Artist Spotlights: If You’re Looking For An Apology, Don’t Ask Bad Waitress

Four-piece Toronto band Bad Waitress is a force to be reckoned with. Its ultra-punk sound and relentless stage presence leaves crowds entranced and always wanting more.

Artist Spotlights introduces you to artists that may not be on your radar yet, but should be. There’s no time like the present to find new (and old) talent to support.

Written by Miranda Garza

Photo courtesy of Kate Dockeray

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Even as a punk revival gradually overtakes music charts, Bad Waitress is anything but mainstream. The four-piece Toronto band is made up of female and nonbinary members, including lead vocalist and guitarist Kali-Ann Butala, lead guitarist Katelyn Molgard, drummer Moon, and bassist Nicolel Cain. They began making music in 2014 as trio Nude Dogs, but solidified their ultra-punk sound when Cain joined the group in 2018 and coined the name Bad Waitress. Since then, they’ve built a stellar discography that intensifies the rock and resentment established on their initial release, the 2018 EP Party Bangers: Volume 1. The band uses distinct elements like speedy guitars and heavy drumming to create a sound rooted in punk that flirts with riot grrrl and grunge.

Released in 2021, the band’s debut album, No Taste, was a guitar-heavy whirlwind of relentless instrumentals and unapologetic vocals. In the opening track “Rabbit Hole,” Butala greets listeners with her signature sharp vocals that twirl around a flickering guitar riff, which descends into full-on electric shreds. The guitar-heavy arrangement is balanced with static cymbal crashes and a looming bassline lurking behind the track. The album’s rebellious essence continues in the stand-out gem “Manners,” where electric melodies shadow Butala’s menacing vocals as they slowly build from a velvet hum to a piercing shrill. Meanwhile, the background vocals repeatedly taunt, “Sit up straight good / Sit up straight good” as a wavering electric guitar follows the track’s revolving rhythm as the track reaches each chorus, which ends with a crescendo of drum and cymbal crashes. This is followed by the moody “Delusions of Grandeur,” which begins with minimal instrumentation that grants attention towards sultry vocals, unmatched by any other track on the album. All of this is underpinned by Butala’s shrill voice as she sings about corruption within the world: “Rations of the nation are falling / Morals have been shot down a well / All these politicians are gaining / So, get me out of this hell!”

The band also has a fair share of staggering singles under their belt, with “Pre-Post Period Blues” showing the band’s grunge influence. Low vocals complemented by jolted guitar chords build the track's hazy instrumental atmosphere, which is soon combated at every chorus, where the instrumental they abruptly transforms into chaotic guitar slashes and growls. At the song’s bridge, distorted riffs hit their crest, where each instrument is played with the utmost power and every note is full of fury. “Too Many Bad Habits” is another powerful single with textured guitar riffs guiding Kali’s signature textured vocals as she belts, “Nothing can bother me / Sitting in the pharmacy / Waitin’ on the big man / To give me what he can.” Taking off on a sudden start of guitar slashes, the band’s latest single is the fast-paced “Spit It Out.” The head-bashing track keeps a speedy rhythm until the bridge, where textured vocals blanket over stretched out guitar-led instrumentals. 

The only thing about Bad Waitress that’s more lively and vicarious than its music is its stage presence. At the 2022 SXSW Festival, the band had an array of ardent live performances, including the “EqualizerHer” showcase presented by Linda Perry and Alisha Ballard at Lustre Pearl. Audiences were left entranced as stark vibrancy radiated from the band’s performance, with Molgard’s enigmatic stage energy matching their intense electric shreds as they thrashed across the stage. Cain’s rhythmic underground bassline kept listeners grounded from Moon’s bombastic drum beats and all of these elements were perfectly convened by Butala’s strident voice. 

With its persistent spirit and hardcore instrumentals, Bad Waitress redefines a not-to-miss performance. The band’s multifaceted sound borrows elements from various genres and decades and simultaneously repurposes them with a modern rock flare. Following its appearance at SXSW Festival, the band went on their first U.K. tour, and played the Stag & Dagger Festival in Glasgow, continuing to breathe life into their performances. Their enigmatic style and sound is unmatched and has audiences eager to see what awaits for the four-piece band.

Listen to Bad Waitress on Spotify and Bandcamp and follow the band on Instagram and Twitter at @badwaitressband.