From The Strokes to Rihanna: Five Albums That Shaped the Sound of Goat Girl

It’s hard to define what the term post-punk means anymore. For every artist who claims to make an offshoot of punk and do their best impression of bands like Television and Joy Division, there are just as many artists who are willing to trade in that punk ethos and turn in something purely eclectic whenever they make a song. Goat Girl might fit snuggly into the category of post-punk half the time, but their influences run the gamut of every genre under the sun.

Then again, most of the group’s material concerns their view of reality more than any specific style of music. Their debut was all about their time growing up in 2000s London, and the fact that it was released on Rough Trade Records reminded everyone that no one was going to get in the way of what they had to say when they went into the studio.

Rihanna – Good Girl Gone Bad

Before they had the idea of creating incredible rock tunes, drummer Rosy Bones singled out Rihanna’s Good Girl Gone Bad as the first record she ever owned on Tidal. Despite being one of the biggest pop stars in the world, it’s hard not to see what she saw in the pop idol, eventually making songs that feel like building blocks for how to write classic tunes in the future. This album, with hits like “Umbrella” and “Don’t Stop the Music,” taught Rosy the power of blending catchy hooks with emotional depth, a skill that would become crucial in Goat Girl’s songwriting.

Woodbine – Woodbine

The same could be said of Woodbine’s self-titled record. While it’s not going to displace Rihanna as one of the greatest pop stars in the world, their unique flavour of indie pop is more in line with what Goat Girl would be getting up to later. Yes, it still has the same tropes of standard pop songs, but they helped remind a lot of indie artists that it was okay to make something that audiences might want to hear. Tracks like “Mound of Venus” display a blend of simplicity and complexity that resonated with Goat Girl’s ethos of making music that was both accessible and artistically fulfilling.

The Strokes – Is This It

While both are worthy artists for up-and-coming bands, there’s not really that much rock to go around. When talking to Ellie Rose Davies, she thought Is This It by The Strokes aligned more with what she listened to. Since rock was still emerging from the death of grunge at the beginning of the 2000s, hearing The Strokes make everything sound exciting is half the reason why groups with guitars are still considered cool in the mainstream. Songs like “Last Nite” and “Someday” inspired Goat Girl to embrace a raw and unpolished sound that still had mainstream appeal.

Blonde Redhead – Misery is a Butterfly

Pure rock and roll can only go so far, and the sounds of Blonde Redhead are the kind of music that gave the group a lot more emotional resonance when they started making their own material. Blonde Redhead might still fit pretty comfortably into the realm of alternative rock. Still, the indie pop soundscapes draw up the kind of nervy emotion that all good post-punk is based on, particularly the New Order-flavoured take on the genre. The haunting melodies and complex arrangements of tracks like “Elephant Woman” provided Goat Girl with a blueprint for creating emotionally charged music that pushed the boundaries of traditional rock.

Willy Mason – Where the Humans Eat

And while Willy Mason’s country roots feel like the exact opposite of punk, it’s not that far off when you look closely. All great punk songs were built off of rootsy approaches to rock music, and since seasoned punk veterans like Greg Graffin have turned towards punk, that sense of Americana tends to seep in ever so slightly into any punk outfit. Mason’s storytelling and raw, heartfelt delivery on songs like “Oxygen” influenced Goat Girl to incorporate a sense of authenticity and narrative depth into their music, blending punk attitudes with folk-inspired sincerity.

But when anyone listens to Goat Girl, it’s not about picking out which songs sound like Strokes ripoffs or which tunes have a country flair to them. They are all about combining their songs into a musical collage of influences, and every time one of their tracks comes in, there’s no telling which influences they will be wearing on their sleeves.

By weaving together elements from these diverse albums, Goat Girl has crafted a sound that is uniquely their own, challenging genre boundaries and creating music that resonates with a wide audience. Whether it’s the pop sensibilities of Rihanna, the indie charm of Woodbine, the raw energy of The Strokes, the emotional depth of Blonde Redhead, or the storytelling prowess of Willy Mason, Goat Girl’s influences are as varied as they are profound, making them one of the most intriguing bands in the post-punk landscape today.