Muncie Girls are a British trio whose songs start with strong, hooky melodies, add the energy of punk and the big guitars of hard rock, and give it all an emotional charge with the bright, emotive vocals of Lande Hekt. Making their recording debut in 2011, they became critical favorites with 2016's From Caplan to Belsize, and added a dash more discipline and polish to their approach with their second album, 2018's Fixed Ideals. Formed in 2010, Muncie Girls' members Lande Hekt (vocals, bass), Dean McMullen (guitar), and Luke Ellis (drums) had been friends and regulars of the local D.I.Y. punk scene in their hometown of Exeter, U.K. Fueled by their own angst and discontent with the world, the trio set about performing and recording, originally playing local support shows with the likes of Caves and Great Cynics. The band's first release came at the end of 2011 in the shape of a three track self-titled cassette on What We Should Be Doing! Returning to the studio at the beginning of 2012, the trio set about recording their second EP, Revolution Summer. Released on local Exeter-based punk label Specialist Subject, the EP helped propel the band's profile, with airplay on BBC Radio 1's punk show becoming a regular thing. Continuous touring throughout the U.K. and Europe saw the trio's output slow, with only the Sleepless E.P. being released in 2013. A split single with Great Cynics appeared early the next year, followed in 2015 by another split single, this time with German punk outfit Sandlotkids. With Hekt splitting her time between various bands and starting School of Frock -- a musical workshop encouraging girls to start bands and play instruments -- the group finally returned to the studio at the beginning of 2015 to record what would become their debut album. Released a year later in March 2016, the more politically slanted From Caplan to Belsize appeared. Its title drawn from Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar, From Caplan to Belsize earned enthusiastic reviews, with venerable U.K. hard rock journal Kerrang! giving it a rare five out of five rating. Muncie Girls' audience began to expand outside of South West England as their album was released in Europe and the United States, and in 2018 it was followed by their second LP, Fixed Ideals, which buffered Hekt's personal lyrics with a tighter and more professional production approach. ~ Rich Wilson