Lost Grrrl Found, a concert-style riot grrrl-inspired original musical written by playwright Penelope Gould and musician Holly Nance, is planning to release their first EP! 

It’s been 18 months since we first presented Lost Grrrl Found at a rollicking workshop performance at Parkside Lounge in June of 2024. The generous support we received in our first fundraising campaign made possible a run of packed performances at Stone Circle Theatre, Pianos, and The Sultan Room. We also released two songs by the fictional band Zipper Lips with Final Girl Records. In celebration of these singles, Zipper Lips performed stand alone sets at shows across the city blurring the lines between story and reality. 

Now, we are looking to release a four song cycle focused on the most important relationship in the play: the friendship between Izzy and Morgan. 

Lost Grrrl Found follows the fallout (and eventual rekindling) of the friendship breakup between college freshmen Izzy and Morgan, played by the magnetic Abby Mohaddes and Marvelyn Ramirez. In the wake of this rupture, Izzy and Morgan both find themselves swept into the drama of the local riot grrrl scene. When they both end up touring with these grrrls, long hidden emotions are unearthed. 

The songs we have chosen highlight the turns in their relationship.The style of them shift as they become immersed in the riot grrrl movement. 

The songs we will include on the EP are:

Our first two releases introduced our audiences to the music of Zipper Lips, the fictional band at the core of the piece. These songs exemplify the riot-grrl and queercore influences that sit at the heart of the project and announce the unconventional shape of the play to the world.

The new EP will highlight the storytelling, building out the narrative elements of Lost Grrrl Found in a recorded format. This will attract theatre audiences who enjoy cast recordings, while still giving our current fans more of what they have been asking for. 

As we build the audience of Lost Grrrl Found, we want to continue engaging fans and  generating  interest from audiences outside of New York City.  We know that there is high potential for these particular songs to drive us forward: a rehearsal clip of the song “Lesbian Spinsters” went viral when we posted it to promote our last show and we have been asked for the full song, along with more songs featuring Izzy and Morgan, consistently in our comments section. 

Having the Izzy and Morgan songs available along with the already-released Zipper Lips songs will mean that the ethos of Lost Grrrl Found is well represented in this sample, allowing the recordings to serve as proof-of-concept to share with venue bookers, producers, theatrical institutions, and other future collaborators. 

The team embodies riot grrrl's DIY organizing ethos by putting on the shows completely independently, without the support of any producing institution. The project was developed collaboratively over the last year with the cast: Bee Guzman-Elliott, Abby Mohaddes, Marvelyn Ramirez, Mika Itkin-Weinstein, Caroline Strickland, and Zachary Wilson. 

The funds we make from tickets and merchandise sales at our shows go directly back to paying these artists and our small crew. We use a profit split system with a guarantee, so every member of the cast and crew are guaranteed payment and any additional funds left after guarantees are split across the team. 

Our commitment to re-investing our live-show revenue in the artists who make the show possible means that we cannot take on a studio recording project of this size without your support.  

Below is a breakdown of what donations will go to:

Recording Studio Rental: $1,750

This will give us 5 days of recording time at a professional studio in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. 

Producer Fee: $1,500

We work with a professional music producer to help execute our vision and elevate our sound. 

Mixing: $1,000

We will pay an audio engineer  $250 per song to mix recordings in order to balance the different elements of songs in a style that furthers our artistic vision. 

Mastering: $160

We will pay an audio professional $40 per song to master the recordings,  giving our songs optimal clarity and volume.

Team Meals: $240

We will pay for musician and producer meals while working. 

Contingency: $465

There are always unexpected costs that arrive when making art. Contingency will allow us to face any hurdles without it sending us into the red. 

Yes, please check out our Bandcamp to purchase handmade merch or for digital access to one of our songs and please sign up for our email list here to keep up to date on our future activities!