“It was at one of Laura’s shows at the curling club. I had known Laura for a bit but had never seen her play, and at the time, I was putting on shows with someone who really dominated what we were doing, but who really gave me a chance to learn. For some reason, [Laura’s] band, Down the Lees, had been rejected a lot whenever they came up in conversation. Then, when I saw them live, I was like “Holy shit, these guys rock,” explains Madeline. “She approached me about it, and I had to reflect and wonder why. We kind of just talked about misogyny in the scene. It was literally a five-minute conversation, like, ‘Should we do a festival of all-girl bands?’ Then we hugged it out. We became really close after that… It all just kind of fell together.” 

What became of that five-minute conversation soon ruptured onto the stage of Vernon’s beloved BBDBs,’ fully formed and ready to scream. “We wanted to find underrepresented groups—generally younger, as we had the opportunity to use an all-ages space—to give the audience and the band, sort of the inspiration to go ‘Hey, we can do this.’ When I was in my early twenties and late teens going to shows in Kelowna, there wasn’t a lot of that, as far as queer femme spaces go. It was cool because we were able to put that call out for it the first time,” Madeline told me when I asked about the ethos of that first lineup. “It was more about us having to say no than having to search for more bands, which again, just goes to show just how much there is in just Kelowna.” 

Now, the festival finds new life and a larger space in Vancouver, as Madeline steps into the year-round role of operating manager at The Pearl, where this city’s leg of the festival will be held (Girls to the Front Festival will also play in Kelowna later this year). Boasting a massive 10-band bill, as well as a handful of vendors and comedians all with the same outlook of uplifting the voices of BIPOC, femme, queer community, Girls to the Front has firmly planted its roots. 

Though the name and ethos of the events call recollections of the D.I.Y. attitudes and styles of 90’s Riot Grrrl—the phrase “girls to the front” having been used by the likes of Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill) to implore women to take up more space on the dance floor—Fraser loudly seeks to expand on the limited scope of the previous movements’ activism. “100% more POC representation, that’s something that was so missing from 90’s Riot Grrrl, and queer representation as well. Queer spaces have grown so much, but have also become more volatile. I want this event to be not just a music event, but for everyone to leave feeling the power that we do have; that we have a loud, badass voice, and we all have each other. I really want [these performances] to feel powerful. I want you to leave thinking: ‘I want to do something.’ 

That desire for kinetic energy also rings through the bill, with powerful, fun, sometimes silly, sometimes intensely emotional acts. “For this bill, it was a lot about [platforming] bands that had just… blown my mind in the last year; having this position at The Pearl gave me the opportunity to reach out to artists I wouldn’t have had leverage with previously, like JISEI. I’ve never teared up watching a show like that before, it was fucking incredible, like a battle cry.”  Madeline also outlined her excitement for performances from the frenetic and bouncy Vancouver-based Semi, and WAIT//LESS, who are alumni of the previous Girls to the Front Festival.

Girls to the Front Festival takes place at The Pearl on Saturday, March 14. Tickets available here. The event will be donating $2 from every ticket to The Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre.