The late 80s gave the world a lot of underground bands. Women's groups appear on the stage, playing alternative rock. Someone flared up and went out, someone lingered for a while, but they all left a bright mark on the history of music. One of the brightest and most controversial groups can be called L7.
How it all started with the L7 group
In 1985, guitarist friends Susie Gardner and Donita Sparks formed their own band in Los Angeles. Additional members were not immediately selected. It took several years for the official line-up to take shape. Eventually, drummer Dee Plakas and bassist Jennifer Finch became permanent members of L7. And Gardner and Sparks decided that, in addition to playing the guitar, they take on the functions of vocalists.
The meaning of the name is still debated. Someone believes that this is a disguised name for a position in sex. The members themselves say that this is just a term from the 50s, used to describe someone "square". One thing is for sure: L7 is the only female group of the late 80s that plays grunge.
First L7 contract
It took three years for the band to land their first major deal with Epitaph, a new label founded in Hollywood by Brett Gurewitz of Bad Religion. And in the same year she released her debut longplay of the same name. It was the first release for both the artist and the label. The band couldn't quite decide what style to play in, and the album was bisected by clean punk songs and upbeat heavy metal tracks.
From this moment begins the ascent of L7 to the musical Olympus. The girls go on tour, promoting their brand. And the second album is recorded only after three years.
Smell the Magic
After the release of the first album, many major recording studios became interested in the girls. One of them, Sub Pop, was signed to a contract. In the late 90s - early 91s, the band's second album, Smell the Magic, was released. A year later - "Bricks Are Heavy", which became the most popular and sold for the entire existence of the band.
At the same time, having teamed up with famous rock musicians, the girls founded the Rock for Choice charitable association. Rock is fighting for the civil rights of women - perhaps this is how you can characterize the ultimate goal of this project.
Successful career. Continuation
In '92, the track "Pretend We're Dead" hits the charts for the first time. And from that moment begins the crazy success. 21st place for a female punk band is an achievement. Another life begins, continuous tours and defiant antics on stage. America, Europe, Japan, Australia - the girls have visited almost all countries of the world. The scandalous acts of the participants excite the minds and occupy the front pages of newspapers.
L7 sometimes play a night with their participant at the auction, then they throw a bloody Tampax at the audience right from the stage. The reputation of abnormal girls is firmly attached to the group. At the same time, they play high-quality music, supported by socially significant texts. Such an explosive mixture is to the taste of the fans and shocking the townsfolk.
Career decline. The final
It rarely happens that in a team everything is quiet and peaceful, and there are no disagreements. Creative people are always ambitious and have their own view of what is happening. Different assessments cause controversy, problems arise leading to a crisis. This happened in L7 as well. The team did not save even the subsequent successful collection.
"Hungry for Stink", which peaked at number 26 on the UK Singles Chart. Finch decided to leave the group. The Lollapalooza fest (97) turned out to be the final one, played in the familiar team. No one announced publicly that the group was breaking up, but the subsequent album "The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum" was recorded with a different line-up.
After the leapfrog of changing bass players, Janice Tanaka was constantly left, with whom they recorded the next collection - "Slap Happy". However, it turned out to be much weaker than the previous ones. Of course, it is impossible to call it a complete failure, but it did not bring success.
No one appreciated the mix of hip-hop and slow-paced music. Critics and fans noted that the creative ardor of the girls had sunk into oblivion. The last collection "The Slash Years" consisted of retro songs, the girls were not noted for new compositions. A creative crisis began, which eventually led to the breakup of the group.
Revival L7
The sudden return in 2014 surprised and delighted fans of reckless girls. The concert venues were packed and the fans were roaring with delight. The ladies went on a tour of the cities of America and everywhere they were met by full halls of enthusiastic fans. “Looks like the L7 are back to rock everyone the way only they can,” screamed the headlines of the music publications.
True, the ladies were in no hurry to record a new album. "Scatter The Rats" was presented to the general public only 5 years later, in 2019. They met him quite warmly, and music critics rated it positively.
The group continues its concert activity to this day. But the recklessness of the soloists has become more moderate. What to do - the years take their toll. Crazy antics are a thing of the past. In the present, there is a frenzied energy that completely captures the hall.
