Starting a Riot

From OPB and the NPR Network, Starting a Riot tells the story of a movement called riot grrrl. It wasn't just music – it was politics, feminism, culture and zines. We’ll hear from people on the margins, people who felt left out, and the people who insisted on being part of the conversation anyway.

Host and She Shreds Media founder Fabi Reyna introduces us to the movement known as riot grrrl. It started in Olympia, Washington in the early 1990s and it was more than just music – it was zines, feminism and community. Riot grrrl kicked open a door that women had been prying open for decades. But the histories of riot grrrl that have been told before haven’t felt fully representative of BIPOC and queer people. We’re leaning into that gap and listening to people on the margins, people who felt left out, people who insisted on being part of the conversation anyway.

Come with us to Olympia, Washington. This little town perched on the Puget Sound is known as the birthplace of riot grrrl. We’ll hear about what it was like in the ’90s, what it meant for the movement to start there and how the town’s history affected riot grrrl.

In the early ’90s, when riot grrrl was just gaining momentum, zines played a crucial role. At first, zines were the only form of media reporting on riot grrrl bands, meetings and political organizing. And for many young women, self-publishing was a lot more accessible than starting a band.

The DIY spirit of riot grrrl gave women and girls space to create their own version of feminism. They were making connections with each other through zines, music and riot grrrl meetings. And at the same time, they were exposing sexual violence and harassment as systemic problems. As more and more women felt empowered both collectively and individually, they faced pushback from mainstream culture and even within punk scenes.

BIPOC and queer fans and musicians didn’t always feel welcomed by riot grrrl. But some managed to claim space in the movement anyway. We dig into what it was like for people who were “aerating the soil” of punk for the next generation,  and why some efforts to make riot grrrl more inclusive failed.

Riot grrrl left a legacy and … it’s complicated. A lot of the bands that were inspired by the movement don’t want to be directly associated with it any longer. We’ll dig into that and hear from bands that are carrying on the legacy and the spirit of riot grrrl today.

We’re guessing that “Starting a Riot” fans love music. So we wanted to share an episode of one of our favorite music podcasts with you. It’s called “Sound Opinions.” In this episode, host Jim DeRogatis and producer Alex Claiborne have a casual conversation with the three friends behind Boygenius: Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus. The conversation focuses on the deep friendship that inspires the group’s songwriting, their new album and the meaning behind their recent Rolling Stone cover photo that referenced Nirvana.

Corin Tucker of Heavens To Betsy and Sleater-Kinney sat down with Fabi Reyna and she brought her guitar. You’ve heard snippets of that conversation throughout the podcast, but we thought you might like to hear more about Corin’s experiences in Olympia, how her bands started and how she developed her unique sound.

Stephanie Phillips is the lead singer and musician in the UK band Big Joanie. She was heavily influenced by riot grrrl. Producer Julie Sabatier got to talk to her just after Big Joanie toured through the Pacific Northwest earlier this year.