What do KISS, zombie punk, and Loretta Lynn have in common? Gina Barcal.

After years in Chicago’s rock and punk scene—fronting zombie-surf band Venom Lords and stepping into Paul Stanley’s boots in the all-female KISS tribute Slutter—Gina has stepped forward as a songwriter in her own right. Her debut solo EP, Midwest ’til the End, blends the grit of her past with the storytelling tradition of the country and Americana music she grew up on.

Recorded in Nashville, the songs are rooted in real life—family, love, loss, and the Midwest itself. From the rollicking Long Tall Lover to the tender Girl From the River Town and the nostalgic Smoky Mountain High, Gina’s music reflects both where she’s been and where she’s going.
Now based in the Indiana Dunes with her husband, dogs, and vintage ’61 Ford Ranchero, Gina sums up her sound as “caught between the Midwest’s rural edges and the dive bars of the city.” Honest, heartfelt, and unapologetically her own.

Out Now!

I’m excited to share that my debut single, “Long Tall Lover,” is out now! This is the first glimpse of my upcoming EP, Midwest ’til the End, which arrives in full on November 7.

Listen Now

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.”
A 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.
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.