Minneapolis five-piece she's green are still at the very beginning of their story, but momentum is already building. With their new single 'Mettle' freshly released and a third EP on the way, the band are stepping into a bigger, bolder phase: the guitars hit harder, the contrasts run deeper, the emotional stakes feel higher. It's the sound of a group finding their feet.

she's green comprise vocalist Zofia Smith, guitarists Liam Armstrong and Raines Lucas, bassist Teddy Nordvold and drummer Kevin Seebeck. The project first took shape when Zofia and Liam were roommates near the University of Minnesota, trading demos and lyrics. Early releases 'Wisteria' and 'Chrysalis' introduced a gauzy, emotionally rich take on shoegaze, pulling from the dreamlike drift of Cocteau Twins and the serrated swell of My Bloody Valentine.

That self-made spirit was forged in Minneapolis' DIY scene. Before festivals and international tours, there were basements, garages and warehouse shows. "Seeing local scenes around the world has made us realise how truly special Minneapolis is," says Raines. "For its size, it really punches above its weight. There are artists playing every kind of music imaginable, often sharing the same bill. Of course, there's the legendary professional venues, but we came up in the huge DIY scene of basements, garages, skate parks, warehouses, etc. that host awesome shows."

Those formative spaces shaped not just their sound, but the way they operate as a band. "Going to DIY shows was huge for each and every one of us," Teddy explains. "It's how some of us became friends and a great way to meet other artists and musicians. It provided a great outlet for us to hone our songwriting, performing, and 'roadie' skill sets in a really fun and supportive environment. We still go to those kinds of shows often to see friends and support MPLS bands who continue to inspire us."

Even now, as their audience stretches far beyond Minnesota, selling out venues on both sides of the Atlantic and touring with the likes of Slow Crush, Blondshell and Softcult, that community-first mentality remains central.

Nature runs deep in she's green's world, threaded through their name, visuals, and creative rituals. "Our close relationship with nature just came organically," says Zofia. "We all grew up spending a lot of time outside. It's also a really important inspiration and grounding force for us in the creative process; bringing some guitars to the woods or visiting a cabin helps us focus on our music. Liam also takes a lot of inspiration for the band's visuals from scenes in nature."

Sonically, the band's journey has been a steady one. "We definitely bonded over shoegaze music and that played a role in the sound we were seeking, but it was a bit of an evolutionary process to get there," Teddy says. "Originally, Liam and Zofia were the only members writing and recording, and the sound was mostly in the realm of bedroom pop. It was only once they got the full band together with the intention of performing these songs in a live setting that we began to hone in on the shoegaze influences that made up the 'Wisteria' and 'Chrysalis' EPs, especially once we started writing as a full band. Our sound continues to evolve as we continue to write, we're excited to explore different and more varied sonic flavours on new music."

That evolution surges to the forefront on 'Mettle'. Built from a jam in their old basement practice space, the track arrived quickly, but its themes hit hard. Liam recalls, "Zofia had lyrics ready to go not long after that original jam. It's a heavier track with a lot of energy, inspired a lot by the constant cycle of bad news and tragedy that's easy to come by in modern-day America. Despite all of the negatives, we have to find a way through and hold on to some kind of hope, and the song deals a lot with that back and forth."

That push-and-pull between bleak headlines and stubborn hope is vital. Amid a fraught political climate in Minneapolis and recent tragedies affecting their community, the band have been outspoken in sharing fundraisers and calling for action onstage. On 'Mettle', that emotional weight is channelled into something cathartic and unflinching.

Behind the scenes, an entire EP is ready to follow. Recorded in LA with producer Sonny DiPerri, it marks a significant step forward. "It's… ready!" says Raines. "We recorded it in LA with Sonny Diperri and just wrapped up the final mixes. That was such an important experience for us, and we had so much fun. We were definitely nervous going into it, but we could not be happier with how things went."

The new body of work stretches their dynamic range and deepens their palette. "'Mettle' in particular is a lot heavier and darker than some of our previous stuff," Zofia explains. "For the project, we focused on pushing songs as far as we could in their own unique direction. Sonny really helped us with that. There's a wide mix of dark and light, loud and soft, and short and long songs. We certainly pushed ourselves out of our comfort zone in a lot of ways."

As for what comes next, excitement is palpable. "We are so excited about the new music that we have ready," says Raines. "I think we're particularly excited to see how people feel about the new project since we explored some new sounds with it. We've also got some incredible festivals and tours lined up. We only just started playing headline shows, and it's been so fun to see people come out to them!"

For anyone discovering she's green through 'Mettle', Zofia hopes for something immersive and transportive. "I hope the listener feels a sense of escape and comfort, that each song takes you into a different world, or helps you see yours differently."

With a new single blazing and a new EP set to deepen their world, she's green are embracing contrast – leaning into heaviness without losing heart, finding resilience in distortion, and turning basement-born chemistry into something expansive.

And for UK fans keeping watch? "We had a blast in the UK and can't wait to come back!" Liam promises. ■

Taken from the April 2026 issue of Dork. she's green's new single 'Mettle' is out now.