Post-Punk: Punk's ethos meets diverse sounds, embodying DIY spirit and innovation.

February 6, 2024

By: Aaron Grey

Exploring the Depths of Post-Punk

Diving into the heart of the underground music scene, "What is Post-Punk?" explores the rich tapestry of a genre that emerged from the shadows of punk rock. This genre, born in the late 1970s, stands out for its stylistic diversity, challenging the punk orthodoxy by embracing a wide array of dynamics, dance beats, electronics, and innovative approaches to pop rock. From the pioneering sounds of Joy Division and The Cure to the genre's resurgence with bands like Interpol and Editors, post-punk has continuously pushed the boundaries of music, culture, and political expression. 

Category	Description
Origin	Late 1970s, UK & US; artistic expansion of punk
Sound	Experimental, bass-led, textured, rhythmic, with production innovation
Themes	Alienation, politics, existential depth
Key Bands	Joy Division, Gang of Four, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Wire, PiL, The Cure
Offshoots	Gothic rock, industrial, shoegaze, new wave
Cultural Reach	Fashion, graphic design, film, literature, modern indie culture

The Personal Journey Through Post-Punk and Punk Ethos

Erica and I have both been involved in the underground punk and post-punk scenes for more than half of our lives now. I'm pretty confident that I speak for both of us when I say that even among the DIY punk scene, we have felt a little like outsiders. I wanted to write something about what it means to us and why we want to help to perpetuate the genre and the ethics we believe it represents.

The Evolution and Diversity of Post-Punk Music

Post-punk is generally viewed as a genre that arose from the first wave of punk rock in the late 1970s. It is stylistically diverse because musicians deliberately re-examined and challenged punk’s formal strictures, experimenting with dynamics, dance beats, electronics, and the broader possibilities of pop and rock.

Outside the norm, this music was first tagged “new musick” or “art-punk.” By the close of the decade many groups were lumped under the marketing term “new wave,” and listeners often used the phrases interchangeably. As time passed, however, post-punk’s sound became more clearly defined and distinct from new wave, new romantic, and gothic rock.

Some early contributors—many of whom remain favorites—include Joy Division, The Chameleons, Gang of Four, Au Pairs, The Slits, The Fall, The Cure, Killing Joke, Wire, and Pere Ubu.

Clarifying the “New Wave” Overlap
In the late 1970s journalists and labels placed a wide array of adventurous bands under the umbrella of “new wave.” By 1979–80 the British music press began drawing a sharper line: post-punk referred to groups that kept punk’s do-it-yourself politics while adopting harsher textures, dub-style production, or avant-garde song structures, whereas new wave denoted more radio-friendly, pop-leaning acts. This distinction helps explain why bands as different as Gang of Four and Blondie were initially promoted in the same category yet soon followed very different artistic paths.

Post-Punk: A Movement of Musical Innovation and Rebellion

The Sex Pistols’ United Kingdom concerts of 1976 and 1977 were a lightning rod for both punk and the experimental strands that soon became post-punk. At roughly the same moment, mid-1970s sets at New York’s CBGB by Television, Talking Heads, and the synth-driven duo Suicide were pushing rock into minimalist, art-oriented territory, and recognizing these parallel developments gives a fuller picture of how post-punk emerged on both sides of the Atlantic almost simultaneously.

Where many punk acts leaned on familiar rock idioms drawn from 1950s rock-and-roll, garage, or mod traditions, post-punk artists stepped well beyond them. Groups such as Gang of Four, Public Image Ltd, and The Cure deliberately sidestepped punk’s straightforward riffs, weaving dub, funk, disco, avant-garde noise, tape manipulation, and even touches of musique concrète into songs that sounded unsettlingly new and forward-looking.

Critic Simon Reynolds notes that the post-punk vanguard believed urgent political or emotional statements demanded equally adventurous musical forms. This outlook produced dense atmospheres, angular guitar lines, shuddering bass, spacious dub-influenced production, and rhythms borrowed more from dance and funk than from classic-rock solos.

Because the movement aimed to make genuinely modern music, it became as much an intellectual and cultural shift as a stylistic one, drawing on existential literature, critical theory, modernist art, and sharp political awareness. That openness cleared a path for later styles including deathrock, gothic rock, industrial, darkwave, and the more art-pop side of new wave, and it laid essential groundwork for the rise of alternative and indie rock in the 1990s.

Post-Punk’s Path to Alternative Rock

It is accurate to say that post-punk laid essential groundwork for the alternative-rock boom of the early 1990s, but the story includes important middle chapters. Throughout the 1980s, college-radio favorites such as R.E.M., Hüsker Dü, and The Replacements blended post-punk’s independent ethos with jangly guitars and melodic hooks. At the same time, underground labels like SST, 4AD, and Dischord nurtured an indie-rock infrastructure that carried post-punk ideas into a new decade. Acknowledging these college-rock and indie scenes shows the continuous line of influence that runs from late-seventies experimentation to the mainstream breakthrough of bands like Nirvana and Radiohead.

Women in Post-Punk

Post-punk thrived not only because of its distinct sound, but also due to the pioneering contributions of women who challenged traditional gender norms, expanded the genre’s creative scope, and shaped its aesthetic and political identity.

Influential Female Artists and Bands

Siouxsie Sioux of Siouxsie and the Banshees stands as one of the most influential artists of the post-punk era. From their debut album The Scream (1978) onward, Siouxsie’s music featured tense, experimental rhythms combined with provocative and visually striking stage personas inspired by fetish and kabuki aesthetics. Her work helped define both post-punk and gothic visual culture.

The Slits, featuring Ari Up and guitarist Viv Albertine, shattered musical and gender expectations with their groundbreaking 1979 debut album, Cut. By blending raw punk energy with reggae and dub rhythms, they radically redefined the sound and image of women in music.

Lydia Lunch emerged from New York City’s No Wave scene as the confrontational frontwoman of Teenage Jesus and the Jerks. Her abrasive, minimalist sound and intense performance style embodied a fiercely anti-commercial and independent ethos that significantly influenced the post-punk underground.

ESG (Emerald, Sapphire & Gold), a group of sisters from the South Bronx, created minimalist, percussion-driven funk-punk that bridged post-punk, hip-hop, and dance music scenes. Their influential track “UFO” became one of the most sampled songs across multiple genres. Although largely independent from major labels, ESG later navigated complex legal battles over sampling royalties.

Bands such as The Raincoats, Kleenex/LiLiPUT, Au Pairs, and Poly Styrene of X-Ray Spex further expanded post-punk’s musical and ideological boundaries, addressing issues like sexuality, race, consumerism, and feminism through innovative arrangements and dedicated DIY practices.

Female Label Founders and Industry Innovators

Beyond performance, women played pivotal roles behind the scenes, shaping the infrastructure and global reach of post-punk music through their work with independent labels, event promotion, and DJing.

Hilary Morrison co-founded Fast Product in Edinburgh in 1977, a label instrumental in releasing debut singles by influential bands such as The Human League, Gang of Four, and the Mekons. Morrison’s innovative sleeve art and anti-consumerist approach embodied post-punk’s DIY spirit.

In Brussels, Annik Honoré co-founded Les Disques du Crépuscule and Factory Benelux in 1980, introducing seminal UK bands including Joy Division, New Order, Durutti Column, and Cabaret Voltaire to European audiences, significantly fostering a pan-European post-punk network.

Jeannette Lee transitioned from performing with Public Image Ltd to becoming a partner at Rough Trade Records in London in 1987. She played a central role in guiding the label’s artistic direction and strategy, elevating Rough Trade from a record store to a landmark post-punk and indie institution.

Cosey Fanni Tutti, a founding member of Throbbing Gristle, was integral to the establishment of Industrial Records in London in 1976. The label’s avant-garde musical and visual provocations directly informed post-punk’s experimental wing and expanded the genre's artistic ambitions.

Women Who Were DJs and Promoters Shaping the Scene

Female DJs and promoters were also essential in amplifying the genre’s reach. Annie Nightingale, the first female DJ at BBC Radio 1 and host of the television show Old Grey Whistle Test, introduced UK audiences to pivotal post-punk bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees, Public Image Ltd, and Gang of Four, long before mainstream acceptance.

In New York City, Anita Sarko became a key figure at legendary venues such as Mudd Club, Danceteria, and Palladium, where her eclectic mixes of post-punk, hip-hop, and exotica shaped the city's vibrant underground club culture. Ruth Polsky further solidified post-punk’s American presence by booking groundbreaking shows at clubs like Hurrah! and Danceteria, facilitating early US performances by influential British acts such as New Order, The Smiths, and Echo & the Bunnymen until her untimely death in 1986.

These innovative artists, industry visionaries, and cultural tastemakers collectively established critical foundations for post-punk’s artistic experimentation, political resonance, and global influence. Their combined contributions in music, visual arts, independent publishing, record production, and performance have proven essential to the lasting legacy and continued evolution of post-punk culture.

An Inclusive, Left Wing Ethos from the Start

From its earliest nights in London basements, New York lofts, and Washington DC community spaces, post-punk set out to dismantle social hierarchies as deliberately as it dismantled rock clichés. Musicians, promoters, and fans drew openly on feminist, Marxist, queer, anti-racist, and anti-capitalist ideas. DIY venues, zines, and record labels worked together to create rooms where LGBTQIA+ people and people of color could experiment, speak freely, and feel protected from the violence and gatekeeping often found in mainstream culture.

The Resurgence of Post-Punk in the 21st Century

The 21st-century resurgence of post-punk marks a revival and evolution, with bands like Interpol and Editors in the early 2000s revitalizing the genre. They drew on the dark tones and angular riffs of classic post-punk, with albums like "Turn on the Bright Lights" and "The Back Room" modernizing the sound for new audiences. This set the stage for a new generation of post-punk bands.

The decade from 2010 to 2020 witnessed a significant resurgence in the DIY post-punk scene, characterized by a wave of artists and bands who embraced the ethos of self-production and independent distribution. This period saw a proliferation of underground labels, DIY venues, and self-organized tours, reflecting the genre's foundational spirit of autonomy and resistance to mainstream commercialism. Bands like Protomartyr, Idles, and Priests, among others, brought fresh energy and perspectives to post-punk, blending traditional sounds with contemporary issues and experimental approaches. The use of digital platforms for distribution and community building played a crucial role, enabling these artists to reach global audiences and foster a renewed interest in post-punk's raw, emotive, and politically charged music. This era of DIY post-punk not only revitalized the genre but also underscored its enduring appeal and adaptability, cementing its place in the modern musical landscape.

In 2023, the post-punk scene is not just surviving; it's thriving with vibrant energy and innovation, as evidenced by the recognition of bands like Lathe of Heaven and Aurat across leading genre platforms. CVLT Nation's top post-punk and death rock records of the year and Post-Punk.com's best of 2023 lists highlight the continued relevance and evolution of the genre. Lathe of Heaven, with their atmospheric soundscapes and introspective lyrics, and Aurat, known for their unique blend of post-punk aesthetics with cultural nuances, stand out as torchbearers of the modern post-punk movement. These bands, among others, are not only keeping the spirit of post-punk alive but are also pushing its boundaries, proving that the genre remains a fertile ground for artistic exploration and expression in today's music landscape.

Embracing the Underground: Our Love for Post-Punk's Ongoing Legacy

Erica and I cherish that this music has never really left the underground, but it is again springing to new life. We love it and want to be part of it. We love getting to see current bands like Shadow Age, Arcane, Silent Age, Rituel Veil, Lithics, Bambara, Bootblacks, Arctic Flowers, and so many more. 

If you have favorite post-punk discoveries or memories, share them with us, we’re always adding new chapters to this story.

Check out other new post-punk bands here.

This genre of misfits among misfits is where we fit in. While we understand and appreciate the punk tradition, the post-punk and darkwave scenes are the shadows we call home. We have been propped up and supported by these sounds, and they have given us what we needed to succeed in this world.

It is our goal to nurture this tradition of music and politics and freedom of expression, to foster the idea of self-expression without limitation in a safe, meaningful way. And of course, we always want to help to move more people to dance.

Now go start your own post-punk band!

пост-панк
ποστ πανκ
ポストパンク
后朋克
後朋克

Play Alone Records Interview 

Starting Your Own Post-Punk Band

 

Starting a post-punk band requires a lot of hard work and dedication. Beyond the steps mentioned in the original content, here are some additional tips for starting a post-punk band:

1. Be authentic: The scene values authenticity, so ensure your band is true to itself. Don't try to sound like another band or copy their image. Be original and true to your own unique sound and style.
2. DIY attitude: The post-punk scene is all about DIY (Do It Yourself). Don't wait for someone to come and help you. Create your own opportunities by booking your own shows, releasing your own music, and promoting your band.
3. Practice, practice, practice: Post-punk is known for its energy, but that doesn't mean you can get away with sloppy playing. Practice regularly and aim to improve your skills as musicians.
4. Have a message: Post-punk is also known for its social and political commentary. Use your music to express your views and ideas about the world around you.
5. Support your local scene: Attend shows by other local bands, and be supportive of other artists in your community. Building a strong local scene will help your own band grow and thrive.
6. Be prepared to face challenges: The music industry can be tough, and post-punk is no exception. Be prepared to face rejection, setbacks, and obstacles. But don't let that discourage you. Keep working hard and persevering, and eventually, you'll find success.

 

To learn more about post-punk...

Essential Post-Punk Reading List

All titles, authors, and descriptions have been double-checked for accuracy (latest editions in parentheses).

 

Post-punk: Our musical home. We love its raw energy, DIY spirit, & freedom of expression. Discover its evolution, from classics to today's vibrant scene. Join us & celebrate this enduring genre!

Spielen Allein Schallplatten
プレイ アローン レコード
Играть В Одиночку Пластинки

Check out our releases here.