Lambrini Girls have spent the last few years making a name for themselves as one of the most vital live bands to come out of the UK. In fact, the Brighton-based duo had spent so much time touring that when they finally managed to squeeze in some space to create their debut album, they found themselves well and truly in at the deep end with nothing written and just 10 days to come up with the goods.

"We had some ideas and lyrics floating around, but instrumentally we didn't know what the fuck we were going to do for it at all, so we were literally like, 'Shit, we have to write our debut album in 10 days'," recalls vocalist and guitarist Phoebe Lunny. "I think we work very well under pressure, having a bit of fire up your bum to freak you out does actually work wonders for us!"

"Having the studio booked in for April and actually not having an album written in April made us realise we couldn't afford to sit and overthink things," adds bassist Lilly Macieira. "It played a really big part in shaping the songs as we essentially had to let go of any preconceived ideas of what we wanted the songs to be and any perfectionism."

The duo decamped to rural Oxford with wholesome intentions to begin with. Their 10-day session is best described by being split into two very distinct parts: the sensible session and the chaotic session. It's not difficult to guess which one saw the incendiary Lambrini Girls at their most productive.

"At first, it was all very regulated; we'd get up in the morning and go for a run, make breakfast, then start writing at about midday, finishing at around 7 or 8pm," explains Lilly. "We'd make dinner, have dinner together, go to bed and then repeat. That structure messed with us a little bit because it felt too forced. Also, during the first writing session, we severely underestimated the amount that we drink because we ran out of booze by like 3pm!"

A big Tesco booze run later, and all structure went out of the window. "We were both itching to write and focus on having fun," Lilly adds. "Being away on a farm in the middle of nowhere, knowing you have to come out with an album, is a very surreal experience, so for that second session, we embraced freedom - when we wanted a break, we'd go take a break and make sangria or something! Whenever we'd get the tiniest idea, we'd jump on and play and see where it took us. That freedom and deviation from routine helped the ideas come to fruition the way they wanted to come to fruition."

Surrendering to their whims is clearly what works for Lambrini Girls. The resulting album, 'Who Let The Dogs Out,' is such a visceral force that it couldn't have come from anything other than instinct. The time pressure clearly leant itself to the urgent energy of the record, mirroring their frenetic live set.

The record sees Lambrini Girls distil their rage into 11 explosive tracks, fearlessly taking on everything that's wrong with the world, from corrupt police ('Bad Apple') and toxic work environments ('Company Culture') to classism within the music industry ('Filthy Rich Nepo Baby') and the dangers of the fragile male ego ('Big Dick Energy'). Each punch is delivered with Phoebe's sneering snarl, surrounded by breakneck punk riffs, and wrapped up in the heavy dose of dark humour that Lambrini Girls are known for. "I heard that Rod Stewart's nephew's best friend twice removed is the next big thing about to break through with a noise rock project," seethes Phoebe over discordant post-punk fuzz.

There was a hell of a lot to be pissed off about in April 2024 during the writing of 'Who Let The Dogs Out,' and there will no doubt be a hell of a lot more to be pissed off about when it's released at the beginning of 2025.

"If I wrote the album now, I'd probably want to write more about how we're living in fucking fascism, and we're not even aware of it," states Phoebe. "Nothing has really changed in the political landscape; there are just more nuances to highlight. It's quite easy for people to be like, 'Fuck the Tories, Tories bad, Labour good', but that's a very misinformed version of politics. When we sing about these issues, as much as activism we want to educate people, too, and make it more accessible."

For Lambrini Girls, activism isn't something that should be spouted from up high; it should be relatable and empowering for everyone. Just like the rest of us who consider ourselves politically minded, they're not invincible when it comes to the perils of doom-scrolling. What do they do when it all feels a bit too much?

"I don't know how to balance it yet," admits Phoebe. "I get so wrapped up in crazy anxiety and all consumed with everything that's going on in world. It's so hard to separate yourself, but I feel very much obligated not to look away, I'm constantly on my phone losing my fucking mind and I don't know how to moderate it if I'm honest. I do think it's very cathartic to be able to write about it and sing about it, which is one of the ways I process it, but in general I'm just going fucking bonkers."

"A good place to start is to try and be as kind to yourself as possible," offers Lilly. "I struggle a lot with guilt when I feel like I haven't got the resources to read everything that's going on and can't be fully involved every single day, then I feel guilty because I have the privilege to step away too. At the end of day, it's not going to be of any use to anyone if you're just silently freaking out, so it's important to turn attention to the things that make you feel safe and give you hope. Oftentimes, that's community and friends; there are amazing things happening with people banding together to help in whatever way they can, whether that's protests or fundraisers, zines or compilation albums - just looking around and seeing what community you have available can be really strengthening."

Though the majority of Lambrini Girls' output to date has been observant, there are two tracks that lean more towards the personal on their debut. While 'Love' explores the experience of mistaking toxicity for genuine feeling, 'Special Different' looks even more inward as Phoebe sings about her experience of being neurodivergent.

"It's something I've wanted to sing about for a while, but it took me a while to be able to fully articulate it in a way that didn't sound shit! I don't think enough people are singing about being neurodiverse, so it's nice to know that it's out there and could maybe help other people feel more affirmed by it if they experience that themselves."

As someone who is usually incredibly brash and daring when performing live, singing those more personal songs feels much more vulnerable for Phoebe. "We've played 'Love' live loads now, and I'm used to it and can be a little shit on stage and whatever - I have little to no self-awareness and no shame! But we've played 'Special Different' once at Bearded Theory, and the whole time, I was freaking out in my head, like 'Nope, nope, nope, stop it, don't like it!' Of course, we will play it live; I have to suck it up and deal with it. I wrote the fucking lyrics, so it's my own fault!"

It's not always all activism and rage, though; sometimes Lambrini Girls really do just wanna have fun. 'Who Let The Dogs Out' ends with the hilariously trashy and unapologetically vulgar 'Cuntology 101.' "The studio had mad crazy expensive synths, so we started messing around and were like, 'Let's just write a pop banger about being messy sluts!' laughs Phoebe. "I have nothing to lose - I'd even play that for my grandma!"

Speaking of families, what do the girls' families make of their somewhat... abrasive nature? "My mum is quite used to it now," says Phoebe, as Lilly laughs knowingly. "We played a show where I got really drunk, came on stage doing cartwheels, ripped my pants and then just came out to my mum sitting in the audience! So that was a baptism of fire for her!"

"I have a very religious family on both sides," Lilly adds with a nervous giggle. "My grandma is Catholic, and my dad is Muslim. A lot of Muslim girlies will relate to this: you absolutely do not want your dad to see you running around in your underwear and screaming shit about how you hate men etc. So I very much keep the details to a minimum when speaking about the band, same with my grandma. My mum is kind of supportive, but I'll occasionally get the odd text from her, saying 'Lilly, do you HAVE to post a photo with your trousers around your ankles, really?!' She's generally supportive but concerned once in a while. I can't say I blame her."