The latest edition of my university college magazine, the brick, dropped in my inbox the other day. In the Student Life section, there was an article whose headline picture was of a rock band. It was titled ‘Girl Like That’ | Lucy Peer, and I found my inner voice asking, “Have I heard of that band?”.

The summary under the picture was intriguing:

Passionate about both science and music, Keble student Lucy Peer (2021 MChem Chemistry) channels her creativity as the singer-songwriter for up-and-coming band ‘Girl Like That’.

the brick, Michaelmas term 2024

And I was soon tumbling down another rabbit hole in the fabric of the Internet.

Reading between the surprisingly sparse lines unearthed by Google searches, it would appear that Ms Peer had been writing songs for a while before teaming up with four guys a little over a year ago to form the Girl Like That band. When asked about her musical style, she says, “… my music is for fans of Nothing But Thieves, Olivia Rodrigo and Paramore.” Unfortunately, that meant nothing to this hopelessly out-of-date blogger, so I looked them up. According to Spotify, “Nothing But Thieves make passionate guitar-based rock that balances indie artfulness with a pop sensibility”. And, having listened to GLT’s debut album, Medicine Box, that sums up their sound rather well.

The first couple of tracks on the album are a bit raw and aggressive for my taste, but there are softer, more sophisticated songs, too. These two pleased the Crotchety ears.

If I peer into my crystal ball, I can see two possible futures for Lucy. If her band makes it big, she could be remembered as a rock star (like Brian May); or perhaps she will make an important discovery in the field of chemistry and be fêted in academic circles (like Brian Cox). She seems to be bright enough and talented enough to encompass those two disparate disciplines. One day, you may be thankful that both the wonder drug in your medicine box and the theme tune to your life were made possible by a Girl Like That.