A Chat with Thee Soreheads (18.01.26)
From songs exploring misogyny, female liberation, white supremacy, and just everything that makes society a bit more dangerous, Thee Soreheads have a riotous, rambunctious and radical punk-rock sound to capture each issue. Hailing from Montreal, Maria (vocalist), Ally (guitar), Max (drums) and Hugh (bass), Thee Soreheads are stomping their way across the Canadian music scene. We speak with the band about their new EP, I’m Not Your Fucking Sex Doll, memorable gigs, and much more.
OSR: Cliché, but how did Thee Soreheads come about? What drew you to music and to each other?
Maria: We actually met when I was doing a show at Bar L’esco with my other band, Manella. Ally, the guitar player in Thee Soreheads, was our sound tech, and we started talking about my influences: mine being Bikini Kill and Amyl and The Sniffers, which were similar for Ally. From there, I got introduced to Max and Hugh (drums and bass), we jammed, and the rest is history! We’ve been making music together for a little over two years now
OSR: What does music mean to you?
Maria: In Thee Soreheads specifically, music is a means for social change and catharsis. I come from a classical and jazz background, so it’s interesting to make music that is not completely based on music theory and rules, but rather focuses on emotion and creating community. Our music is for anyone who has ever felt any of the feelings women have experienced in the world, or who care about marginalized people’s rights and want to stand up for them. I try to create music that can join people together in that joy, pain, and, of course, rage.
OSR: You have recently released your EP, I’m Not Your Fucking Sex Doll. What can you tell us about it? Is there a particular theme or backstory?
Maria: I’m Not Your Fucking Sex Doll is a feminist punk record exploring themes of misogyny, harassment, awful exes, and women’s liberation. I’m a pretty shy person off stage, and I have found an incredible ability to be able to express myself and take up space through this music and band. I’m Not Your Fucking Sex Doll is about that expression, and the catharsis that comes with it. I can say what I want to say, call out those who need to be called out, and stand in my power surrounded by allies and other women. I hope that our listeners can relate to the words and join in my rage.
OSR: I know musicians often say they wouldn’t change anything about their EPs, but if you could, is there anything you’d change? If so, why?
Maria: I’d make it longer!! (laughs). We’ve written so many songs as a band, and I think it would’ve been really fun to add some of those newer additions to the EP. Other than that, I wouldn’t change anything about it. Aran Winter and Pete Edwards did a great job making us sound amazing with their mixing, sound recording, and mastering skills. It was such a joy to work with them! I also see recorded music as a moment in time; no matter what, we’re always going to be improving and noticing things we’d do differently as we evolve as a band, but I think this first EP really solidified our message and that of our future songs. I look forward to going into the studio again and seeing what we sound like now, a little over a year later.
OSR: As a female punk band, what are your thoughts on the representation and presence of females in today’s music industry? Is it lacking at all, and what do you think could be done to improve female artists’ standing – if you think it’s a bit… let’s say, wanting.
Maria: Our band is fem-fronted, and I write all the lyrics revolving around themes of womanhood and the negativity that comes with it. The rest of the band (Max, Ally, and Hugh) are incredible allies and get so excited every time I bring in new lyrics. They are some of the most supportive musicians I’ve ever worked with, and it’s such a joy to be making music with them while feeling heard, supported and amplified at the same time.
There is a huge lack of representation for women and marginalized people within the rock scene, what we try to do as a band is share bills with mostly fem-fronted or women bands, call out/blacklist abusers and misogynists in spaces where we create music, and always aim to create spaces where women can feel safe to come to our shows, dance, mosh, and enjoy themselves. It’s important for women to see themselves on stage and for us to share our stories and music in community.
OSR: Every show is transformative. What is your most memorable live gig and why that performance?
Ally: That’s a great question. There are three that live rent-free in my head. I’ll put them in chronological order. The first time we played at Traxide (now the Thrashcan) in 2024, It’s a hidden venue in Montréal and has a bit of a reputation for being quite rowdy. It was mostly strangers in the audience, and the first time there was a mosh pit at one of our shows, I felt so happy. From the stage, it looked like when you throw fish food into a tank and all the fish rush towards the food.
The second memorable show would be opening up for Grimskunk at MTelus in April 2025. Hands down the biggest show we’ve ever done, and the 2200 capacity venue was sold out! We went on first and just played loud and fast. We were all nervous, but I think we did a great job. Our drummer, Max, hardly ever smiles, and he was beaming the most after the show.
Thirdly, our show at the Van Horne Underpass (R.I.P). It’s an outdoor spot in Montreal where people used to put on shows. We organized the event, and our friend lent us a generator. There were so many people, and it was absolute chaos. I wish we could organize another one, but the police closed it all down.
OSR: What do you enjoy most about being in a punk band? Also, what are the challenges of being in a band?
Ally: The best thing about being in a punk band is making music that’s not very complicated. Our songs tend to come together fairly quickly, and we all pull in the same direction. We know this music isn’t for everybody, so we literally get to make the music that we want to hear. The challenges of being in a band can sometimes be finding time to all be available at the same time, since realistically, we’ve all got day jobs that get in the way. Also, I think sometimes we put a lot of pressure on ourselves, we want to be doing fun and exciting stuff all the time, but it’s good to remind ourselves that we’ve already done a lot in a short period of time, and just enjoy the journey.
OSR: If you had to introduce a new listener to your music, which song would you recommend and why?
Ally: Ratlike’. It’s the song we open up with, and I feel that really sets the gauntlet down for what’s to come next in our live sets, where our music thrives the most. It’s loud, fast and about Maria’s racist ex, so incredibly angry. Maria brought the lyrics in, and then it took around 15 minutes to put together when we were all in the rehearsal studio.
OSR: What can we expect from Thee Soreheads in the future?
Maria: This Winter we’ll be doing Cabaret Festif, plus a bunch of shows throughout Canada (BC, Quebec and Ontario), which we’re very stoked for! We’re also in the process of recording a full-length album and our first music video, so stay tuned for a lot of exciting stuff coming very soon!
OSR: Do you have a message for our readers?
Maria: If you love fem rage, or have ever felt angry or tired about being a woman in the world, this EP is probably for you. We hope you like it!
Find out more about Thee Soreheads on their official TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Spotify.
