Girli

Amelia Toomey, professionally known as Girli, was born on December 6, 1997, in London to acting parents. She developed an early interest in performance and music, writing her first song at age eight. Initially aiming for an acting career, two unsuccessful auditions led her to pursue music, a decision solidified at age 14 after attending a Tegan and Sara concert. She started performing solo after her indie rock band, Ask Martin, disbanded when her bandmates went to university.

From 2014 to 2016, Girli attended East London Arts & Music college, where she explored beatmaking, rap, and drum and bass. She made her professional debut as Girli in 2015 at age 17 with the single “So You Think You Can Fuck With Me Do Ya?” and was subsequently signed by PMR Records in October 2015. Throughout 2016 and 2017, she toured extensively, supporting artists like Oscar and Declan McKenna, and released her “Feel OK” and “Hot Mess” EPs, the latter incorporating pop punk elements. Her debut studio album, “Odd One Out,” was released in 2019, four years after her first single. Following her departure from PMR Records later that year, Girli released the single “Has Been,” directly addressing her experience with the label.

Despite the cancellation of her 2020 Sofa Tour due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Girli continued to release music, including the EP “Ex Talk” in 2021 as her first independent release under AllPoints. She followed this with “Damsel in Distress” in 2021 and “Why Am I Like This?” in 2023. In 2024, she released her second full-length album, “Matriarchy,” which RenownedforSound praised as a “hard-hitting pop album.” Her music consistently reflects her personal experiences, particularly her journey as an openly bisexual/queer individual and her struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder.