Montreal’s TAXI GIRLS return with “Secret Handshake,” the new single and video landing June 5 on Stomp Records. Following the punch of their debut “Say It,” the track offers a second look at the band’s upcoming LP Static, out June 26. If the first single kicked the door open, this one tears the walls down.
Formed in 2022, the all-female garage punk outfit has quickly carved out their place in Montreal’s underground, the kind built on packed basements, blown speakers, and nights that don’t really end so much as fade out. You can hear the city all over it, somewhere between a late-night dépanneur run, a half-crushed pack of DuMauriers, and the spill of bodies onto Saint-Laurent after last call. There’s a sense the band picked up half their moves from late-night VHS hangs, rewinding Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains, digging into The Runaways, Girlschool, and Nena’s The Stripes, then running it all back louder and faster.
“Secret Handshake” reveals a softer side of Taxi Girls, showcasing the band’s sweeter and more vulnerable side. Written from a place of love and longing, the song captures the feeling of wanting a summer fling to last a bit longer than the fading season. Even when summer is over, you’ll always have your secret handshake.
The lyrics paint a picture as old as time: sharing something special with someone and wishing it could last beyond the summer. Even when time and distance make things complicated, friendship never fades, and you know you’ll always have your secret handshake. As Static takes shape, it’s clear this record is not just a collection of punk songs. There is something for everyone. Loud, raw, soft, sweet, gritty – enough to make you want to pick up the phone and call an old pal or have a solo kitchen dance party on a Tuesday afternoon.
That urgency has carried the band quickly. Over the past year, TAXI GIRLS have shared stages with NOBRO, NOFX, Lagwagon, The Hives, Billy Talent, and Pansy Division, building momentum the old-fashioned way, loud shows, word of mouth, and a reputation that sticks. The buzz has pushed well beyond Montreal, with Iggy Pop spinning the band on his BBC 6 Music show and putting them in front of an international audience already tuned in.
With “Secret Handshake,” TAXI GIRLS sound tighter, louder, and more confident in what they’re doing. Hook-driven, sharp, and rooted in the chaos and cool of Montreal’s underground, the single feels like a band locking into their identity and pushing it further, no hesitation, no cleanup, just forward.
