Bat Fangs

Bat Fangs is an American rock duo made up of guitarist and vocalist Betsy Wright and drummer Laura King, who formed the group in 2016. The band splits its time between Washington, D.C., and Carrboro, North Carolina, and its sound is built around guitar-heavy music that pulls from glam rock and power pop. Both of their albums—the self-titled Bat Fangs (2018) and Queen of My World (2021)—came out on Don Giovanni Records.

Wright started writing songs that leaned toward arena rock and 1980s pop metal after touring with Ex Hex in support of their 2014 album Rips, finding that material didn’t fit that band’s style. She reached out to Laura King, a drummer from North Carolina she’d met on tour; King had played in Flesh Wounds and in Mac McCaughan’s backing band the Non-Believers. Wright sent King demos, and in late 2015 they met in North Carolina to rehearse and cut a two-song demo with engineer Charles Chase.

Over the next several months, they kept writing and recording, fueled by a shared love of hair metal, classic rock, and 1980s pop. Their debut album was recorded in January 2017 with Mike Montgomery of the band R. Ring at his Kentucky studio. Released on February 2, 2018, Bat Fangs was mostly recorded live to tape with few overdubs, packing nine songs into under 30 minutes. Critics noted its blend of glam rock, metal, and power pop, with touches of garage rock and occult imagery.

Queen of My World (2019–present)

The duo’s second album, Queen of My World, came out in 2021 on Don Giovanni Records. It earned positive reviews, including a 7.5 out of 10 from Pitchfork, which praised its use of hair-metal and late-1980s rock sounds while sidestepping the genre’s excesses.

Formation and debut album (2015–2018)

The band’s lineup has remained the same since forming: Betsy Wright on guitar and vocals, and Laura King on drums.