Eager to bring more representation to rock, it’s NOVA TWINS.
The chaotic punk duo ripping up the underground are bringing representation to rock
HEAVY MUSIC IS going through a renaissance unlike we’ve ever seen before. The digital boom’s push into accessible online music, paired with today’s ongoing political unrest, has jolted an overwhelming number of new talents through the floodgates with outlandish styles, unique sounds and passionate ideologies fuelling their music. Though turbulent and unpredictable, one thing is clear: the alternative music scene will never look the same again. Marching to the frontline of this change with their spiked boots, colourful afros and lipstick-smeared grins are outrageous punks Nova Twins. “You don’t have to conform,” says bassist Georgia South. “We’re just trying to encourage people to be themselves.”
Nova Twins are what happens when the ideology of Riot Grrrl meets the punk fury of Fever 333, sprinkled with The Prodigy’s EDM sound and coated with a hip hop gloss – it’s the necessary supplement of angst to get you through these trying times.
“My first introduction to heavy would have been probably been MC5’S Ramblin’ Rose,” vocalist and guitarist Amy Love mentions as the pair reflect on their first entries into heavy music that would inspire their sound. “It was quite raucous, like, ‘RAHHHH!’, a bit lively on guitars, everything was a bit wild.”
“My introduction was in college,” Georgia adds. “I had to cover a Rage Against the Machine song and played Killing In The Name.” Their bond with heavy music hasn’t always been one born of love and tender, however. They say that being black women in this climate has created a strained and complex relationship with heavy music that they are eager to help change.
“It takes us a while to find ourselves,” Amy explains. “The first thing you identify with is when someone looks similar to you, or are talking about certain topics. You explore that, you love it. It does take us longer to explore outside of what society has told us to like. They say, ‘You’re black, you’re brown, you’re this, you must listen to this music only.’”
“They are being held accountable now,” Georgia chimes in. “Just like the #Metoo movement, and like how festivals have to book an even bill. With the BLM movement, people now hold companies accountable. Upcoming bands will get discovered if the team [finding them] is actually diversified.”
PLUCKED FROM THE ripe underground scene of South London, the pair have been inseparable since childhood. “I was introduced to her family in my teens and then never left,” Amy chuckles. Quick spoiler there – they aren’t actually twins.
“There’s two of us, we always thought quite similar in the way we work and write music,” Georgia explains. “‘Nova’ means ‘new beginnings’ in Latin. It’s also like the supernova explosion – the music we’re writing is really energetic!”
Though chaotic and fumbled, reflecting on the glamorous pre-fame days as musicians that shaped them into the rowdy, vivacious performers they are – playing grotty dive bars, barely sold tours and having half of their equipment to perform – they wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I remember the first gig that we did,” Georgia reflects. “It was the most terrible sound, and we didn’t even have a drummer at the time. It was the worst. After, I cried.”
“You can’t buy that experience,”
Amy shrugs. “It adds so much to your memories, and that’s what life’s about.”
Nova Twins’ reputation built on hard work and gritting it out precedes them.
Despite lockdown restraints, the pair have relished in some major success this year – not least with getting picked up by Fever 333 frontman and head of 333 Wreckords, Jason Aalon Butler, who, the pair say, has helped open doors for them. Now, they’re bagging a Heavy Music Award award for Best Breakout Band, collaborating with Dr Martens and being hailed the title of ‘best band you’ve never heard of’ by Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello.
They plunged into 2020 already geared for success, with the overwhelming reception to their debut LP, Who Are The Girls?, in February.
“I think it’s had a personal impact,” Amy remarks. “In terms of people coming up to us, especially a lot of women of colour, we get a lot of messages people saying, ‘O-M-G, just discovering you guys. I can feel seen!’”
“That’s what we’re doing it for, isn’t it?” Georgia adds. “This girl came to our show, she straightened her hair and she was moshing out. By the end of the night, she had a big Afro and was like, ‘I thought I had to straighten my hair to come to a rock show but now I won’t.’ Growing up, we would have wished to have more bands of colour and women playing heavier music, because we love that music, but we just couldn’t identify with it without seeing it.”
Your first introduction to the pair might have been through their recent Bring Me The Horizon collaboration on the track (1x1) for the Post Human: Survival Horror EP. The duo gush about their admiration for the band, and why collaborations like this keep heavy music refreshing and exciting.
“We freaked out,” Georgia laughs. “We love that [Oli Sykes] collaborated with mostly females. Even if we weren’t on the EP, we’d appreciate him making the effort to collab with those people. We need to see that right now, especially in the mainstream.”
“PEOPLE TELL US THEY CAN NOW FEEL SEEN”
AMY LOVE