Bikini Kill

Bikini Kill, a punk rock band formed in 1990 in Olympia Washington, was one of the most famous bands on the Riot Grrrl scene. Led by its singer-songwriter, Kathleen Hanna, Bikini Kill produced numerous hits, most famously the song “Rebel Girl,” which inspired girls of the 90’s to engage in the punk scene and feminist rhetoric. The band also consisted of their guitarist Billy Karren, bassist Kathi Wilcox, and drummer Tobi Vail.To further their cause, Bikini Kill produced the zine Jigsaw which contained information about music, politics, personal stories, and the general Riot Grrrl movement. The exchange of these zines prompted conversations about gender equality, and that start led many punk rock enthusiasts of color to take this activism a step further and acknowledge the intersectionality of race. Bikini Kill disbanded in 1997, but its members came back together in 2019 to rejuvenate their old fan base and gather new followers of the cause.