THE MEMBERS OF San Antonio’s Fea—an acronym for “fuck ’em all” and the Spanish word for “ugly girl”—play commanding and unabashedly political queer Chicanx punk that’s rooted in their bicultural upbringings and riot grrrl feminism. Their name is both reclamation and affirmation: “We wanted to own the word Fea,” says bassist Jenn Alva. “So what if we are?”
Over the summer the band released a self-titled debut on Joan Jett’s Blackheart Records. With a team of legendary producers that included Laura Jane Grace of Against Me! and Alice Bag of the Bags, it’s no surprise that Fea’s sound snarls with high-quality ferocity.
But their new record was a long time coming—drummer Phanie Diaz and Alva first bonded over music in middle school, when they discovered a shared love of Nirvana. Determined to start a band, the duo enlisted Diaz’s sister Nina and became Girl in a Coma, which Alva describes as “angsty alternative.” They had a successful run, and even opened for the likes of Morrissey and Tegan and Sara, but amicably split so Nina could focus on her solo career. Alva and Phanie saw an opening, and drew upon the influences of their riot grrrl-fueled youths to actualize Fea once and for all.