Meet Tough Tits and listen to Hairless, the Newcastle punks' body-positive and brilliant EP

There's only seven or eight minutes worth of music on Hairless but not a moment is wasted by Tough Tits. It's breathless, addictive and rousing stuff - music that's got both an emotional and political punch is rare so it's right we should celebrate when a band like this comes along.

We spoke to the band to find out more about the EP and its themes, and what's coming next.

How did you all meet?

Liz and Helen have known each other for a few years - mainly through the Newcastle music scene/boozing. Me [Ayesha] and Liz met in a pub. We'd both been working on some stuff and thought about adding bass and synth so we got Hells to join.

The EP has a focus on body image, does this come from personal experience of pressure to look a certain way? Do you feel a certain responsibility to use the band as a platform to speak out about this?

All: The songs have been written from an angry and frustrated place. The EP lashes out at the media's representation of women, and songs like "Hairless" highlight issues that women face everyday, however this wasn't an intentional theme. These subject matters might seem mundane and insignificant to some people, because we've become so accustomed to them in our daily routines, but if we don't talk about them we'll never challenge societies stereotypes. So yes, we see Tough Tits as a platform. Standing in front of people admitting these are unrealistic expectations is a right we are exercising and hopefully we'll encourage more people to do the same.

Who or what influences you...music or otherwise?

All: The D.C punk scene and 80s pop. Lyrically, we mostly draw influences from everyday life experiences that piss us off.

What makes you angry? And what makes you happy?

Angry: Theresa May and her little Tory piglets. The misinterpretation of the feminist ideology.

Happy: Beers, queers and our little titties.

And what's next for Tough Tits?

Our first 10 months have been pretty full on. Our EP Hairless has just been re-released on vinyl and is available now through Drunken Sailor Records . Over the next few weeks we're supporting our good pals Drifts (Almasty Brewery, 7 October), we've been invited back down to London as part of to Blogtober Festival, with Louder Than War; and we're playing Twisterella Festival this weekend. We're currently writing new material that we're planning to take back out on tour next summer. We're planning our second EP release for the spring, with an album waiting to be recorded later in the year.