Gina Barcal is a singer-songwriter rooted in the quiet beauty of the Indiana Dunes, blending classic Americana with raw, reflective storytelling. A longtime Chicago musician, she fronted punk and rock bands including Venom Lords and the all-female KISS tribute act, Slutter. After stepping away from the stage, Gina returned to songwriting with a fresh perspective—writing songs by the lake, to her dogs, and for herself.

Her new EP, Midwest 'til the End, recorded in Nashville, is a tribute to the people and places that shaped her. From the rebel energy of “Long Tall Lover” to the haunting calm of “The Fire Won’t Stay Alive,” her songs mix grit, heart, and melody in equal parts. Now playing solo around Chicagoland, Gina isn’t chasing a scene—she’s letting her music speak, one honest song at a time.

Summer 2025

I’m getting ready to release my first solo EP, Midwest ’til the End, this fall. The first single, “Long Tall Lover,” is coming in early September, with more to follow. This collection includes songs both newly written and pulled from the past—reworked and reimagined with a fresh perspective. They reflect where I’m at right now: tapping into the country roots I grew up on and flexing some new songwriting muscles along the way. Recorded in Nashville with a team of seasoned players, these tracks carry a lot of heart, and I can’t wait to share them with you.

Before carving out a more intimate Americana sound, Gina Barcal was a fixture in Chicago’s underground music scene, fronting bands and writing songs that spanned genres and decades. That early DIY spirit laid the foundation for everything that followed.

Gina’s earliest project, The Pillowmints, was an all-female indie rock band praised for its energy and edge. Music critic Jim DeRogatis described their debut EP as blending “Veruca Salt shimmer with riot-grrrl smarts and punk attitude.”
DescriA short but high-energy chapter, Decatur delivered hard-driving emo-indie rock rooted in raw emotion and melodic force. The band recorded a 4-song EP titled Safe Boating is No Accident with producer Matt Allison at Chicago’s iconic Atlas Studios.ption text goes here
As the lead singer and guitarist of Venom Lords, Gina released three full-length albums and a split 7” with Hey Perro. She also contributed vocals and a co-written track to The Black Sheep Band—a Chicago punk supergroup featuring members of Stiff Little Fingers, Naked Raygun, and Sludgeworth.
(She’s credited under her former name, Gina Knapik.)
Gina later fronted Scotia Widows, a short-lived but raw and raucous Chicago punk outfit.
“You wanted the Breasts, You got the Breasts, the hottest band in the WORLD…SLUTTER”
For over a decade, Gina took the stage with Slutter, Chicago’s all-female KISS tribute band. Though the makeup is long gone, the legacy remains—Slutter played throughout the Midwest and shared bills with Blondie, the U.S. Air Guitar Championship, and Taylor Hawkins’ Chevy Metal.