The silencing of women is a social plague; Bikini Kill spent seven years annihilating it. From 1990 to 1997, the Olympia band fought to cultivate a feminist punk counterculture that blazed and shrieked and cared: “Dare ya to do what you want/Dare ya to be who you will,” went one early Bikini Kill rallying cry. Kathleen Hanna sang, Tobi Vail played drums, Billy Karren (aka Billy Boredom) played guitar and Kathi Wilcox played bass. Their fanzines burned between every weaponized word as they encouraged a participatory logic. “A band is any song you ever played with anybody even if only once,” as drummer Tobi Vail wrote—could a song topple the world? Could it destroy the deafening quiet? Bikini Kill was a scream in the face of silence, shattering it, casting its bondage into stark relief. This would not have been possible without their seismic, heroic songs. The band started touring in June 1991. In addition to touring the US several times, they also toured Europe, Australia and Japan. Bikini Kill recorded and released a demo tape, two EP's, two LP's and three singles. Their demo tape was self-released, while their first two records came out as a full length CD/Tape and their singles were posthumously collected on CD. Believing that if all girls started bands the world would change, they actively encouraged women and girls to start bands as a means of cultural resistance. Bikini Kill was inspired by seeing Babes in Toyland play live and attempted to incite female participation and build feminist community via the punk scene. They used touring as a way to create an underground network between girls who played music, put on shows and made fanzines. This independent media making and informal network created a forum for multiple female voices to be heard. Bikini Kill is credited with instigating the Riot Grrrl movement in the early 90’s via their political lyrics, zones and confrontational live show.