Womanhood strikes a note in cougar rock

Forget songs about putting on your glittery lipstick, going out dancing until 3am, drinking fruity cocktails and meeting the boy of your dreams across the dance floor.

Life for the members of Wairarapa "chick group" Growler is far less glamorous - instead of partying and first kisses, they're singing about school runs, convincing their husbands to do the housework, and wearing pyjamas to the supermarket.

Growler is made up of 40-somethings Nikki King (trumpet and vocals), Coral Griffis (guitar and vocals), Jo Foster (violin), Harry Growler (bass), and Kathleen Brough (drums), who have dubbed their style "Mum Rock" or "Cougar Rock" - a tongue-in-cheek commentary on life as a busy wife and mother.

"It's all about womanhood - for the over 40s," said drummer Brough, based in Martinborough.

"It's great - we've had women listen to our music online and say, 'Yes, that's exactly what it's like. It speaks to me.'

"There's never been music written for older women. Well, Betty White tried but she's getting a bit old."

The band members first played together as Growler in February after meeting in Griffis' garage, lured by the promise of drinking her "wicked" home-made cider during a jam session.

It wasn't long before the women were "churning out the material" and playing around with different styles, including including punk, soft rock, swing, mariachi, country, rap and even Irish folk.

Since their first meeting, they have written "15 bloody good songs", inspired by their conversations about marriage, motherhood and the ups and downs of modern life.

"All our songs come from every day scenarios, and the humour in them," said King, who played soprano cornet in the Masterton District Brass Band for several years.

"We say, 'the kids did this and that and wound me up', and we end up laughing about it, and then it becomes a song."

Growler's songs cover a range of topics, such as the frustration of burning dinner and leaving a red handkerchief in a white load of washing, frantically keeping up with children's busy schedules, checking out younger men in the street, going Pak'nSave and meeting people who shop in their onesies and, the amorous appeal of their men tidying the house - featuring the lyric: "the way you stuff the chicken babe is good enough for me."

"It's been good for my husband," said King.

"He realises I might fancy him more if he does the housework."

Growler will be playing a launching gig at King St Live tomorrow and will then head to Wellington, to appear at the Wellington Folk Festival.

"We'd like to break into the Wellington scene - the women need to hear us," said Brough.

"Plus some of the young guys here have been quite impressed with us. So, we can get a few young fans as well."

Following their Wellington appearance, Growler will be playing at the Cross Creek Blues Club and at the Kapiti Rock Festival.

As for the cheeky nature of band's name, the women remain coy.

"We like to play dumb," said King. "People say do you even know what a growler is? And we say, 'no. Why don't you tell us'."

"We just tell them its a small iceberg. Or a beer vessel," said Griffis.