Feminist Anthems
Kris Tonkens’s New EP
By Sara Stoppel
For singer/songwriter Kris Tonkens, the creative act is a political one. Their newest EP Predators, which was released back in March, is a political and personal introspection, reflecting on their private life, the struggles of living in a femme-presenting body, and rising political tensions in North America. It’s “feminist” and “heavy,” says Tonkens, who was inspired by much-loved 90s feminist grunge acts like Alanis Morissette.
Predators was created over the course of several years, with the first single, “Can’t Shake This Feeling,” originally written as a response to the 2016 American election results. Yet it wasn’t until January 2026 that the three tracks that make up the EP were finally recorded, with their son Julian Tonkens playing distorted drums on “Can’t Shake This Feeling” and John Pidgen-Welyki playing 12-string guitar on "Nothing Left To Say.” After working around the clock in the studio, Tonkens is extremely proud of what they created.
Tonkens has always been surrounded by music. Even though they grew up in a family who played in bands, their own singing talents went under the radar until they and a longtime friend performed at an open mic night years ago. After the passing of that friend, Tonkens finally decided to pursue music, focusing mainly on vocals and guitar.
To Tonkens, music is catharsis. “I write if I’m angry or devastated or something rocks me to my core and then I use that as a form of therapy,” they say. “I write about it, I sing it, I play it for weeks on end and then I let it go.”
Because much of the work deals with heavy themes, Tonkens wants their music to create a space for individuals going through similar experiences to have a similar emotional outlet that songwriting gives them. “People will be able to have these songs when they need them. If you’re having that kind of day, you can go crank them in the car. Music is healing and it’s a great way to process feelings,” they say.
Through the guttural guitars and heavy lyrics, Tonkens says, “This is what it’s like to exist in a femme body, but we can fight for change.”
For more information, visit kristonkensmusic.bandcamp.com.
