Bea Heartbeat doesn’t waste words when it comes to what drives her. Behind the kit for Austria’s fierce rock outfit Vulvarines, she’s been part of shaping a sound that doesn’t hold back. Their newest album, Fast Lane, just dropped through Napalm Records, and with it, the band isn’t just making noise. They’re making a point.
Vulvarines first grabbed attention with their 2021 debut Electric Power, a record packed with grit and feminist fire. But Fast Lane, according to Bea Heartbeat, pushes things harder and cleaner. The songs are tighter, the energy sharper, and the message, if anything, more urgent. It’s not that they’ve changed direction, it’s that they’ve found more focus.
The recording process this time around was a step up from their early days. The band, more comfortable in the studio and more confident in their roles, treated Fast Lane as a chance to refine without softening their sound. Bea Heartbeat mentioned the drums took on a slightly heavier presence, faster in tempo, more precise but still rough around the edges where it counts. That balance between technical growth and raw delivery is something she takes pride in.
The album doesn’t dance around its themes. From gender expectations to broader frustrations with the industry, the lyrics hit head-on. But Bea Heartbeat insists it’s not just about protest. It’s also about expression and fun. That duality is part of what makes the band tick: being able to tackle serious topics without losing the joy of loud, fast music.
One track in particular came together after a live set last year, where the crowd’s reaction, she says, “fed straight into the writing.” There’s a loop between the band and their fans, a kind of permission to be loud, bold, even messy, and to mean every word.
Vulvarines joining forces with Napalm Records marks a major moment, too. The label brings a wider stage, but they’ve left the band’s identity intact. There’s no polish where there shouldn’t be, no pressure to dilute. The partnership, as Bea describes it, just gives them the room to do more of what they already love doing.
And when asked about being a woman in rock, something she’s been asked often, Bea Heartbeat doesn’t roll her eyes. She just answers directly. “Things are shifting,” she said. “It’s not perfect, but I’ve seen more women at gigs, behind the mic, and the kit than I did five years ago. And if we can help push that along? Even better.”
With Fast Lane out now and tour dates lining up, Vulvarines are moving full speed. And Bea Heartbeat, steady as ever, is right in the pocket: driving the beat, saying what needs to be said, and playing it the way only she can.