Digital Cover: Serving Raw Energy with Lambrini Girls

If you could invite anyone to a dinner party, dead or alive, who would it be? It would be Lambrini Girls, without a doubt. This answer would come as no surprise if you’ve spent any time with Phoebe Lunny and Lilly Macieira, the duo behind Lambrini Girls. Their music is a riot of honesty, humour, and political charge, blending sharp critiques of societal norms with the infectious energy of punk and beyond. But it’s not just their music that makes them such magnetic personalities—it’s their chemistry, their friendship, and their shared vision of a world that’s a little bit more real and a lot less polished. That bond is what gives Lambrini Girls their edge.

Lambrini Girls didn’t start out as a band more so as a collision of two parallel paths in Brighton, a city known for its vibrant music scene and progressive atmosphere. Phoebe had been playing piano since she was six years old, though her early years were marked by what she calls “questionable” behaviour. “I wasn’t very good at much else. I just used to run around and like eat mud and chew through cables. But I took a shining to the piano, so my parents were like, ‘Right, let’s hammer this in’ and I guess that was my gateway,” she laughs. “Lilly and I very much bonded over the fact that we were both pianists but it’s a far cry away from what we’re doing now.”

The two met through the Brighton music scene, both working in bars—Phoebe at the Prince Albert, Lilly at the Hope and Ruin. Their friendship blossomed through mutual friends, alcohol, and socialising. “Not the most exciting story,” Phoebe jokes. “The Brighton music scene is great, there’s so much unbelievable talent and so many amazing venues. It’s a very nurturing scene.” Lilly shares.

What set their collaboration apart from others was the bond they formed, not just through music, but through shared values and beliefs. “A big foundation of this band is our friendship,” Phoebe explains. “It was less about the type of music, but more about who we are as people, our beliefs and values being very much aligned. That was the driving force for us to end up making music together.” That connection, more than any specific genre, laid the groundwork for what Lambrini Girls would become.

The name Lambrini Girls itself is a rebellion against pretension, inspired by the ubiquitous, cheap sparkling wine that’s become a cultural touchstone for British youth. “When your band’s called Lambrini Girls, you kind of have to be a fan of Lambrini,” Phoebe laughs. “Every venue we go to, they’re like, ‘We’ve got you Lambrini!’ And we’re like, ‘Yay!’” They joke about the drink’s nostalgic association with coming-of-age moments in the UK, especially in parks. “Someone once said to us there are no coming-of-age moments in British culture. We were like, ‘Drinking Lambrini in parks is definitely one,’” Phoebe laughs again. “And it’s bloody delicious,” Lilly adds. “I remember this one time, me and Phoebs made these crazy cocktails with passionfruit Sourz and rhubarb Lambrini and it was genuinely the best thing I’ve ever had. We’re big fans of Lambrini but actually Sourz Girls would have been a good band name too.”

Beyond the humour, Lambrini symbolises the band’s unpolished, messy, yet full-of-life spirit. Their name is playful, but it’s also fiercely authentic—just like their music. Lambrini Girls’ sound, however, is a far cry from the carefree vibe their name might suggest. Their music blends punk, garage rock, and a sharp social commentary that’s unapologetically raw. It’s a direct response to the pressures they face as women and queer people in a world that doesn’t always make room for their voices. “I’d describe our sound as slutty, angry, gay toilet music,” Phoebe says. Their songs tackle uncomfortable but important issues like sexual harassment, toxic masculinity, mental health struggles, and societal decay. But amid the anger and frustration, there’s also liberation, defiance, and a sense of empowerment. They’re not afraid to dive into discomfort; instead, they invite listeners to engage with it head-on. “And on a lighter note,” Lilly adds with a grin, “can people stop calling us a punk band and comparing us to Riot Grrrl?”.

Their debut album exemplifies their refusal to conform. “We came in with a specific idea of what we wanted it to be,” Phoebe recalls, “and then, of course, it ended up being something completely different.” Instead of forcing the music into a mould, they embraced the fluidity of their creative process. “The album was going to be whatever it wanted to be,” Phoebe continues. “When we started writing, we expanded our boundaries, got more adventurous, and allowed the songs to evolve on their own.”

Lilly echoes this sentiment, emphasising that the band prioritises fun over sticking to any one style. “If one of us had an idea, we’d just run with it,” she says. “There was no overthinking—It’ll always just kind of start with an idea that we have from pissing around.”

Despite the fun, Lambrini Girls’ new album, Who Let The Dogs Out is deeply political, addressing themes like gender inequality, power dynamics, social justice, mental health and systemic corruption. “We want to make people question their privilege and biases,” Phoebe says. “It’s important to ruffle feathers and to make people question themselves politically.” Their new album, for example, delves into topics like gentrification, mental health, body image, and the daily struggles of life. While undeniably political, the album is also deeply personal—a “societal vomit,” as Phoebe calls it—a chaotic outpouring of frustrations, observations, and moments of clarity.

But despite the heavy themes, Lambrini Girls maintain a sense of fun and irreverence. “We want people to connect with our music,” Lilly explains. “I want listeners to say, ‘This is the best album I’ve ever heard, what a treat for my ears, yum yum yum’ but also to hear the issues we’re raising,” Phoebe adds.

Behind the scenes, Phoebe and Lilly are candid about the challenges they face as women and queer artists in an unforgiving industry. “In the music world, you’re either not taken seriously or you’re tokenised,” Phoebe says. “Fem-fronted and queer bands, they’ve had to work twice as hard to get there than any man. The industry is inherently transactional. Success is bought.”

Lilly shares her own disillusionment with the capitalist structure of the industry. “The money’s at the top, and everyone who actually makes the music is at the bottom,” she says. But despite these frustrations, Lambrini Girls remain undeterred. “The music industry feels like walking on a plate of hot lava,” Phoebe says. “Everyone else seems fine, but you’re fucking steaming.”

Where Lambrini Girls truly come to life, though, is on stage. “I love performing because I really love connecting with crowds. It’s my favourite thing, I feel so present when I’m on stage,” Phoebe shares. “When I’m not performing, I’m living in my own head.”

Lilly, on the other hand, describes performing as something of an alternate reality. “When I’m on stage and everything’s really fucking loud, it’s one of the best things ever. It’s cathartic to be able to perform your music in every sense of the word. I feel very anxious a lot of the time in big crowds, so being on stage feels like a bit of a safe haven.”

Lambrini Girls have big dreams for the future. Phoebe has her sights set on a lofty goal: “I want to be the first person to play music in space,” she grins. “And I want a mayonnaise endorsement.”

Lilly has her own vision: “I’d love to tour with James Blunt. I think he’d really like us.” It’s a strange match, but that’s the Lambrini Girls way—they don’t follow the usual paths, and they certainly don’t take themselves too seriously. For them, it’s all about pushing boundaries, having fun, and embracing whatever wild ideas come their way. One thing’s for sure: with their energy and ambition, they’re not just in it for the music—they’re in it to make their own rules and have a laugh while they’re at it.

Who Let The Dogs Out is out on 10th January.