Girl Tones’ newest single, “Stubborn Mouth,” is unapologetic in its expression. With forceful instrumentals and a voice that drips with personality, it’s a track that doesn’t let you catch a break or a breath from the moment you’re pushed in. Both Girl Tones and “Stubborn Mouth” thrive on a raw, garage-band energy — creating that effortless, communal feeling where you could walk right into their band practice, and it’d transform into a full-blown concert.
Girl Tones’ musical intuition is only enforced by the fact that the rock duo are sisters, Kenzie and Laila Crowe. The Kentucky-born sisters originally indulged their inclination for music in the classical realm — Kenzie trading her cello for guitar while Laila switched piano for drums. Having officially formed in 2017, the duo’s eclectic fusion of indie rock and garage-punk has quickly set them apart, all while luring in a growing fanbase. After building a local following, Girl Tones broke through when their single “Again” cultivated traction on TikTok. This blowup led to the debut releases produced by Brad Shultz of Cage The Elephant, who continues to support the duo. With their newest release, “Stubborn Mouth,” Girl Tones continue to sharpen their sound, utilizing every opportunity while simply having fun with their artistry.
Girl Tones doesn’t hold your hand with a delicate instrumental intro; instead, they drop right in with Kenzie’s scratchy guitar and vigorous vocals that immediately set the pace:
“Please don’t call me out / You got a bitter tongue / I’ve got a stubborn mouth.”
From this biting opening line, the vocals hold the classic shamelessness of the post-punk era — balancing powerful intention with a cathartic lack of restraint.
The heavy static of the electric guitar strums are brutal, almost as if Kenzie’s fingers are made of metal. The combined instrumentals abruptly weave in and out to keep you on your toes, forcing you to switch from dancing to jumping sporadically. The heat of Laila’s drums emphasizes the relentless release of the song, with rim clicks in the verses bringing an extra textural layer to the punk-influenced soundscape.
The track alludes to the acceptance of the flaws and eventual end of a relationship using a brazen, borderline flippant attitude; you can visualize Kenzie’s shrug and smirk as her cool and gritty vocals sing, “Watch it as it chews me up / And spits me out on the ground / God I tried so hard to fix this mess / But I can’t stop a stubborn mouth.” The track is also an overall anthem surrounding personal accountability and the understanding of oneself, a theme in which Kenzie lightheartedly delivers with her teasing sing-song edge.
As Girl Tones perfectly described in a recent Instagram reel, “Stubborn Mouth” is “the kind of song you used to burn onto a CD.” The song has the early 2000s pop-punk nostalgia that people simply can’t avoid giving in to, and the allure is even stronger with Kenzie’s amplified guitar and Laila’s heart-pounding drums. With their talent and connection as both sisters and artists, Girl Tones continue to only grow in their musical evolution — and they’re doing it with a raging confidence that’s heard in every note of “Stubborn Mouth.”
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