The Shania Twainsaw Massacre might have the most mischievous band name in Britain, but behind the tongue‑in‑cheek chaos sits a project built on vulnerability, friendship and a fearless collision of genres. What began as bedroom demos and a joke name that somehow wasn’t already taken has evolved into one of Bristol’s most compelling underground acts — a band where grunge grit, post‑hardcore intensity and pop‑leaning melodic instinct coexist in a way that feels both unpredictable and strangely inevitable. At the centre is Connie, a songwriter whose honesty, anxieties and obsessions shape every track, and whose collaborators — Nick, Tam, Ellis and Sam — amplify that raw emotional core into something loud, strange and beautifully human.
Your band name is unforgettable — but did using Shania Twainsaw Massacre ever cause friction early on? I’d love to know whether anyone (fans, promoters, labels… or even Shania herself) has ever reached out about it.
It is the silliest name, for sure! Not yet, however I am hoping Shania knows about us - she has a biopic coming out apparently, so if she needs a soundtrack made, she knows where to come. I think the only slight misunderstandings have come from our band logo, which I got commissioned quite early on. It's a really silly, illegible metal logo, which obviously doesn't particularly represent our music, but we thought it was quite funny, so sometimes, we do get put on metal line-ups, and then confuse everyone with our very gentle melodic pop hits. So a note to promoters - listen to the bands you book!
What was the moment you realised this name wasn’t just a joke but the perfect container for your sound and identity? Did it shape the music, or did the music shape the name?
That's a very interesting question, and not really something that we've thought much about particularly! The name just came from needing something for the project and being shocked that there wasn't a band with it already. The music has been shaped over the last few years, but less from the name, and more from the incredible musicians in the band - our bassist Tam has a huge input when myself and Nick bring songs to them, and really helps make them what they are, then Ellis, one of our guitarists, has a very distinct style of noise-making (only way to describe it), which adds such a different layer. I think that name has helped us get away with playing around with pretty weird music, as it doesn't really box us into any particular genre.
Take me back to the beginning — how, where and when did the band actually form, and what pulled you all together creatively? Was it instant chemistry or a slow burn?
The band was kind of formed when I was playing bass in a band called wych elm (definitely check them out, very grunge, very cool), and I was starting to find more confidence as a musician, and starting to discover writing my own music. My husband Nick is a brilliant guitarist and songwriter in his own right, so I showed him some of my acoustic demos and asked if he would help me make them sound more like the artists I was channeling. That was where our demos Meat Cute and Room came from - just me and Nick in our bedroom. I put them on Spotify under the name The Shania Twainsaw Massacre and people seemed to really like them, so we thought we could try and make this into a band. Tam, Ellis and Sam have been our friends for many years - Tam, Sam and Nick were in a band together since college, and Ellis has been in a variety of other bands in Bristol, so we knew they would smash it and bring loads to the project.
Your sound pulls from grunge, post‑hardcore and raw emotional noise — who were the key influences that helped you carve out this particular sonic space? And are there any influences people might find surprising?
When I think back to writing those initial demos, I was heavily into artists like Chelsea Wolfe and Emma Ruth Rundle, so that kind of dark indie gothic vibe. I was also listening to a lot of Nothing, but also stuff like Converge, The Chariot etc. I was also listening to a lot of Melissa Auf der Maur and Pixies, which I think is likely where the grunge influence comes from.
I think the thing that people find most surprising is that my biggest influence is probably pop music. I find the melodies and harmonies really beautiful, and recently have been massively influenced by the catchy, huge bridges, that we have seen in some recent pop, from amazing artists such as Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan. Interestingly, I think this is where my obsession with System of a Down stems from - their melodies and harmonies are so iconic, and it just takes me back to singing along to their music in the car with my mum. Similarly with Alexisonfire, Dallas Green's vocals are just spell-binding!
If you could curate your own dream festival, who are your three headliners — dead or alive — and what makes each one essential to your lineup? I’m especially interested in the why behind each choice.
This is a tricky question, as I would want someone from every genre but to whittle it down, here it goes:
System of a Down - as mentioned in my previous answer, they are one of my all-time favourite bands, and I've never seen them live. I genuinely can't think of anything better than screaming along to their music with my friends.
IDLES - If anyone knows me, they will know me as @idlesconnie, which was my Instagram handle for a long, long time - IDLES are one of my favourite bands, and are the reason I was introduced to the Bristol music scene. If I hadn't discovered them, my life would be very different! Also they are just amazing live.
Chelsea Wolfe - I saw Chelsea Wolfe at The Prospect Building a couple years ago and I still think it's one of the best live performances I have ever seen. She had the audience in the palm of her hand, and when she played acoustic tracks, you could've heard a pin drop. Her voice sounded exactly as it does on record, and her band were absolutely brilliant.
Let’s do ‘Come Dine With Me’ — what are you serving for starter, main and dessert, and which band member is guaranteed to cause absolute chaos in the kitchen?
Starter has to be Arancini, I absolutely love Italian food, but it would probably be shop-bought as I am not a particularly good cook. Then main course would be this incredible halloumi and red pepper lattice that I make as the veggie option on my Sunday roasts. I'd serve that with roast potatoes, stuffing and veg. Then dessert, we will head back to the Italian theme and go with a tiramisu.
I am married to Nick so probably biased, but he is a nightmare in the kitchen, as our kitchen is quite small and he is quite large, so he gets in my way and stresses me out. I reckon Ellis would be a good sous chef as he is the most chilled person ever. Tam is also a pretty handy cook I've heard, so he would be okay to have around. Sam, I would just task with providing big laughs and getting me a cider.
Every band has at least one unexpected party trick or hidden talent — what’s yours? Bonus points if it’s something fans would never guess.
I am getting quite good at crocheting, but not sure if I would describe it as a hidden talent or party trick. This is a tricky one! Nick can pretty much tell you every NFL team ever, he also can name every American state and probably knows every flag to exist in the world. He is the best at pub quizzes. I am really good at the music round, though, as my music knowledge goes from 80s hair metal to 00s girl bands and everything in between.
You’ve already built a distinct identity — but do you feel your sound is still evolving, or have you found the core of who Shania Twainsaw Massacre is musically?
I think we are slowly getting to a sound we are happy with, but I think it will continue to evolve. My writing always reflects what is going on in my life, and that is always something that is going to be changing, giving me new outlooks and new stories to tell. So this paired with my evolving music tastes means that our sound could be completely different in the next year or so - just seeing where the wind takes us really! I would love to write some really, really heavy songs - I do love screaming!
What’s next for you — new singles, an EP, an album, collaborations, or something completely different? What’s the creative horizon you’re aiming for right now?
That's a good question! Who knows? I've got a bank of songs that I've been working on that I need to show the band at some point, but after the latest EP release, I need a bit of a break, as I work full-time and then doing band stuff on top can be quite draining. At the end of the day, this is a hobby for us, so we don't have any solid plans. I would really like our next release to be an album, though. It is just super expensive to record music! I would also love to play a festival or two next year, as we haven't done that yet. I think it would be really fun to share a bill with loads of other bands and reach a crowd we might not get to normally.
Your music often leans into vulnerability and intensity — what do you hope listeners take away from your work, and what conversations do you want your songs to spark?
I think the main thing I want listeners to take away from our music is just that - be vulnerable, talk about how you're feeling, you're not the only person feeling that way. If me being open about my struggles with my eating habits helps even one person to be like, oh, yeah I feel like that too, maybe I should chat to my friend about it, or my family about it etc, then I will be happy. I think it's super easy to feel embarrassed about how you feel, or talk about how you feel, but it's not, and I just want to show people that it's possible. Also I try to explain to people how hard it is for me performing live, how anxious I get and how vulnerable that feels, but showing them that no matter how shy or scared you feel, it is the most rewarding and empowering thing to do, and if you think it's holding you back, I promise you it isn't. People always say it gets easier the more you do it, and I don't agree - it never gets easier performing live for me, but I push myself to do it because once I come off stage, I feel so much pride. Singing is good for the soul too, so that probably helps!
Spend any time with The Shania Twainsaw Massacre and you realise their magic isn’t just in the riffs, the noise or the genre‑bending ambition — it’s in the courage to be open, messy, anxious, joyful and defiantly themselves. Their music invites listeners to sit with the hard feelings, scream when necessary, and celebrate the tiny victories that come from pushing through fear. Whether the next chapter brings an album, a festival slot or a well‑earned breather, the band’s trajectory feels rooted in authenticity rather than expectation. If vulnerability is their superpower, then Shania Twainsaw Massacre are only just beginning to show how loud honesty can really be.
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