Sleater-Kinney

30 years after they formed as part of the Riot Grrrl movement, alt-rock icons Sleater-Kinney return to the country where they recorded their debut self-titled album in just one night in 1994, right here in Australia.

Hailing from Olympia, Washington, and known for their feminist and progressive lyrics, Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein make music to make a difference. Their punk, alternative and indie rock riffs paired with signature wailing vocals have been critically acclaimed and revered by fans alike for over three decades.

Sleater-Kinney’s national tour coincides with the release of their 11th studio album, Little Rope. To call the album flawless feels like an insult to its intent – it careens headfirst into flaw, brokenness and grief. In the aftermath of the death of both Brownstein’s mother and stepfather in a car accident while vacationing in Italy, elements of what was to become the emotional backbone of Little Rope began to form – how we navigate grief and the ways in which it transforms us. On the surface, the album’s ten songs veer from spare to anthemic, catchy to deliberately hard-turning. But beneath that, a lyrical and emotional compass points firmly in the direction of something both liberating and terrifying: the sense that the only way to gain control is to let it go. In an album so centered on vulnerability, Tucker manages to find her way from composure to its utter absence in a series of visceral turns and a heavier manifestation of a rawness that’s always been there.

On the cusp of a world tour to commemorate the album, Sleater-Kinney’s Carrie Brownstein says “For all intents and purposes, Sleater-Kinney got its start in Australia. We recorded our first album and played our first ever shows there. Because of that, Australia feels like one of the band’s spiritual homes, and returning there always feels like a homecoming, a reunion.”

With a weighty catalogue of highly-celebrated music, and accolades for Little Rope ringing out around the world, this show is truly not to be missed.