BANGZZ

BANGZZ is a Durham, NC-based garage punk duo channeling the raw, defiant spirit of riot grrrl with loud, fast, in-your-face feminist anthems. The band consists of Japanese American Guitarist, Vocalist and songwriter, Erika Kobayashi Libero with drummer Jess Caesar. Originally from Tokyo and L.A. respectively, the duo now call Durham, NC home and have been a force in reshaping and redefining the music scene in NC. BANGZZ have carved out a powerful presence in the East Coast punk scene with campy music videos, explosive live shows, and song titles like "Your Asian Fetish is Racist," "Your Boyfriend is Really Bringing You Down," and "Don't Touch People." Planting firm roots in the East Coast punk scene, the band began turning heads while opening for Wednesday, Mannequin Pussy, Screaming Females, The Gories, The HIRS Collective, Skating Polly, and Soul Glo — and caught the attention of Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna, who discovered their ramen-encrusted music video for "Hell is Other People" and shared it on social media with the comment "Thank You," saying of the duo, "This is the future and now colliding!"

Their sophomore album, Maybe She's Born with It, Maybe It's a Trauma Response, is nine tracks of snarky punk punches, sludgy 90s grunge, irresistible retro-pop numbers with a retro-radio charm, and a cowbell-driven dance-punk banger about bodily autonomy guaranteed to get crowds shaking. The record digs deeper than their debut, drawing headbanging nods to Nirvana and PJ Harvey while never losing the sharp, irreverent edge that put them on the map. Song themes include finding your true authentic self, dissociation and depression, reproductive rights, generational trauma, self-worth, abusive relationships, and unlearning all the ways you were taught to shrink. For Kobayashi Libero, these songs are born from self-discovery and healing — quiet, unspoken truths now screamed out loud. It's the ripping off of a patriarchal "good girl" mask and howling at the moon, and an open invitation for everyone who hears it to do the same.