Today we’d like to introduce you to Liv Haynes, Gigi Haynes, and Maren Alford.
“Everywhere I go the kids wanna rock.”
A call to arms from rock legend Bryan Adams back in 1984 which high-energy, power pop trio, NOT UR GIRLFRENZ is making sure is still 100% true to this day! Barely in their teens, this all-girl, Texan rock outfit is here to prove they mean business – busting out show-stealing performances with their high-energy songs, which cleverly combine instant Pop Punk hooks with timeless old school songwriting.
Inheriting a love of classic rock bands (the likes of Joan Jett, U2 and Heart) from their parents and combining it with a love of current pop and rock, such as Paramore and Fall Out Boy, NOT UR GIRLFRENZ – Liv Haynes (14) Guitar & Vocals, Maren Alford (14) Drums, Gigi Haynes (12) Bass – quickly forged their own distinct identity. This soon caught the attention of Grammy-Nominated Songwriter Jaret Reddick of Bowling For Soup, who saw an opportunity to work with a promising and exciting new band – something vocalist Liv describes as a “pinch me moment” working alongside one of her musical heroes.
The superstar collaboration opened up exciting new doors – a SOLD OUT Tour with Bowling For Soup, followed by a slot on the final Cross Country Vans Warped Tour which saw its founder Kevin Lyman declaring them ‘The future of women in rock or just rock in general’ and earned NOT UR GIRLFRENZ the title of ‘the Youngest Touring Band in Warped’s 24 year history’! “You look into the crowd before a show and see some of your biggest influences staring back at you!” reveals Maren about the Warped experience. Effortlessly performing in front of such great, welcoming crowds have seen their fanbase rapidly grow. “I learned that hard work pays off! We walked the line, handed out flyers and sold merch in the extreme heat and rain, and saw so many of the fans” continues Gigi. The young band has an instant rapport with this fanbase, one which will serve them well as their exciting career progresses!
The band was featured in a recent ‘Girl Power’ advertising campaign for Reliant Energy (with fellow Texan and movie megastar, Matthew McConaughey) and received an amazing response to their re-workings and videos for classics such as U2’s ‘I Will Follow’ and The Cure’s ‘Friday (I’m in Love)’. NOT UR GIRLFRENZ effortlessly followed these with original slabs of pop-punk ear candy. ‘Never Stop’ and video ‘Warped’, filmed during their recent summer trek featuring appearances from their heroes and biggest bands on the tour, the likes of Mayday Parade, The Maine, Simple Plan and Reel Big Fish – prove that while these girls mean business, they’re here to have a lot of FUN! That alone is infectious!
Right now is an exciting time to jump on board and ride the wave alongside NOT UR GIRLFRENZ. Liv sums it up perfectly, “I feel like EVERY DAY is a new adventure and we are literally living our dreams! I can write songs about how I feel and what’s going on in my life and see people relate to what I say! That’s the coolest thing ever!” After releasing their debut EP, NEW KIDS IN AMERICA, completing their first international tour (U.K.), and winning ‘Video of the Year’ for their girl-power anthem “No One Asked You Anyway”, it’s already been an exciting opening chapter… get ready for the pop-punk story of a lifetime!
“Kick down the barricades! Listen what the kids say!”
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Liv:
Our biggest challenges as musicians are that we are: (1.) barely teenagers and (2.) we are all girls. So, there are very few role models for us to look up to but it only makes us work harder to be the best we can be and, hopefully, we will be role models ourselves one day.
Gigi:
Definitely being underestimated! That is what Liv wrote “No One Asked You Anyway” all about.
Maren:
I would say that our biggest challenge as musicians would be that since we’re “young girls” we experience a lot of underestimation, which is what our song “No One Asked You Anyway” is about.
Please tell us about your group, Not Ur Girlfrenz.
Our goal is to inspire kids around the world to pick up an instrument and make loud noises! You can do anything you put your mind to!! Don’t let anyone tell you what you can and can’t do. Make your dreams come true!
There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
Put yourself out there any chance you get! You never know who might be watching!!
Contact Info:
- Website: http://noturgirlfrenz.com
- Email: noturgirlfrenz@gmail.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/noturgirlfrenz
- Facebook: http://facebook.com/noturgirlfrenz
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/noturgirlfrenz
Image Credit:
Jawn Rocha – red wall photo, Austin Marc Graf – white dress photo
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