’m not sure if Ladyshark would call themselves riot grrl but the influence is unmistakable. Sleater Kinney-style angular guitar riffs thunder through songs that are designed to leave the listener off-balance. Ladyshark is not here to comfort you. On “Riot” they sing,

What the hell is it to run like a girl?
When is a job made for a man in the world?
How can you make a woman scream?
When you tell her she can’t do anything!

Hold back your tongue
Gender roles are no fun
Rebel against the rules
Stop listening to fools

Why do women get paid so much less
Don’t expect me to feel good in a dress
We won’t bow to your toxicity
Our gender comes with fluidity

Hold back your tongue
Gender roles are no fun
Rebel against the rules
Stop listening to fools

Maybe this just hits a chord with me at the moment — the holidays are all about spending time with family, reminiscing on childhood, thinking about the roles you have in life and might one day want, and spending time with people whose expectations for you are invariably different from what you want. I also think that these themes are extremely important for a band coming from Nashville, where the expectations for women in music — especially country music — are quite prescribed.

While most of the album deals with very serious themes, Ladyshark has fun as well. “Seance” details a supernatural experience gone horribly, but entertainingly, wrong.

A final note about the album. “New Years Day” describes a conversation with a trans* woman, though the song uses the word “trans sexual” [sic.] For those who may not know, this word is generally out of favor in the trans* community, though there’s a reason that asterisk exists. I am not sure how the woman in the song describes herself (if the song is in fact a true story), but in general usage it’s better to simply use “trans” or ask the individual what words they use to describe hirself. If Ladyshark has any details to add I’m happy to update this post.

Or maybe find out in person! Ladyshark will be playing an album release party for their new album Lovesick (to be reviewed here soon) tonight at The 5 Spot at 8! Details here! - Adobe and Teardrops

If you’re in need of a new soundtrack for rebelling against the man, look no further than Ladyshark, the riot grrrl inspired alt-rock duo from Nashville.

The band, comprised of Sarah Vardy on guitar loops and lead vocals, and Jane Boxall on drums and backing vox, has released two previous albums, BURIED and Lickety Split, under the name Anu Sava. Now, debuting under the new moniker, the duo has just released their first album Monsters.
Ladyshark – Reviving Riot Grrrl Roots

Throughout the album, Vardy’s nimble guitar riffs stood out to me as the threads weaving every song together. Each track, though unique in style and arrangement, features a signature riff that always pulls the instrumentation back to center.

In the first and title track, it’s the opening melody, which immediately gives off an air of The Strokes as soon as the second loop kicks in. The reverbed riffs in between verses paired with Boxall’s generous cymbal smashing also add a bit of a surf rock element.

The second track “Set Yourself Free” is a high energy punk rock joint as well, though about twice the length of a typical punk tune. The band strips back the instrumentation to echoing vocals, a few chord progressions, and a steady drumbeat to slow things down for the next two songs.

Appropriately named, “Riot” gets the album back to the fast-paced riot grrrl influence of the earlier tracks. The reverb-soaked guitars, screechy vocals, and feminist lyrics (“Why do women get paid so much less? / Don’t expect me to look good in a dress”) remind me of genre giants Sleater-Kinney and Bikini Kill.

Monsters is a smart selection of song styles, starting fast, slowing down, and speeding back up to finish, giving listeners just the right dosage of head bangers and slow burns. The fast-paced riffs are especially impressive when you remember there are only two people layering everything with FX.

Ladyshark has an upcoming show at the East Room in Nashville to celebrate the launch of their label Amityville Records. You can learn more about the band on their official website and hear the debut album Monsters on their Bandcamp page. - IndieBandGuru

“It’s hard to say which I’m more obsessed with: Ladyshark‘s name, that incredible cover art, or their heyday-Sleater-Kinney-meets-mid-90s-alt sound.

Seance is a wailing, feral song with all the patience and restraint of a rabid dog. It’s an impressive introduction to the Nashville based grrrl duo, who are releasing their debut album, Monsters, via DIY label Amityville Records.

Ladyshark shows no signs of slowing down in the new year, with a gig at the Amityville Records launch at Nashville’s East Room in January and plans to release another album in early 2017.” - Hullabaloo

“Sarah Vardy and Jane Boxall are musicians from Nashville, Tennessee, and together they are Ladyshark, whose thrilling Monsters LP was just released. Written, recorded, mixed and mastered entirely by Ms. Vardy at her home, the album explores issues of domestic violence, sexism, marginalization, freedom, supernatural forces, and religious prejudice. It is electrifying – wiry, tuneful and bursting with creative energy – as lead track “Monsters” and the classic Punk gem “Riot” can powerfully attest. Meanwhile Megan Dillard has assembled the associative and hard-edged images for the new video for their muscular, visceral track “Set Yourself Free”. The album is available now from their Bandcamp page.

Monsters is the first release from Nashville’s Amityville Records, and you can buy a cassette version of it from them now. On January 21st the label will be hosting a launch party at The East Room, where Ladyshark will play along with another Autumn Roses favorite, Lauren Strange. You can learn more about that event here.” - Autumn Roses

December 19, 2016|Bryon Harris

Ladyshark are a two-piece, self-produced rock duo using guitar loops, FX, vocals and drums. The group is reminiscent of the 1990’s underground indie-punk-rock bands like Sleater-Kinney and Riot Grrl. The duo seeks to push rock boundaries while offering an intense performance and they achieve this goal in ‘Monsters.’ Lady Shark is fronted by Sarah Vardy on vocals and guitar and the award-winning percussionist Jane Boxall on drums.

The song “Monsters” opens up with a hard-rocking, impressive and catchy eighth-note guitar lick that becomes multi-layered. The layering effect of the track creates a musical landscape of seamless patterns that emerge and build and, as more more percussion is added to the mix, the result is a head-banging intensity. The intro is definitely captivating from the get-go.

Front woman Sarah Vardy enters on the first verse – “Lately I’ve been thinking about all the monsters that I’ve met.” Sarah’s vocal performance is perfect for the edgy and alternative vibe of the song. She is emotive, but maintains a sharp and crisp vocal tone that rises above the layered musical landscape with clarity and urgency. As “Monsters” progresses into the chorus, there is notable percussive work by Jane Boxall, a stellar musician, who keeps the energy burning throughout the song.

Lyrically, the verses of “Monsters” are well-written with thoughtful imagery, message and reflection. “Have we grown so close that my mirror has a monster in it?” My favorite line in the song is, “I try to smile and nod at my white girl problems every day.” This type of reflection is raw and honest and is what pushes the walls that Ladyshark seeks to breakdown. The lyrics of the chorus are straight-forward: “This fear has built a wall. I’m trying to not fall.” Sometimes I cannot hide from all this pain inside,” proceeded by a section of “Whoa oh oh’s” that are well-paced, melodic and delivered with just the right amount of indifference that reflects that songs message. The music drives to the end with more developed guitar riffs and percussion. The ending outro hits you with a twist, “Could I become the monster I’ve been scared of for so long?”

Check out this video of another great song by Ladyshark titled, “Set Yourself Free.”

Ladyshark shows that they can deliver with musical intensity and ability, lyrics that push it to the edge, vocals that are sharp and clear with just the right amount of restrain and emotion, all while maintaining an energy that keeps the music alive from beginning to end. ‘Monsters” is available on all major digital outlets. For more info on Ladyshark, visit their website. - Indie Spoonful

If there are any great philosophers left in the world then I would imagine, or at least hope, that they are pondering the question of what, exactly, is a song for today? Think about it. There are no new trends left to follow and the music business lives only to reissue its back catalogue. However, somewhere in Nashville, is a punk American style trio called Ladyshark who, with their album “Lovesick” have managed to give us a tune or two to treasure whilst we endure our mundane existence.

Now, as the word punk implies, there is really nothing new to be found on this album but Ladyshark aren’t really a political band anyway and their sweet little love songs are, in reality, more restyles of sunny guitar pop than anything else. That’s no bad thing in my book.

So, songs for today? Well yes. Songs about love never go out of fashion and it has been some time since punk was actually in fashion so tying the two together seems like a curiously honest and logical approach for a band to have today. That, and I would dare anyone with working ears to avoid falling for the sugar coated splendour of “Stupid Love Song” or the revisited rebellion of “Never Grow Up”.

The times may not be a-changing anymore yet there are still songs for today to be found in the eleven songs that make up this rather endearing album. - Blues Bunny

It moves fast and magically – barely touching the ground and enchanting with its platinum, reverse rotation. Feathered Punk Rock that chimes, “Hangin’ Out For Someone Else” is the luminous new single from Nashville’s Ladyshark. You can download the track and more of their music from their Bandcamp page now. - The Autumn Roses

Ladyshark’s new single ‘Hangin’ Out For Someone Else’ is about ‘starting to date someone and being unsure if they’re digging you as much as you dig them.’ Mixing a sprightly DIY new wave sound with a bittersweet tunefulness Vardy’s vocals are cloaked in the attitude of someone who has been rejected but survived to tell the tale. (BC) - God Is In The TV

@Ladysharkband is a trinity of female punk/rock musicians: Sarah ‘Scarer’ Vardy (lyrics, vocals, guitar, mandolin, keys), Megan ‘Raygun’ Dillard (vocals, bass) and Renee Lambert (drums). Their latest single, "Hanging Out With Someone Else" pays homage to the initial stages of intimacy. Constantly wondering if the person you're dating is with someone other than you. Refreshingly simplistic and very reminiscent of Yeah Yeah Yeahs - this track is mesmerizing. Superb instrumentation alongside of eerie vocals makes this cut a shoo-in for a Netflix original series soundtrack. If this is an indicator for their highly anticipated album, "Lovesick (November release);" then, this ensemble will soar. In a ocean of sameness, this band sticks out like a vampire at a werewolf convention.

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#360WatchList #360Magazine #Ladyshark #LGBTQ - 360 Magazine

What a difference a year makes. As it turns out, the Ladyshark review I posted last week was for the band’s first album. Lovesick was released last Thursday and it shows exponential growth in the band’s sound. Both albums are excellent, but Lovesick has an increased sophistication to it. The album’s title track advertises this from the jump, featuring multiple gravity-defying tempo shifts In this go-round, Ladyshark invokes Bikini Kill’s penchant for chaos to tackle adulthood, relationships, and managing relationships in adulthood.

I don’t know why but over the past couple of days I’ve been in my feelings (as the kids say) about not being where I feel I “should” be — especially compared to most other people my age. “Never Grow Up” casually throws a grenade into all of that:

All of my friends are having lots of babies
I’m content that my pets don’t have rabies
You really don’t need to have kids to make it
The worst thing is having them and trying to fake it
I I I don’t wanna ever grow up
I I I don’t wanna be a boring grown up
I I I don’t wanna live with a foot in the grave
I I I don’t wanna feel like dying to escape
So let’s never grow up
Never grow up

Both “Lovesick” and “Never Grow Up” provide a sort of musical and thematic overture to the rest of the album, which similarly careens through critiques of social expectations and emotionally unavailable lovers. (I know that’s not exclusive to queer relationships but I honestly feel like we corner the market on it.) One reprieve, “Shiny Things,” is a sweet story about losing an engagement ring and how that’s not the part of anything that really matters. - Adobe and Teardrops