Concert News

MUNCIE GIRLS Announce farewell headline tour of the UK in Nov/Dec

• 3rd Aug 2023

One of the most beloved bands to come out of the UK DIY scene in the past 15 years, Exeter’s Muncie Girls have decided to officially call it a day and embark on a farewell tour of the UK in November and December of this year. Tickets on sale now. 

Says vocalist and guitarist Lande Hekt: “After nearly 13 years, a demo CD, a demo tape, three 12” EPs, three 7” singles, a 12” split record and two albums, we’re saying goodbye to our band Muncie Girls. We started this band when we were 17 and the biggest goal we could muster up was to release a 7” single. We ended up doing more things and going to more places than we could ever have imagined. We were lucky to be from a town with such a brilliant music scene and venue, the Cavern, and I remember how it felt to travel to so many cities and discover other scenes just like ours. 

The community we found ourselves a part of was so special and really became our lives. If it weren’t for the kindness of total strangers putting on shows for us, feeding us and letting us stay at their houses, we would never have been able to do any of the things that we’ve done. We were even once temporarily adopted by a family in Texas when we went to play SXSW and they baked us cherry pie and drove us to our gigs. We were taken on a tour around Australia by complete strangers who became some of our best friends. We went to Japan after some strangers offered to book us a tour and we travelled around on trains and borrowed local bands’ gear, guitars, everything. We spent most of our time touring in mainland Europe where we made friends for life, playing in squats, venues, gardens, bunkers, wherever. 

I often heard stories of bands having to sleep in their vans or in parks or service stations. We always had somewhere to stay, no one ever let us sleep rough. I know we were incredibly lucky and we have our scene and our friends and fans to thank for that. We’ve relied so much on people’s kindness; I hope that we were always grateful enough. 

We’ve decided to do a farewell tour and we hope that you’ll join us at a show. Muncie Girls will always be a massive part of our lives and we will each always play music, just in different projects now. Thank you everyone!”

The clutch of five dates will be the trio’s first shows since 2021. In their career to date, Muncie Girls have shared stages with the likes of Los Campesinos!, Taking Back Sunday, The Wonder Years, Frank Iero and The Get Up Kids, as well as playing shows as far away from home as Australia and Japan, and captivating crowds at legendary festivals from Glastonbury to Groezrock and Reading & Leeds to SXSW.

Muncie Girls’ first album ‘From Caplan To Belsize’ was released in 2016 via Specialist Subject. The record garnered critical and fan acclaim, with a slew of glowing reviews in Kerrang!, Upset, DIY, Rock Sound, The Line of Best Fit and more. Stateside publications like Stereogum and Punknews also started jumping on board. The band was nominated for “Best British Newcomer” at the Kerrang! Awards 2016 with the album shortlisted for esteemed blog Drowned In Sound’s “Neptune Prize” the same year. Hekt proved her poignantly socially aware lyrical prowess with tracks like ‘Respect’ which addresses any “lad” who has been caught up in the rape culture that’s rife in our society, particularly on university campuses and online. 

The band’s last album ‘Fixed Ideals’ was released in 2018, again in partnership with Specialist Subject. The record has been praised for its insightful social commentary and endearing melodies. As much as it  feels like you’re being read passages direct from Hekt’s diary, with her ideas and heart laid bare, the songs within are also overwhelmingly relatable. ‘Fixed Ideals’ tackles themes of anxiety and mental health head on, as well as delving into the effects of too much alcohol and wasting potential. It speaks of having a desire to be educated, focusing on personal relationships and the importance of friendship and family. The high press praise continued with ‘Fixed Ideals’. NPR proclaimed ‘Picture of Health’ “absolutely fetching”, NME awarded the album the full 5 stars, Q Magazine praised its “melodies so hearty, they feel like a warm embrace”, The Guardian appreciated its “scathing social critique” and DIY called the full length “charming and bold”. 

Don’t miss your last chance to see Muncie Girls’ enthralling, personally poetic yet endlessly relatable indie punk live for the last time and sing / shout / scream / cry along. 

MUNCIE GIRLS – FINAL UK TOUR:

30.11 Brighton, Green Door Store

01.12 Exeter, Cavern

02.12 London, Boston Music Room

07.12 Bristol, Exchange

08.12 Manchester, Gullivers