The Vovos at Franks Wild Years

Some things in this life feel cosmically predetermined. The meeting of The Vovos is one such star-crossed event. Formed at one of the first Girls Rock! Melbourne Camps in 2017, the five piece are known and loved for their punk bitch attitude and DIY ethos; coming from varied musical backgrounds, Ada Duffy, Ruby Ayliffe, Lu Galante, Bethany Feik and Mika James didn’t take long to realise their compatibility and found common ground writing their first songs together in Beth’s front room. Their music is a perfect combination of bold, assertive, and bratty: sounding as though it would be equally at home on an indie coming-of-age film as it would be on the main stage of the Big Day Out 1999.

As young underage female musicians, the bands’ first two early EPs - Constructive Criticism (recorded with Anna Laverty) and An Ode to my Beloved - reflect the struggles of teenagehood and the importance of inclusivity as well as a love of chickens, carnivorous plants and two minute noodles. As the band developed, other more interpersonal themes emerged with a focus on relationships and community, inspired by the music scene they grew up in.

Along came their debut album, Jana, released under Roolette Records in mid-2021. Jana encompassed the first three and half years of songwriting chronicling their growth both musically and personally; with a focus on their experiences as teenagers during a time fueled by climate rage and political protest. The album was praised as “scuffing up the outsider indie pop of The Moldy Peaches... with punky abrasion” earning 4 stars from NME. Trouble Juice labels the band as “rising garage-pop upstarts” with “radiant hooks, contagious energy and irreverent indie-rock charisma”.

Victorian born and bred, the band has cut their teeth playing gigs in iconic venues around Melbourne supporting local bands including Pinch Points, Zig Zag and Billiam and at Rah! Rah! festival. The Vovos made it to bigger stages from 2020 when they supported Skeggs and Ruby Fields at The Sidney Myer Music Bowl, later playing Moomba, Boogie Fest, and at the ABC on Spicks and Specks.

Looking to 2023 and beyond, The Vovos sophomore album Lilla Gubben is ready for the world, set to be released with Blossom Rot Records in March 2024.