The most diverse UK band since the Sugarbabes.
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The Tuts are a 3 tone DIY girl band consisting of front woman and guitarist Nadia Javed, drummer Beverley Ishmael and bassist Harriet Doverton. Nadia and Beverley started the band when they were teenagers and Harriet, from the band Colour Me Wednesday, joined in 2010. Their music has been described as punk-pop indie.
The band are overtly political with lyrics that focus on politics, class, race and sexism. Their strong political beliefs aren’t only represented through song. On social media, they can be seen discussing a range of issues, and generating a dialogue on topics that are often brushed under the carpet. In December 2018, the band joined forced with UK based #solidaritynotsilence to raise over ÂŁ3,000 for survivors of abuse. They also sell merch with all profits going to solidarity not silence.
They’re not afraid of creating controversy either. At the beginning of 2019 the band declined the opportunity to represent the UK at the Eurovision song contest because this years host country is Israel. Boycotting Eurovision is a clear message that the band are showing their support for Palestine.
My favourite video is ‘Let Go of the Past’ which shows the band in sixties outfits and moves through a girls magazine similar to that of Jackie or Seventeen. The video is filled with sixties nostalgia and cleverly has the lyrics run throughout. It is a fun and smart, just like they are. The song is deeper than the brightly coloured video suggests, with lyrics about moving on and not letting past grievance’s hold you back from the future and ruin the present.
Their music is varied, from feminist anthems ‘What’s on the Radio’ and ‘Tut Tut Tut’ which details how the band will steal girl fans from misogynist boy bands to ‘1982’ which still has the classic punk feel expected from The Tuts but has dreamy indie vocals throughout the chorus. All the way through to slow and melancholic ‘You’re So Boring’ which is a lovely interlude on the ‘Update Your Brain’ album. The bands overall feel is very much punk. Not just musically but with their attitude and the way that they give a voice to issues surrounding sexism, racism and the powerful elite institutions running the country.
People powers knock down corporate towers.
Give Us Something Worth Voting For // The Tuts (2016)
My favourite song, ‘Give Us Something Worth Voting For’ is a UK punk anthem for the 21st century. Dealing with topical issues surrounding the government, liberal ideology and summarising how the corrupt system is influencing us at grass roots levels and how we can call for change. Even though the album the song features on ‘Update Your Brain’ was released almost 3 years ago, it is just as relevant now as it was then.
My top 5 favourite songs from the band have been added to the Featured Artist’s Playlist so make sure to give that a follow to discover those as well as ones from the 4 previous featured artists. All of The Tut’s social media links are below so check them out if you want to keep up to date with the bands music as well as help them topple the patriarchy!
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