No more romance, we want revenge!

Shooting Daggers are vocalist/guitarist Sal (France), bassist Bea (Italy), and drummer Raquel (Spain), a trio of queer feminists who’ve quickly gained a reputation for their uncompromising commitment to making heavy music more inclusive. Formed in 2019, Sal and Bea bonded over a love of punk and quickly started writing music addressing their experiences as women and LGBTQ+ people in the hardcore scene, self-releasing a demo EP in October 2019. By late 2020, Raquel joined on drums, and the trio started gaining underground attention for their fearless riot-grrrl rage and DIY ethos.

Shooting Daggers’ debut album Love and Rage was released in February 2024 through New Heavy Sounds, placing queer struggles boldly at the forefront. Rather than being confined to punk, the 9 tracks mix blistering hardcore with grunge and shoegaze elements switching from breakneck intensity to atmospheric piano-driven catharsis. It’s a confrontational and empowering record, taking aim at sexism and queerphobia with unflinching anger, but also celebrating skateboarding, freedom, self-love, and change with depth and conviction.

The band’s mission to carve out space for marginalised voices in punk is deeply inspiring, proving that righteous anger can be transformed into solidarity and hope with every show they play. Their live performances are tight, aggressive, and feral making them a must-see act with real social impact, turning their concerts into celebrations of unity, confidence and that “take no crap” attitude the punk community has always valued.

We caught up with the band to find out more:

Can you tell us about the interplay between the two emotions Love and Rage, and how they affect the record?

For a punk band you seem to experiment with wildly different genres. What drives that exploration?

A Guilty Conscience Needs An Accuser is one example of a song of yours which feels totally unlike traditional hardcore, and it’s spellbinding. Can you tell us about your decision to write and perform slower songs, both on the record and during the live shows?

Can you talk about misogyny and queerphobia within the hardcore community? Was Shooting Daggers formed as a direct response to your experiences?

What does the label ‘queercore’ mean to you?

Have there been any moments at gigs that have made you think “Yes, this is exactly why we do this”?

What have you learned from sharing stages with massive acts like Amyl & The Sniffers?

Who would play on your dream festival lineup?

What’s next for the band?

What is the ultimate goal of Shooting Daggers?