Courtesy Sutton Raeburn<\/p>\n
<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><\/div>\n
Gunk!<\/a> just dropped the most academic punk single you\u2019ll come across all year.<\/p>\n While the song \u201cFEMICIDE\u201d<\/a> is a breakneck two minutes, it serves more as a sonic companion piece to \u201cThe Femicide Manifesto,\u201d<\/a> a fifty-page scholarly article tackling sex, fear and femininity, complete with a bibliography.<\/p>\n \u201cI liked the idea of having something to release that was more than music at first, although honestly, the music speaks for itself. The music is everything,\u201d says vocalist Willie Cyr. \u201cThe type of band that we are, and people are starting to perceive us as, and the audience we have, I want to be able to be able to bring up important things and get more peoples\u2019 attention and speak on topics such as that.\u201d<\/p>\n The music predated the manifesto, in this case, and what was initially supposed to be a DIY zine turned into a informational project that includes each of the band member\u2019s perspectives on modern femininity.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was supposed to be a tiny little zine and the more I kept thinking and researching and finding differing stuff to talk about, I just kept going,\u201d Cyr shares. \u201cI sent it to them and was like, \u2018Are y\u2019all fucking with this?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd we, in fact, were fucking with this,\u201d adds guitarist Kat Harris.<\/p>\n Since 2022, the Colorado Springs femmecore five-piece has been a flag bearer for inclusivity and visibility within the local scene, so dropping a full-fledged manifesto felt like the natural next step after the release of its self-titled debut<\/a> last January.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought it was really well done,\u201d says guitarist Char Rogers. \u201cI was really proud of Willie for taking the initiative to get the information out there. It\u2019s really cool. There\u2019s just so much that people don\u2019t know about all the different parts of women and oppression.<\/p>\n \u201cOverall, I was really proud of them for taking the time and having that voice because I think it\u2019s really important,\u201d she continues. \u201cThere are some things that aren\u2019t talked about or easily talked about, and they just went balls to the wall with it.\u201d<\/p>\n Courtesy I Know The Devil Is Real<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n That last line is a good description of Gunk!, too. The group, which also includes bassist Birdy Carl and drummer Mylena Guerrero, doesn\u2019t hold back, as the members often jump between instruments during sets. Riot grrrl rowdiness at its finest.<\/p>\n \u201cAt this point it\u2019s become such a part of our routine, I don\u2019t think twice about it,\u201d Harris says. \u201cI always love to hear the reactions of people seeing us for the first time and being like, \u2018It was so crazy when you guys got up there and switched instruments.\u2019 I find it hilarious every time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m like, \u2018My bitches are bad,\u2019\u201d Carl quips.<\/p>\n Witness the Gunk! switcheroo next on Friday, January 16, at Creepatorium<\/a>. Kunt<\/a>, Diskount Vodka<\/a> and Amish Drive-By<\/a> are also on the bill.<\/p>\n Gunk! \u2014 the moniker is a mash-up of \u201cgirl\u201d and \u201cpunk\u201d \u2014 is ramping up for a big 2026 with a new album set to be released on Valentine\u2019s Day, February 14. There\u2019s a show at What\u2019s Left Records<\/a> to celebrate.<\/p>\n \u201cI do feel a little bit of a tone shift in this album, as far as it\u2019s a little heavier, maybe even doomier,\u201d Rogers says.<\/p>\n Then it\u2019s to the Pacific Northwest for gigs in Seattle and Portland, before coming back home for more manifesto musing. Right now, Gunk! is booked through May, and locally is becoming a beacon of the new-wave of punk.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now, especially in Colorado and in the Springs, there\u2019s definitely a renaissance happening with art in general, different mixed medias, bands and music,\u201d Guerrero says. \u201cThere are different genres to choose from, different bands that play different genres.\u201d<\/p>\n Gunk! is certainly doing its part.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like it\u2019s pretty empowering. Just to have the opportunity to say how we feel and speak up,\u201d Rogers says. \u201cThe whole point is that more people do it. If they see a group of people together speaking their minds and doing things that feel authentic to them. then they will do that, too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI definitely feel like it\u2019s a privilege and responsibility, as well as it is a fun, cool thing. We\u2019ve been given a platform to use our voices and speak up for the truths that we believe in,\u201d Harris concludes. \u201cThat\u2019s a huge responsibility. As we\u2019re gaining momentum, I feel like there\u2019s an even bigger responsibility there to continue to use our art for what we believe in and for standing up for people.\u201d<\/p>\n Gunk!, with Kunt, Diskount Vodka and Amish Drive-By, 7 p.m. Friday, January 16, Creepatorium, 1974 South Tacoma St. Tickets<\/a> are $15. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.westword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/01\/GUNK-pic-2-I-Know-The-Devil-Is-Real.jpg?w=1024\")