Dream Nails: The Punk Witches Casting Hexes and Shaking Up the Music Scene
Dream Nails emerged from the heart of London in August 2015, founded by singer Janey Starling and guitarist Anya Pearson, two friends whose bond was forged through shared feminist activism. From the very beginning, the band's identity was inseparable from its politics. Recruiting fellow activist Emmett Roberts on bass and Judith Dawson on drums, Dream Nails wasted no time announcing themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the DIY punk scene.
Within just a year of forming, the band had already secured a slot at Glastonbury's Sisterhood stage — the festival's first ever women-only venue — a milestone that signalled just how quickly they were making waves. Their earliest music arrived in 2016, beginning with the single Deep Heat, a blistering "hex on misogynist politicians" that premiered on Nylon ahead of the US presidential election and introduced the world to their fiercely political songwriting. Their debut EP, DIY, followed in April 2016, arriving complete with a handmade zine and immediately attracting attention from outlets like Dazed and Confused.
What sets Dream Nails apart is not just their music but their mythology. The band proudly identifies as "punk witches," describing their genre as "witch punk" and declaring that they write "hexes, not songs." This blend of occult imagery and radical politics gives their work a distinctive edge that is as theatrical as it is sincere, channelling the spirit of riot grrrl into something vivid and entirely their own.
After short tours across Belgium, the Netherlands, and Austria, the band landed the coveted main support slot for American band Cherry Glazerr on their European tour in spring 2017, further cementing their international credentials. A second EP, Dare to Care, arrived later that year, followed by the live album Take Up Space in early 2019, recorded during an intimate acoustic performance at Housmans Bookshop in London.
Their self-titled debut studio album, released in August 2020 on Alcopop! Records, was met with widespread critical praise. NME described it as a vision of a "feminist utopia," while Kerrang! gave it an enthusiastic reception, underlining the band's growing stature within alternative music. However, a significant chapter closed in April 2021 when co-founder and frontwoman Janey Starling announced her departure, leaving the band to evolve and find a new voice.
Rather than slow down, Dream Nails rose to the challenge. In July 2022, they performed at the prestigious British Summer Time concert in Hyde Park, opening for Pixies, before signing to Marshall Records in 2023. Their second studio album, Doom Loop, recorded in Sheffield with producer Ross Orton and featuring new vocalist Ishmael Kirby, was released in October 2023 to critical acclaim, ranking at number 37 on Kerrang!'s list of the 50 best albums of that year. From DIY zines to major label recognition, Dream Nails have proven that punk with purpose has the power to endure.
