“50 Men” is a tribute to Gisele Pelicot. She profoundly changed the narrative around shame and sexual violence, with her awe-inspiring response, when she waived her right to anonymity in the trial against her ex-husband and 51 other perpetrators. “Shame should change sides”.
It’s the band’s first single in 27 years, produced and mixed by esteemed producer Sam Williams (Supergrass, Plan B) at Temple Sound Studios throwing you back to the peak of the riot girl era of L7, Hole and the Breeders while still sounding edgy, fierce and current.
The track starts in a bare, understated fashion, with gently picked notes and a soft, lounge tinged jazz vocal gliding effortlessly over the song’s darkness. As “50 Men” unfolds, it gradually opens up with sharp, brooding guitars, and layers of haunting, choir-like vocals drifting in and out. By the end, everything gathers into a weighty, immersive swell. Vocals rich, visceral and intense; a pulsating ferocious anthem to inspire a whole new generation of girls.
The all-female group garnered a loyal following during the exciting days of the late-90s Oxford rock scene, making waves with their debut single ‘Backgarden’ as part of the Shifty Disco Singles Club in 1997 and with their double A-side ‘Monster’/ ‘Plastic’ on Fierce Panda in 1998. This sparked an extensive UK tour and an Oxford Radio 1 Sound City appearance in 1997.
Despite not having performed together since 1999, band members Sam Batlle (singer), Teresa Ward (guitar), Clare Howard-Saunders (drums) were brought together by the tragic death of bassist Kim Parsons in 2023 a quarter-century after they split. The mutual support they provided to each other in a time of sadness rekindled social and musical relationships, and inevitably led to talk of getting the old band together with the addition of new bassist Hayley Wright and backing vocalist Emma Hunter. Already there have been sold out shows and a rapturously received slot at Truck Festival and this April sees not only the single release but also a Radio 4 documentary on the band called "Band of Mothers" with an interview with Steve Lamacq and a feature on BBC Breakfast.
“Being an old lady in a heavy rock band feels even more ‘not the done thing’ than being a girl in a band felt in the 90s. I like that!” says singer Sam
“One of the most popular and influential bands on the Oxford scene.” Nightshift
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