Mansplainers are exactly what you need to make you excited about new music.
We managed to catch Mansplainers on St Kilda Festival’s new music stage last week. Taking inspiration from local artists such as Merpire, Carla Geneve and international sensation Wet Leg, Mansplainers mix soulful vocals with a good old dose of traditional indie pop to create something quite lovely.
A friend commented that I’ve been listening to a lot more female or predominantly female bands in this genre lately, and it’s true. I’m consciously aware that my taste in indie music often revolves around problematic white men and the instruments they strum, but by the same token I’m also not going to listen to music I don’t like. So seeing bands coming through like this, with more girls leading the way, with wholesome vibes and genuinely catchy, enjoyable tunes, is good for my soul.
Lead singer Libby is instantly likeable, alongside being ridiculously talented. She’s a ball of energy on stage and carries her beautiful, melodic voice perfectly over the indie backdrop of the band. She’s the model front woman, introducing each band member, telling us the name of tracks, and reminding us of the band name several times in the gig. She’s excited to be there and it shows.
Musically, the band work well together, knowing when to let others take the lead and have their moment to shine. There’s more they can do with this, but there are no egos here, and if they can hold on to the intuition they’re showing they’ve got something here that really works. Their songs are enjoyable, relevant and fun.
Unsurprisingly at times you see the intense concentration of a band yet to have had much stage time, but on the flip side, the moments when the whole band relax into the song with easy smiles across their faces show you where they’ll be in just a few short years. Mansplainers are definitely one to watch!
Give them a follow on Insta here.
Listen to their latest single Sheriff here.