Girl Tones Take Rock ’n’ Roll and Early Bedtimes Very Seriously
Nashville, Tennessee - July 18, 2026
At Basement, or as many Nashvillians refer to it, just to keep things straight, The OG Basement, Girl Tones kicked off right before 8 pm to a crowded room full of people ready to jump around and headbang for the next half hour. What ensued was thirty minutes of high-energy rock music that catered to the crowd’s every desire.
Kenzie and Laila of Girl Tones are classically trained musicians who are wholly unafraid of a big, grungy sound. In fact, they run towards it. The duo began the show facing each other, tension slowly rising as the steady beat of the kick drum counted the night in. Armed with only a guitar, Kenzie, and a drum kit, Laila, they create a larger-than-life musical arrangement. Tonight, Laila may have forgotten her drumsticks at home, borrowing a pair from the venue, but she takes the stage confidently, even when the drumsticks start changing colors in her hand due to the stage lights.
While the band has been steadily releasing music, they use tonight to try out some new stuff. Even when Kenzie claims that they need to polish one of the songs up, the crowd is hesitant to agree. The grit feels real and earnest and fun, the sort of performance that saturates the bloodstream and gets a person out of their head and into the music. That’s why when Kenzie announces, “It’s time for some heavy shit now,” the room could not agree more enthusiastically.
The heavier, moshy stuff is what the crowd is itching for. Kenzie jumps up and down in her skirt suit, looking every bit the rock star she is, all the while, Laila commands the drum kit in a tie-neck blouse, setting the tone of the evening. From behind the mic stand, Kenzie encourages everyone to jump, “This is my exercise for today. You can count it as yours as well.” So everyone jumps, and claps, and immerses themselves in the moment as they are wont to do.
It’s not their first time playing at The Basement, and Kenzie hints that this won’t be their last by a long shot. Girl Tones has a record coming out, and they need somewhere to play their release show, but for now, it’s time to go to bed. After all, Kenzie said it best, “That’s rockin’ roll. Going to bed early.”
