With their glorious new single “Our House” set to electrify parties across the country, electronic collective Girls Don’t Sync share an exclusive essay about nightlife.
Girls Don’t Sync are reshaping expectations and lighting fires of euphoria. The Liverpool-formed four-piece are part girl-group, part collective, all impeccable vibes, getting dance floors moving across the globe, with sets at Glastonbury, Parklife and a residency at Ibiza’s Amnesia all forthcoming this summer.
At a pinnacle in their career so far — releasing a new celebratory, well-crafted single “Our House” via their own label FOURMATION — the girls are reflective of their journey. Nightlife in the UK and across the world has taken a massive hit in the years post the pandemic, with young people’s relationship to partying quickly evolving. As a vital voice for inclusion, diversity, education and moral-led hedonism, everything that Girls Don’t Sync do feels grounded in improving the scene around them, supporting their community and raising awareness.
To shine a light on their own experiences, offer observation on the ever-changing world around them, and give advice on a plethora of personal issues, Girls Don’t Sync share with Wonderland a heartfelt and deeply resonant essay — read exclusively below.
Listen to “Our House”…
Read Girls Don’t Sync’s exclusive essay…
The birth of Girls Don’t Sync came from a deep desire, post-COVID, to re-energise and reconnect Liverpool’s nightlife. As a collective of four, we began primarily as promoters, curating line-ups and booking female DJs to debut at our events. Our core mission has always been to amplify and champion emerging talent, both within the city and across the UK, and for many of the women we booked, it was their first time performing in public. Supporting grassroots venues has been central to our journey: these spaces shaped our sound, nurtured our community, and taught us the value of creating space not just for ourselves, but for the next generation of artists. Liverpool’s nightlife is rooted in undeniably rich musical and cultural foundations, and being part of that has honestly shaped everything we do. From the start, we’ve always felt a strong sense of unity and togetherness and a genuine want to celebrate each other at its core. In the last few years especially, we’ve witnessed and supported the rise of collectives and platforms like Svara and Go Play, and educational projects like Decks in the City and NXT WAVE, but it’s really the dedication and passion of the people within the community that have truly propelled Liverpool’s scene to where it is today.
People like Eric Gooden, who runs District, (where we held our first GDS event), gave four girls trying to drive change, celebrate diversity, and champion a new wave of artists a real chance. District is one of the only Black-owned venues in Liverpool, and has always been more than just a music space; it’s a cultural hub that’s fostered community and creativity across generations for years. Being part of that ecosystem felt powerful, especially so early on in our career, it will always be a reminder of how vital these spaces are to the landscape of club culture. Without venues like District, the next generation of DJs, promoters, and music lovers lose a place to connect, grow, and find their voice. As we began playing out as a group, we naturally gravitated to these venues rooted in the underground; Meraki, Hidden, Motion, and Old Red Bus Station, spaces that played a key role in our growth, and whose recent closures are a stark reminder of how much the scene still needs protecting.
We can’t ignore the bigger issue: our government must urgently recognise and protect a vital part of our culture, not just overlooked, but actively being dismantled. Funding cuts have devastated the arts sector, galleries, museums, and beyond and to us, grassroots clubs are just as crucial. We believe they should also be acknowledged as fundamental and essential cultural landmarks where passions ignite, identities form, spanning generations and communities, and careers are launched across the UK. It’s the ravers, the staff, the artists, and the relentless energy, DIY ethos and commitment that keep this culture alive. It is a given that clubs are undeniable cornerstones of culture and community but they also fuel our economy, a £36 billion industry as well as supporting over 425,000 jobs every year. Yet, in the last decade, more than half of the UK’s grassroots clubs have shut down… and the future of British music and culture is under serious threat.
In acknowledging the void that has been left in the nightlife industry, the question we have to ask ourselves is, “what is the solution?” We’ve seen people unite, raising their voices and galvanising their efforts both online and offline to defend these spaces. Take the facts and figures presented by NTIAs Night Time Economy Report or the introduction of London’s first ever Nightlife Taskforce; these new and very practical steps certainly provide us with a huge glimmer of hope for the future.
As artists, we believe we have a responsibility to protect nightlife in whatever ways we can. It’s more than a job, it’s our livelihood, our escape, our connection to community. That’s why we feel so strongly about supporting the spaces that shaped us. We have the power to create demand, to direct audiences, and to uplift grassroots venues and collectives from the ground up. And while these shows might not bring the same money as a big festival, what they offer in culture, energy and connection is unmatched.
That’s exactly how we felt a few weeks ago playing at XLR for Warped, promoters who’ve been part of Manchester’s underground backbone since we first started DJing. These are the nights that remind us why we started. The impact and influence of grassroots spaces is something we’ll always carry with us, because no matter how far we go, our love for this all began in Northern, sweaty, intimate venues.
As ravers and as DJs, we recognise and feel the desire to socialise, to rave and to let go for those 3-4+ hours in the club, particularly post COVID. While clubbing is freeing, it can also be quite isolating particularly if you’re in a crowd that doesn’t look or sound like you. Yes, getting lost in the music is a beautiful thing and one of the many reasons why we all love dance music, however it can sometimes be met with an identity crisis if you constantly feel like the odd one out on the dancefloor. Our new single ‘Our House’ is an attempt to recognise those differences and at the same time reassure people that they belong at our sets regardless of gender, race or sexuality. We placed unifying lyrics against a euphoric hard hitting instrumental to encourage crowds to dance, let go and ultimately feel valued. It’s a thank you and a love letter to the diversity of our crowds and the community that we have built and deeply appreciate. We see you, we appreciate you and you’re always welcome in our house.
