“The Housefox Sessions” – Pepperhead

Some of the best rock outfits have been featured groups of guys with a woman out front. Perhaps it’s that these women are forging a path in a male dominated genre, but they seem to have an extra bit of grit and fire about them. Pepperhead frontwoman Louisa Thomas picks up where the likes of Suze de Marchi and Sarah McLeod left off.

She owns every track on The Housefox Sessions EP, a collection of songs recorded at Housefox Studios on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. When I think of the Northern Beaches, I think of privilege and a little pretension, but there’s none of that artifice about this recording.

Opening track “Angels & Demons” is a straight-up rock gem, all heart and soul. It’s followed up by the single “See Through You,” a track which adds a little more punk and rebellion to Pepperhead’s rock sound. If you’re not punching the air by the end, I’m a poor judge. “Superhero” sees Pepperhead shifting gears slightly, with gentle verses contrasting with its explosive chorus. The closer, “Unresolved,” is a frenetic piece of power-punk clocking in at just a little more than two minutes. It’s the kind of song that takes your breath away, before making you feel like you want to experience it all again.

The Housefox Sessions might have been recorded in a professional studio, but it feels more like something cut in a garage or live at a gig in a sweaty pub. There’s an irresistible energy about the way Pepperhead plays, with Louisa a commanding presence well supported by this tight unit of players. In just four tracks, Pepperhead shows enough to suggest it could be the next big thing.

Image used with permission from The A & R Department