The Regrettes: Los Angeles’ Genre-Defying Super Group

Photo by Lissyelle Laricchia

The Regrettes are not here for labels or being forced into neat little boxes. The young foursome, who met in music school, has been known to walk on stage to Whitney Houston’s “I Want To Dance With Somebody” only to rip into a high-energy punk song. But, while the group has been compared to riot grrrl heroes like The Raincoats and Bikini Kill, their latest album is a decided turn away from their punk rock roots. I recently caught up with lead singer Lydia Night, via email, before the band’s headlining Treefort Show. 

AM: Bands like yourselves and The Linda Lindas have been touted as the second coming of female-led punk rock. Do you think that label is accurate? What does it mean to you to be considered in that group?

Lydia: I do not consider this an accurate description necessarily because I feel like it pigeonholes us into something that we are so much more than. Yes, we have some female members, and yes, we have some past music that’s punk-inspired, but more importantly, we are a band about to put out a pop album.

Photo by Lissyelle laricchia

AM: Your newest album is a departure in sound from your previous releases. It seems like a lot of bands that start out rooted in punk rock tend to mature into a broader sound at some point. Is that what is happened with this album?

Lydia: We have grown a lot, and it is a natural and new expression of what we like and who we are now.

AM: The past few years have seen a lot of younger alternative bands take center stage in the music industry, more so than in the past decades. What do you think has changed to make that possible?

Lydia: I think artists feel more empowered than ever to mesh genres and step out of their comfort zones. And as a music listener, it’s really exciting.

AM: What does it mean to you to be a part of a festival like Treefort that champions independent and emerging artists?

It’s awesome! We played a few years ago and had such a great time, so it is really cool to be coming back.

AM: What music are you listening to right now that you’re excited about?

Lydia: I am really obsessed with Turnstile and Dijon right now.

This interview has been edited and condensed.