Arts and Culture

Meet these young female rockers looking for bandmates

Recruitment effort goes viral with help from Kelowna rock band

Grace Neil-Hales’ bedroom is filled with records, cassettes, and VHS tapes. The walls are lined with posters of The Runaways, Joan Jett, and KISS.

She proudly sports AC/DC shirts, ripped black jeans, and Converse sneakers.

Her favourite bands are torn straight from the pages of a 1980s copy of Rolling Stone Magazine.

She’s even got a rock band of her own, The Bullets.

But did we mention she’s just about to turn 11 years old?

“When I was younger, I always used to sing a whole bunch of rock songs and I’ve always wanted to be in a band and play instruments and stuff,” she told Ryan and Sarah from 104.7 The Lizard.

Neil-Hales and bandmate Bella Malcolm swung by the station to talk about their now viral hunt for new members.

It all started after Neil-Hales put up a handwritten wanted poster detailing her desired recruits.

“I’m looking to start and all girl rock band,” it read, asking for a drummer and bassist. “I have wrote a couple songs and I would be really happy to share some with new band members. Aesthetic is Stranger Things, running away, punk rock, 80s/70s.”

Kelowna rock band, The Wild, saw the poster, snapped a photo, and shared it online.

Internet adoration ensued.

“I’m kind of shocked,” she said about the entire situation. “I only put two [posters] up!”

Currently, The Bullets is made up of Neil-Hales, Malcolm – who drums - and their friend Natalie, who also plays guitar.

“I want to write music people can relate to and sing out to and have fun and listen to and stuff like that,” Neil-Hales said of the endeavour. “And I want people in my band who are passionate about being in a band and like to play what they are playing and stuff.”

Asked about who would be the perfect addition to the foursome, Malcolm was simple in her reply: “Someone who is good at playing the bass.”

Published 2022-08-22 by Tyler Marr

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