Six women from South Wales in their 50s and 60s formed a punk band out of music workshops, and they are now being covered by The Guardian, BBC Wales, and fans across generations who cannot get enough of them. Meet The NaNaz — a punk and alt-rock collective whose lyrics tackle unaffordable care home fees, male attitudes toward older women, the frustrations of recycling, loud people on the bus, and the raw, deeply personal experience of going through menopause.
The NaNaz lineup is specific and formidable. Founder Anne-Marie Bollen handles lead vocals, bass, and songwriting. Deb de Lloyd brings creative merch and viola. Claire Symons plays rhythm guitar, sings backup vocals, and holds the title of ‘merch queen.’ Ange Pearce, known by her bandmates as ‘Animal,’ shreds lead guitar and contributes vocals and songwriting. Marega Palser is the band’s multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and self-described ‘performance artist.’ And Jade Ball holds it all together on drums.
Their official YouTube page describes The NaNaz as ‘a riot in motion — a punk/alt-rock collective proving that attitude has no age limit. Born out of music workshops and fueled by raw energy, they channel the spirit of classic punk with a fearless, modern edge.’ The description continues: ‘Their sound is loud, honest, and made to be felt as much as heard.’
Songs With Something to Say
The NaNaz do not traffic in empty noise. One of their earliest fan favorites, ’60 Lies,’ was written as a direct dedication to the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign group. Their more recent release, ‘The Isles,’ arrived with a full music video and features more metaphorical lyricism, including the line: ‘Time arrow shooting back forward sideways and now it’s gone slack and time neither here nor there.’
As journalist Ryan Massey noted in his piece for BBC Wales, the band treats music as therapy — an outlet for real anger and frustration. The members have spoken openly about how making music has helped them cope with menopause, navigate changes to their bodies, and reclaim their identities on their own terms.
Writer Anita Chaudhuri noted in The Guardian that the band’s repertoire leaves very little off the table. The NaNaz also got an unexpected boost when a BBC series drama called Riot Women — following five fierce women who ‘crank up the volume to get their voices heard’ — reminded audiences that the real riot women were already rocking in South Wales, very much without a script.
Why This Moment Matters
The NaNaz arrive at a moment when the conversation around women, aging, and visibility in music is gaining genuine traction. The UK-based organization Loud Women, which spotlighted The NaNaz in an April 2026 interview, has been actively championing female and non-binary artists in punk and alternative spaces since 2015, running festivals and platforms specifically to counter the historic underrepresentation of women in those genres. The NaNaz are not an anomaly — they are the sharp, loud edge of a much larger shift.
On Instagram, the fan response has been immediate and cross-generational. One commenter half-joked, ‘The retirement homes are gonna be so lit.’ Another offered a song suggestion about drivers who leave their bright lights on. And one self-described elder millennial put it plainly: ‘Gen X were the cooler older siblings of my elder millennial self. I still look up to them.’
That comment captures exactly what The NaNaz represent beyond the music itself. Anne-Marie Bollen, Ange Pearce, Marega Palser, Claire Symons, Deb de Lloyd, and Jade Ball did not wait for permission, a record deal, or a television drama to tell their stories. They picked up instruments, walked out of workshops, and started thrashing. The retirement homes, whenever they arrive, will indeed be lit.
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