Grandmas House - Baby you're a Winner Tour

Grandmas House – Baby You’re A Winner bio:
Like the ominous skies before a storm, Bristol-based quartet Grandmas House’s debut,
*Baby You’re A Winner*, captures both the light and dark sides of human connection through riotous rock anthems, sharp storytelling, and moments of startling tenderness.
As the interlocking guitar and choral harmonies of the title track “Baby You’re A Winner” swirl
into your subconscious, you might expect an easy introduction from Grandmas House.
But this Bristol-based foursome’s foundation is built on walking the fine line between darkness and light. This mission is abundantly clear from the moment Zoë Zinsmeister’s rumbling basslines kick in. The band’s debut is heavy with contrasting elements: melodic and abrasive, intimate and chaotic, carefully composed yet wildly captivating.
And that’s nowhere more evident than in their standout vocal delivery. Guitarist Yasmin Berndt’s signature
snarl cuts through the UK’s current post-punk landscape (though, if pressed, it recalls the
unpolished growl of Fontaines DC’s Grian Chatten). Drummer Poppy Dodgson adds a
striking second lead vocal presence, while bassist Zoë Zinsmeister brings a third layer to the group’s often sinister harmonies.
Band founders Berndt and Dodgson met at university, bonding over offbeat indie acts like
Shame and Goat Girl. But it was another four-piece that encouraged them to pick up their
own instruments. “Seeing The Big Moon live before we’d played any shows inspired us so
much,” recalls Dodgson. After moving to Bristol, the pair moved in together and recruited
Zinsmeister on bass and, later, Polly Jessett on lead guitar. The catalyst for performing came
from the heart of the welcoming, creative community, though. “We told the guy who owns
The Thunderbolt that we were writing songs, and he was like, ‘Right, you’ve got a set!’” laughs
Dodgson. “Without that push, I don’t know if we would have been brave enough.”
After releasing a handful of EPs and testing new material on the road, Grandmas
House headed into the studio to record their debut with producer Ali Chant (PJ Harvey,
Yard Act, Perfume Genius) to translate the intensity of the band’s live shows into something
more expansive. “Our music is hard to capture on recordings because it has so much energy,”
says Berndt. “Sometimes we’d be like, ‘This is a lot more powerful live. How can we make it
just as powerful?’”
That power lies in Grandmas House’s ability to address life’s major moments with tenderness amid the rollicking riffs. Echoing Big Thief’s knack for vivid storytelling, the band’s debut paints a keen portrait of love, grief, and the bittersweet balance between sadness and catharsis, as Dodgson explains. “We wrote this album about the existential crisis of navigating life. It’s about love and infatuation, but also about grief and loneliness. It’s emotional, powerful, and a lot of fun all at once.”
The record also gives voice to physical vulnerability and emotional imbalance. The thunderous
lead single ‘DOG’ reflects on chronic illness and dismissive medical treatment, with Berndt
spitting out the lyrics bitterly. “Got you growling through gritted teeth / The doctor always said this pill is all you’ll ever need.” The surprisingly somber tones of “Soaked” explore queer love, as Jessett’s tender guitar lines soar into a cathartic release akin to Marika Hackman’s *Big Sigh*.
But there are also some serious rock chops on display throughout the record.
“Dance” is a live staple drawing inspiration from the band’s recent tour supporting the Midlands giants, Big Special. Elsewhere, “The Table” was also honed on the road and confronts the end of a relationship. “We’ve been playing that one for such a long time. It started out much more punk-inspired and has since become a big rock anthem,” Dodgson adds.
Equally abrasive, “Next Big Hit (Choo Choo)” robustly rallies against the scoffing of women in the music industry with crushing distortion over Berndt’s deadpan delivery, and a needling lead line that slams into you with the force of a freight train.
Even the album’s softer moments feel intensely physical. “Blue Oblivion” describes these
all-consuming feelings as a “stone at the bottom of my lungs,” while the standout track ‘Taxidermy’
insists on wearing their love interest like a coat. Alongside the deeply human connections—
grief intertwined with illness (“I Miss That House”) and the heartbreaking acceptance of letting go (“How It Is”)—there’s a strong current of nature running through the record, which Dodgson traces back to her love of poet Mary Oliver. In “Baby You’re A Winner,” Berndt captures the sentiment lyrically: “If I planted a flower every time that I missed ya / I could walk through my garden, trying to forget you.”
In “Grandma’s House,” a glimmer of hope peeks through, pointing toward brighter days. As Jessett
admits in the album’s closing track, “Spring,” “We wanted an emotional, stripped-back moment on the
album and wrote this with that intention.” For all the darkness woven throughout *Baby You’re A Winner*, moments of light emerge in the form of unwavering friendship and poignant
storytelling about what it feels like to truly be alive.