QR music interview: GIRLI on political energy, self love and representation

In 2015, a very unexpected brand of electro-pop with a distinctively honest, punk energy manifested in the form of GIRLI, moniker of the now 20-year-old Milly Toomey. Using her voice to call out everything she sees wrong in the world around her, GIRLI offers a no-holds-barred view of millennial life. Alarmingly abrasive in sound and lyrical content, nothing is off limits: a London native, her tracks are peppered with references to ASBO(y)s, periods, dodgy house parties, sexism and sexuality, and unforgettable nights with mates. We caught up on how politics, music, and social media interact, and to talk about her artistic growth. 

'Girl I Met on the Internet' was the first GIRLI song I heard. 'Day Month Second' is  a bit of a shift, GIRLI 2.0 you've said. What does that mean for you creatively? 

“I started doing GIRLI when I was 17 and now I’m 20. In anyone’s life, whether or not you’re an artist, it’s such a big window of change. For me it’s like I look back on all the music I’ve released the last three years and I was trying to work out what kind of musician I wanted to be. Now, with ‘Day Month Second’ and all the songs that are coming out soon, I feel like for me it’s the next phase. Usually I guess people feel this after they’ve released an album, but I feel like now I’m making music that is what my album will be like.

Your releases have always been pretty confident. With songs like ‘F*ck Right Back off to LA’ - just a bit bold - is it daunting to put out music that’s so brash, especially when abrasive and brash aren’t things women are meant to be in music, or even in general? 

“Yeah, fully. And you feel backlash for it, definitely. I think that some of the feedback and the reaction that I’ve got for putting out music that is opinionated in a strong way is so different to male artists who’ve been putting out similar kinds of music. I think it’s a lot easier to be a guy and be super opinionated and loud, but for a woman it’s definitely more difficult. But I think that’s why it’s important to do it, because it changes people’s perspectives. That’s what I always like about when people hear my music and they’re kind of like ‘Oh, I’m surprised after meeting you that that’s what you sound like,’ and I’m like well, maybe you should question why you’re surprised - it shouldn't be surprising for women to be loud.”

It’s interesting because we have people shying away from the feminist label, and then you’re giving out tampons as merch at your gigs. Did that start of as a bit of a middle finger, or a laugh? 

“When you look at it it’s kind of humorous, but in a way I just wanted to get people together in a room and present them something that if it makes you uncomfortable, you should question yourself. Periods are totally normal, half the world has them every month. I just started doing stuff like that at my shows and putting lyrics in my songs - not even to shock people, I actually wanted to make it more normal. I would love to see a time where grown men can look at a box of tampons and not go ‘ew’”. 

Back in February I spoke to Anteros, who remixed your track 'Hot Mess'. We talked a bit about how you take the personal and political but make it fun. The news is so bleak, but a lot of musicians have really stepped up and become positive voices. Is that important to you to keep politics in music, but to also keep a balance? 

“Yeah. because music is still something that we listen to and dance to for release. And for me, even a lot of the songs that I’m about to put out, or even ‘Day Month Second’, you wouldn’t look at that and think ‘that’s a political song,’ cause it’s about a break up. But to me it’s political because of the energy it creates. I put that out in a very self-love, positive way. I was like ‘If you’re going through a break up, look after yourself. Dance in the street, be yourself and enjoy this song’. I think that in itself is political in a way that it just makes people feel good, and that they want to change something.”

Is there a conscious separation between Milly and GIRLI? There’s an element of stage persona, but lyrically and even as a social media presence, everything feels very authentic and real. It’s refreshing. 

“I definitely try not to make GIRLI and Milly very different. On social media I’m very honest about my feelings and thoughts. I try to be very open about mental health and my life. I try not to create this airbrushed image, because I don’t really want to be a figure that people feel far away from, or feel like they can’t relate to. I separate it in some ways, because otherwise you go crazy if your artist persona and your personal persona are the same - it starts seeping into your life in a really toxic way.” 

Definitely very draining. On Instagram/IGTV you talk about self-love and positivity, and a lot of the things you’ve said you want to provide for fans through your music. So important, especially to have women and queer people in view within the industry. 

“The most damage is done to a generation if there’s a lack of representation in music and art. If young people can’t see bands who sort of reflect who they are and their identity - and that’s talking about sexuality, race, gender - then you start feeling sidelined. And feeling like ‘Okay, if all of the artists are just cis white guys, then what is there for me? I can’t do that, I’m not important - my voice isn’t important.’ I definitely want to be someone people feel represented through. 

I think that indie boys club is definitely being broken through. Not to go from this straight into comparing female musicians, but: you did some writing with Kate Nash. How was that? (Great, obviously).

“I’m not sure if anything we’ve written is going to be released. I’m sure we’ll write together again, but she’s just so cool. She was a big inspiration for me when I started writing music, and she’s just such a badass. She’s been through it in terms of the industry, and she’s had a lot of shit. A proper boss of her own life and her music. She’s an inspiration; I love connecting with people like that. Like, we made a couple of songs but mostly just we hung out. She’s kind of like a mentor - If I need advice I’ll text her. She’s really cool.”

Songs like ‘Find My Friends’ really took me aback, production-wise. The beats are amazing. Is that something you work on yourself in the studio? 

"I can produce, I make home demos. But it’s not really my strong point; also I think I prefer working with other people because I get restless on my own in a studio. I enjoy having other people to feed off ideas from. I usually go in with a sketch beat or a reference of a couple songs that I really like. I’ll have a melody or lyrics and then come in and build it from scratch, together."

You retweet a lot of fans who want to go down to your shows but have no one to go with, and you’re a big advocate of going to gigs alone. What advice have you got for people who find it daunting to solo gig? 

"I used to go to so many gigs on my own! The reason I retweet is because I think a lot of the time people don’t want to go to a gig because they’re anxious or scared about not knowing anyone. Twitter and social media now is such a good way of making gig friends. But going to a gig on your own is great, because you kinda have to realise you’re in a room of people who have a lot in common already. I think, go; have some crazy spiritual experience and just say hi to someone, ask if they wanna hang. Best friends for life."

GIRLI is on tour later this month. Singles 'Day Month Second' and 'Young' are available to stream and buy now.

By Addison Paterson