On October 19th, Eskröta will make the ground shake in São Paulo with their feminine and feminist metal. Feminine because most of the band is composed of women, but before attending a show it's important to deconstruct any association of this word with delicacy or passivity. Eskröta's feminine side is strong, powerful, aggressive, and has a lot to say – especially in defense of women.
Currently formed by Yasmin Amaral (vocals and guitar), Tamyris Leopoldo (bass), and Jhon França (drums), Eskröta is a self-proclaimed feminist, anti-fascist, and anti-racist band; and their lyrics reinforce this stance in the most direct way possible, always making social and political comments. Their most recent album, Atenciosamente, Eskröta (2023), addresses themes ranging from criticism of the need to perform a perfect life on social media to angry questioning of the hunger and unemployment that plague the poorest classes.
In September, the trio performed for the first time on the Supernova Stage at Rock In Rio , sharing stage time with The Mönic . Despite the fear of playing to an empty audience due to the time and location of the stage, the experience was a "dream come true" and turned into "one of the best shows we've ever done," with a robust and highly engaged audience.
The partnership between the two bands was initially planned to be repeated in the same format at Knotfest Brasil , on a single day, but recently both names were given separate days and individual slots in the festival's lineup. Eskröta will perform on Saturday, October 19th, while The Mönic will play on Sunday, the 20th, but both bands guarantee participation in each other's shows. Those who want to experience Eskröta's heavy sound up close will have to arrive early. And those expecting something similar to what was presented at Rock in Rio will be mistaken.
“Rock in Rio is a festival that doesn’t focus as much on metal,” Tamy explains in an interview with Wikimetal . “Knotfest is much more for those who enjoy a heavier sound, and Eskröta has heavier songs. I think at Rock in Rio we did a general overview of our career, bringing back older songs to showcase the band’s trajectory. At Knotfest, we’re considering bringing in heavier songs that weren’t in the Rock in Rio setlist.”
Formed in 2017, when Yasmin and Tamy were already adults and wanted to treat the band seriously, Eskröta emerged with the purpose of commenting on issues experienced by the members or shared among friends. These issues ranged from topics such as obstetric violence – experienced by friends who are mothers – to the political scenario unfolding at the time, with the 2018 presidential election approaching. “It was a moment in our lives when we wanted to talk about what we were going through. And also a moment in society where I think it was impossible to remain neutral, at least for us,” comments Yas.
The band's ideas were quickly embraced by anti-fascist groups in the metal scene, and Eskröta's work began to gain more visibility and an audience that shared the same thoughts. Initially, in a pre-pandemic format, the band's shows were usually preceded by discussion panels among women to address issues and experiences that resonated with the members' discourse and showcased their perspective.
Because they are so open about their worldviews and express their political opinions openly in their music, Eskröta understands that facing some resistance is part of the game. The band is already used to complaints from the "dinosaurs of rock," as Tamy calls them, but they have also faced delicate situations that caused obstacles, such as having their show banned or censored in cities governed by right-wing parties because of their political stance. "The first time we played in Blumenau, they told us: 'Hey, let's try to talk a little less about antifascism,'" says Yasmin. "Whereas this time, when we came back, we came back without more fear, you know?"
“Sometimes it gets a little difficult to be friends with everyone when you have a well-defined position,” he reflects. “Some bands end up sitting on the fence to have more doors open, to be able to be everywhere and be friends with everyone, in fact. Whereas when you have a position, some doors close, some people don't want to get involved with you, you sometimes find yourself in a siege of controversy. There's a bit of that too when you take a stand, there are places you won't go and I think you shouldn't and that's okay, you know? There are spaces where you don't need to be just because there's music playing. I think we also have the good side of being able to better choose some places we don't want to frequent.”
Finding the balance between standing firm on their positions and trying to gain more media attention and appearances at major festivals, however, is a constant challenge for Eskröta. In their setlist for Rock in Rio, for example, they carefully chose the songs they would play, leaving out some of the more confrontational ones, because some compositions might seem a little "scary" to those who don't yet know them. "These are things we think about. Because we need to make people aware of the band and identify with it. But if we go through the wrong door, sometimes [that door] can slam shut," explains Yas.
“We’ve already accepted that we don’t need to be in some places, but we fight for those places where we believe there’s room for us,” he continues. “Not to mention that we also try to take it one step at a time. A band isn’t built solely on festivals, it’s not just about shows. It’s also about going to other shows, talking to various people, being present on social media. So we try to expand our reach so we don’t just depend on other people inviting us, to show that there’s an audience, that there are people who like us, and to get this message to more people.”
After seven years as a band, Eskröta has built a solid enough fanbase to be more self-sustaining, without needing to use their own resources to keep touring. Their participation in festivals like Rock In Rio and Knotfest Brasil has opened up possibilities for bigger dreams, such as playing at international festivals and possibly even trying to release songs in English to expand their audience's reach. "We're getting there and moving slowly, grain by grain, as Yas said, but we're very ambitious," comments Tamyris. "We want – at least I do, and I think Yas does too – to be very mainstream. It's our dream to occupy more spaces and [gain more] recognition."