Girl Group (band)

Last updated

Girl Group
Origin Liverpool, England
Genres Indie pop [1]
Years active2023–present
Members
  • Katya Birkeland
  • Lily Christlow
  • Thea Gundersen
  • Mia Halvorsen
  • Maria Tollisen

Girl Group are a British-Norwegian band based in Liverpool, consisting of members Katya Birkeland, Lily Christlow, Thea Gundersen, Mia Halvorsen and Maria Tollisen. After becoming friends whilst attending the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, they made their debut in 2023. They have since released the extended play Think They're Looking, Let's Perform in 2025.

Contents

History

Four of Girl Group's members are Norwegian: Katya Birkeland, Thea Gundersen, Mia Halvorsen and Maria Tollisen, while member Lily Christlow is from Bridlington, Yorkshire. [2] They all met each other whilst attending the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. [1] Halvorsen and Tollisen knew each other from Oslo, and eventually, the five women all became friends. [3] Six months later, they began to make music together. They were annoyed that men in their classes would all hire out the studios and not involve them, or occasionally invite them and ask them to stay quiet and not contribute. [4]

Before choosing Girl Group as their band name, they also considered Pop Tarts, Floor Snacks and Rodney's Angels. Explaining the choice, they said it expresses "so perfectly what we are, everything that we do is centred around women but then also that sense of playfulness and togetherness". [3] They have said that it was initially difficult to agree on a collective sound for the group, but eventually agreed that their common interest was Wet Leg. Their debut single, "Life is Dumb", released in 2023, was inspired by Wet Leg's "Being in Love". [5] Tollisen co-produces the majority of their music. [4] Their second single, "Lil's Room", was released in 2024 and was written about the safe environment they felt making music in Christlow's room. [3]

In early 2025, Girl Group released the song "Yay! Saturday". The song was written when the group were going out a lot and felt no responsibility. [4] It was followed by "Flink Pike", a Nordic expression for "good girl". The song critiqued the societal pressures and expectations of women. [6] After releasing another single, "Your Fantasy", [7] they announced their debut extended play (EP), Think They're Looking, Let's Perform. The six-track EP was released on 20 June 2025. [8] A month later, they opened for Olivia Dean's Paris show. [2] They also performed on the BBC Introducing stage at Reading and Leeds Festival in 2025. [9] September 2025 saw Girl Group release the pop punk track "Rage Song". [10]

Artistry

Girl Group have cited Lily Allen, Sabrina Carpenter, Wet Leg, Addison Rae, Chappell Roan and Charli XCX as musical inspirations. They listed Charli XCX's 2024 album Brat as an inspiration for their debut EP. [2] Christlow grew up as a musical theatre fan and lived in a pub where live bands often performed. Halvorsen was taken to Roskilde Festival as a child, while Gundersen descends from poets and songwriters. Tollisen was brought up around the music of Joni Mitchell and Paul Simon, while Birkeland is inspired by Disney Channel music, which they have described as useful when writing their hooks. [5]

Discography

Extended plays

List of extended plays, with selected details
TitleDetails
Think They're Looking, Let's Perform

Singles

List of singles as lead artist, showing year released
TitleYearAlbum
"Life is Dumb"2023Non-album singles
"Lil's Room"2024
"Yay! Saturday"2025Think They're Looking, Let's Perform
"Flink Pike"
"Your Fantasy"
"Rage Song"TBA
"She Goes"

Awards and nominations

YearCeremonyCategoryNominee(s)/work(s)ResultRef.
2025 NRK Urørt  [ no ]Urørt of the YearGirl GroupWon [11]

References

  1. 1 2 "Girl Group Share Spectacular Single 'Flink Pike'". Clash . Archived from the original on 16 April 2025. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 "Seven Questions With Girl Group". Music is to Blame. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 "INTERVIEW W/ Girl Group: "It's a girlhood...we're like family!"". Boot. Archived from the original on 13 June 2025. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 ""Yay! Saturday" sees Girl Group drag the audience along for a messy, joyful girls' night out". The Line of Best Fit . Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  5. 1 2 "Girl Group are bringing pop with purpose". Dork . Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  6. "Rising British pop outfit Girl Group share bold new single 'Flink Pike'". CelebMix. Archived from the original on 30 July 2025. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  7. "Girl Group - Your Fantasy". #BrandNew. Archived from the original on 17 July 2025. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  8. "Girl Group Encapsulate Gen Z Girlhood On Debut EP, 'Think They're Looking, Let's Perform'". Bricks. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  9. "BBC Introducing at Reading and Leeds Festival 2025". BBC News . Archived from the original on 3 July 2025. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  10. "Girl Group unleash feminist call to action with 'Rage Song'". TuneFountain. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  11. "De er «Årets Urørt»: – Var redde nordmenn ikke ville like det". NRK Untouched (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 6 October 2025. Retrieved 28 October 2025.