Dream Wife

We grew up with very few female role models. We want to be what we needed as teenagers.

Bella for NME in 2019

Dream Wife consists of lead singer Rakel Mjöll, guitarist Alice Go and bassist Bella Podpadec. The band met in Brighton while studying at University. They originally formed to help Rakel complete a performance art assignment she had been set for a module, and also because they wanted to visit Canada together. Killing two birds with one stone, they formed Dream Wife and began touring on the other side of the Atlantic.

Their music is classically puck-rock – with some songs having a dreamy indie vibe due to the melodic backing vocals, for instance ‘Fire’ and ‘Hey Heartbreaker’. Other songs like ‘F.U.U.’ (standing for fuck you up) are more synonymous to punk as a genre. It’s loud, aggressive and very high energy. The bands self-titled debut album, released in 2018, moves from these high energy punk songs, to classic indie bangers, mixing the two together seamlessly.

The thing that is most interesting to know about Dream Wife is their Bad Bitches to the front policy. They make sure their gigs are inclusive spaces, especially for women and non-binary individuals. To make sure this happens the girls make sure that all their ‘bad bitches’ make their way to the front of crowd, often leading to all female and non-binary mosh pits.

As a young woman, one of the most daunting things about going to gigs, especially high energy punk and indie shows, is the mosh pit. Often filled with boys at least a foot taller than me, even the toughest music fan can be a little put off, therefore never getting to fully experience the show. With this Bad Bitches policy, everyone gets to have the same experience, in a fun and inclusive space.

I am not my body – I am somebody

Dream Wife // Somebody (2017)

Not only do they strive to make sure that their gigs are inclusive, the band cover and discuss a number of important issue, including feminism, the #MeToo movement and dismantling the patriarchy. The band are active supporters and contributors to Polyester Magazine which is a self-published, intersectional feminist fashion and culture publication aiming to bridge the gap between URL cyber-feminism and the IRL world. The magazine also has an adjoining podcast which is just as cool!

Dream Wife’s music videos are one of the best things about this band. You never know what to expect. Each one is wildly different from the last, and each one debuts a brand new style. ‘Hey Heartbreaker’ is completely animated and very Scott Pilgrim-esque. ‘Fire’ shows the three exploring the countryside and then discovering magic stones, unleashing their own powers. ‘F.U.U.’ shows the girls performing in a wrestling ring to an all female and non-binary crowd – as well as highlighting female wrestling talent and promoting body positivity. ‘Lolita’ draws heavily from horror movie imagery, with nods to films like the Blair Witch Project and The Craft.

My favourite video is the one for ‘Let’s Make Out’. One of the bands punkier songs, it shows the girls performing at a prom. Everyone at dance begins to make out with one another, regardless of gender. It is not often that queer visibility is such an integral part of a music video and a spectrum of different sexualities are displayed, which is refreshing to see and just another reason to love Dream Wife even more.

Dream Wife are playing at loads of festivals over the summer including: Live at Leeds, Stag and Dagger Glasgow and Dot to Dot festival all in May! Make sure to follow the band on their social media links below to keep up to date with shows and new music announcements! I’ve also added my top five Dream Wife songs to the featured artists playlist so give that a follow too!