Montreal-based female rock trio LES SHIRLEY have zero interest in playing it safe. Delivering a unique brand of in-your-face, anthemic rock driven by pop melodies and a defiant punk attitude, the band channel urgency and conviction into every song. Formed in 2018, Raphaelle Chouinard (lead vocals, guitar), Lisandre Bourdages(drums, backing vocals), and Sarah Dion (bass, backing vocals) have built their reputation on a take-no-shit presence that hits just as hard onstage as it does on record.
With two full-length albums and one EP already under their belt, the band has toured relentlessly across Quebec, cultivated fanbases across Ontario, and built a formidable international following through six European tours, performing in Germany, France, Belgium, Spain, and a half dozen other countries.
Their rise has included sharing stages with artists such as NOFX, Weezer, Sublime, Simple Plan, Billy Talent, The Beaches, Green Day, and Avril Lavigne. A career-defining moment came in 2023, when the Foo Fighters personally invited them to open at Montreal’s Verdun Auditorium. That upward trajectory continued with LES SHIRLEY joining Jimmy Eat World on their 2025 European tour.
Their new single “Not My Problem” is a punchy, cathartic release and the first taste of their forthcoming album Hail Mary, due Fall 2026. The track captures the band’s growing urgency and clarity, born from frustration with toxic relationships and a world that demands constant emotional labour. Written in under an hour, the song came together in a raw burst of instinct, as the band took the toxicity they were feeling, spit it back out, and channelled it into something liberating and ultimately more positive.
Rooted in lived experience, the song—and LES SHIRLEY’s broader catalogue—draws power from feminist rage and a refusal to stay silent on a long list of issues including human rights, racism, and identity, reflecting the band’s perspective as members of the LGBTQ+ community and navigating a chaotic, inequitable world.
With its blunt, chant-along refrain (“Not my problem anymore”), the song transforms anger into release, choosing boundaries, self-preservation, and joy without apology. “Not My Problem”is a line in the sand—and the first clear signal of what’s coming onHail Mary.
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Questions 1-4 answered by Raphaelle
Questions 5-7 answered by Lisandre
Questions 8-10 answered by Sarah
1. Take us back to 2018 — what did LES SHIRLEY look and feel like in those early days, and how does the band look and feel today in comparison?
The band started as a side project for us. It was a couple jam nights a week just to try our hand at writing music just for fun, no pressure. We started playing live shows and rapidly felt that something more was happening. The crowd was responding in such a way we knew we had something special. Today, it’s our priority but we try to always keep it fun! It’s important to us, that’s what music is all about.
2. You have toured Quebec and Ontario, played some MAJOR shows, and have toured Europe six times. What’s the biggest difference between Canadian and European crowds for you?
European crowds really change from country to country but in general people are really showing up and buying merch. Especially in Germany and Spain. We had some crazy shows with people thrashing and moshing without even knowing who we were. That doesn’t happen often in Canada. It’s really refreshing to see that rock n roll is not dead and is a genre that is really appreciated on the other side of the pound!
3. When you joined Jimmy Eat World on their European tour in 2025 – did that tour feel like validation or pressure?
It really felt like validation. When a production like that trust you to deliver on stage night after night you know you reached another step. Of course, it comes with a bit of pressure, but the goal is to use it to perform even better.
4. Was there one show on that tour that really stood out for you and why?
No doubt it was the show in Belgium! First off, driving in Brussels was crazy – one-way streets everywhere, all the streets were blocked and they were so narrow. It was the first day for our euro driver. Poor her, it was a total nightmare. The show itself was amazing though. The venue was insane with one of the best sounds we ever had. The crowd was really digging the set. We had so many people coming to the merch table telling us how they fell in love with the music. Then, when the van was packed and it was time to go, we had to pass through the narrowest, most crowded little street ever. It was filled with drunk ass gay men partying and dancing in the street. We had to get out of the van and talk them into stepping aside. We had to break a few making out sessions to get out. Fun times!
5. Your new single “Not My Problem” came together in under an hour — what was happening that day that made it pour out so quickly, and was there a specific situation behind that chorus?
The day we wrote this song we were in the thick of it. All three of us were clawing our way out of toxic relationships we’d stayed in way too long. This track came from overload — from everything we had swallowed, silenced, endured. It was time to purge it. To burn it out. To take our power back. We wrote every single word together, and it was a pure release. The chorus is about giving it all back — every ounce of fear, guilt, and weight that was never ours to carry. No more shrinking to protect a fragile ecosystem built on abuse. No more walking on eggshells. It’s about choosing yourself. Standing tall. Taking the lead — and never apologizing for it.
6. If someone is discovering LES SHIRLEY for the first time through “Not My Problem”, what do you hope they understand about who you are within the first listen?
That we’re not here to stay quiet. We want to speak about the things that matter to us — the things that unsettle us, the situations that are too often kept silent. We’re here to take the space we deserve and to shout life’s injustices loud and clear. Sometimes with a touch of humour, always with music that makes you want to smash everything in your path.
6. Your forthcoming album Hail Mary suggests risk or last chances — what does that phrase mean to you in this chapter of the band?
This track represents an all-or-nothing moment — we gave the best version of ourselves, pushing our ideas and commitments further than before.It also reflects how we see the world right now. With massive global changes happening, it feels like if things don’t change soon, the world could be heading toward collapse. This could be our final chance.
7. After everything you’ve built over the past few years, what feels different about stepping into this album cycle compared to your earlier releases?
It’s the first time we have a full team with us planning, thinking and doing every little thing that needs to be done to properly release an album. It makes all the difference in the world to be able to focus more on the music side of things and the message we want to get across. We already started practicing the new songs, incorporating them into the live sets, brainstorming new merch, talking about the big picture, what we’re looking for and hoping for down the line. Before, we would just wing those things, hoping they would all fall into place. In the past, I think it’s been beneficial not being aware of the shit show that is ahead. It’s for sure less scary than knowing what’s coming.
But for this new cycle, we feel like all the pillars are there to support us into being the best band we’ve ever been.
9. It seems like you have crossed quite a few items off your bucket list since the band started. What are your next bucket list items?
We’ve had many amazing/great opportunities that are part of the band’s history success. Playing huge festivals with legends, going on crazy tours, meeting our heroes, etc. All the things that we could not even have dreamed of, they kept (and keep!!) on happening. Checks on the bucket list are multiplying by the day but what we’re really looking for in this new cycle is to find our people. We feel there’s a whole sea of humans that never heard of us. We want to focus on building a community that feels right, that understands us and that wants to match our crazy.
10. What are your touring plans around the singles and album release? Are there any places you want to play during this album cycle that you have not played before?
We’re keeping things intentionally light this year — just a handful of shows and festivals across Quebec and Ontario. We don’t want to overplay it. When the album drops this fall, we’ll do a proper run of Canadian launch shows, maybe sneak in a few European dates here and there… we’ll see.The real wave hits in early 2027. Everything we’re building through 2026 — the planning, the releases, the groundwork — is setting us up to tour this record hard. More shows. Bigger rooms. Stronger crowds. Just… better across the board. We’ve barely touched the U.S. so far, and maybe this cycle finally cracks that door open. To be honest, heading south doesn’t feel especially appealing now, given everything going on. But at the same time, there are great people everywhere — and the idea of a bunch of Canadian lesbian punk rockers yelling in their faces for an hour straight? That still sounds like a pretty good time.
