‘We were before the Spice Girls’: How feminist trio Zenana signed a record deal in their seventies

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They’ve bought synthetic hips, a pacemaker and 5 kidneys between them, however the all-women trio experiencing a shock revival in their seventies are raring to go as they put together to play their first gigs in nearly 4 many years.

Zenana, a rock band who fashioned in Milton Keynes in 1983, were reunited after a younger DJ stumbled upon one among their early singles on vinyl whereas crate-digging in Cornwall, and commenced taking part in it at his membership nights round Europe to rave receptions.

Comprising Anita Gabriella Tedder, Penny Griffiths and Ruth Elder, Zenana disbanded in 1987 however have since been signed to a record label and are booked to play a collection of reveals this summer season.

Speaking to The Independent, Tedder defined how she and her brother, Michael, had initially began engaged on songs collectively in the early Eighties utilizing his house studio, before she realised she needed to carry out music “that was also about empowering women”.

After assembly Griffiths and Elder, Zenana – impressed by a Persian phrase that means “of the women” – were fashioned, and so they launched their single “Witches”, a track Tedder says was “about women having agency”.

“That was really a core part of the whole ethos of Zenana,” she mentioned, including: “This was long before the Spice Girls… I don’t think the music industry knew what to do with us.”

Unfortunately, the track “died a death” and disappeared till two years in the past, not lengthy after Tedder and her longterm accomplice, Steph – the band’s supervisor – threw a get together to have fun their anniversary.

For “a lark”, the former band ended up digging out an previous backing tape for “Witches” and commenced to bop to it: “All the old moves came back, and we had such fun with it.”

The second occurred to happen in entrance of their buddy, Amy Wadge, who’s greatest identified for being one among Ed Sheeran’s go-to songwriters, who additionally co-wrote Sam Ryder’s hit Eurovision track, “Spaceman!”

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The very next day, as if by fate, by Tedder received a message from the DJ, 24-year-old Kiernan Abbott, who told her that he had been playing “Witches” in songs round golf equipment from Paris to Los Angeles.

This prompted DJ Antalheitlager, managing director of Amsterdam-based record label Rush Hour, to supply them a record deal.

The band are now releasing an EP with an eight-page booklet and remixed versions of their original songs.

“Initially I said we were too old,” Tedder said of this unexpected foray back into the music industry.

“Ruth has a pacemaker and is awaiting a heart operation, Penny’s had cancer and her hips replaced, I’ve had my hips replaced and I’m a kidney down… But Ruth said, why don’t we, we’ve got nothing to lose!

“We’ve been through so much, and so we’re actually starting rehearsals for live shows. It’s a lovely thing at this time in our lives.”

Zenana now have three scheduled shows for June and July ahead of their festival appearance at BedGringe on 28 July. The Rush Hour EP of “Witches”, featuring the extended Bedmo Disco ‘85 remix, will be released at the finish of May.