Horsegirl
Indie rock trio Horsegirl from Chicago writes songs with a surprising level of honesty, taking you through the experiences of youth and of being a girl. Friends Nora Cheng, Penelope Lowenstein and Gigi Reece released their second album “Phonetics On and On” in 2025. The album explores the boundaries between pop, minimalism and playful experimentation, but is also pure, energetic and danceable.
Their debut “Visions of Modern Performance” (2022) came out through Matador Records, and they have been with the label ever since. This label is also home to fellow indie darlings like Snail Mail, Water From Your Eyes and Bar Italia, as well as veterans like Kim Gordon, Pavement and Yo La Tengo. The girls managed to rope in two former members of Sonic Youth for the recording sessions of their debut, Lee Ranaldo and Steve Shelley.
Their second album “Phonetics On and On” (2025) has a refreshing mix of energetic indie rock, post punk, minimalist indie pop and playful experiments that include the use of violins, synths and even a gamelan. The album is surprisingly layered and was recorded during an ice-cold January in Chicago. Even though the members moved to New York, their music is still rooted in the DIY culture of Chicago.
Horsegirl is highly recommended to anyone who loves indie rock and bands like Dinosaur Jr., Illuminati Hotties, Sonic Youth, Belle and Sebastian and Franz Ferdinand.
