Future Popes Crew Collab With Rad Melb Band Wet Lips For A New Inclusive Label

Timed perfectly with International Women's Day, Amanda Vitartas of boutique music agency Future Popes and Grace Kindellan and Jenny McKechnie of garage band Wet Lips have launched a brand new label called Hysterical Records.

Aiming to sign the best of Melbourne's underground acts, the trio spoke to The Music, with Future Popes' Vitartas saying the label's name is just a bit tongue-in-cheek.

"With a great conversation happening about diversity within society, the platitudes of ‘women being hysterical’ are still being used to degrade and control women​.​ Hysterical Records is a bit tongue-in-cheek; it's a way of reclaiming the word​ and transforming it into something positive."

Their first signing is Melburnian crust punks Shrimpwitch, who are gearing up to release their debut EP on Hysterical this May. 

McKechnie says, "We'll be releasing bands that challenge established expectations of gender. This includes boss as women, GNC folk and trans* musicians and men who challenge the traditional understanding of what a man is meant to be. There are so many musicians with rich and complex identities. We don't want to exclude anyone."

Kindellan adds, "We really want to help provide a voice and a home for these artists to share their music with a wider community."