Get to know the Toronto-based Pop-Rock Superstars, Girl Pow-R, who recently announced the premiere of their single, “Stronger Than Yesterday,” via Tiger Beat. Girl Pow-R is an all-girl group ranging from ages 10-16, who’s previous release “KRISI” was with Girls’ Life.  Since last year, they have performed over 70 times, and plan on continuing throughout the end of this year. Between their band account, and individual accounts, they have a reach of over 70K on Social Media.

Listen to “Stronger Than Yesterday” here:

“Meet the newest girl group on the block: Girl Pow-R! They first caught our eye when they performed “KRISI” live on our Instagram stories earlier this year, and we haven’t been able to forget them ever since.”

– Tiger Beat

“Thirteen members, one amazing message: Empowering girls to become the best versions of themselves.”

– Girls’ Life

The members of Girl Pow-R originally joined forces in conjunction with International Women’s Day in support of #BeBoldForChange. Each member has a unique mission to inspire teens and to support social causes with their music and positive messages, and they all have a separate charity that they feel strongly about. Girl Pow-R showcases their talent through not only singing, but dancing, instrument playing, AND songwriting. This group of multi-talented girls have performed at over 50 shows since May of last year, and plan to continue on this route throughout 2018. Their memorable vocals and captivating performances have even earned Girl Pow-R a 2017 Toronto Independent Music Award Nomination for “Krisi”.

“Krisi” has a strong lyrical message that the members of Girl Pow-R are passionate about sharing with the world. The struggles they have experienced personally, and seeing that life changes dramatically in school as we move from childhood into adulthood, has inspired the group to launch this song to help other teens.

For More Information on Girl Pow–R:

Website // Instagram // Youtube // Spotify // Twitter // Facebook

Learn more about Girl Pow-R in the following All Access interview:

So how has 2018 been treating you all?

MILANA: 2018 has been very exciting so far. We performed in a lot of places, met tons of lovely fans and released our new single called, “Stronger than Yesterday”.

SOFIA: 2018 has been great! I love my school and my friends. As an artist, I’ve written many new songs and there’s so much great music I’m being inspired by.

What is one musical goal that you have had for this year and how close are you to reaching it?

KRISALYN: I have a bunch! To get more stage experience, grow my social media following, and to do more studio recordings. I am close to reaching all of these, as long as I keep working hard on them.

Can you recall the moment when you thought you could be in this group together? Has anything surprised you about it all, so far?

CARINA: I remember that when I found out about the Girl Pow-R auditions I was so excited to have the opportunity to try out for a group that promotes what I am all about. I love the idea of being in an all-girl group whose sole purpose is to spread a positive message and encourage young girls all around the world, and to be able to do what I love while having fun. I want to be a part of the movement to help girls achieve their full potential! Something that has surprised me about Girl Pow-R is the amount of performance opportunities we have been able to have, and the amount of people that we have been able to spread our message to. It has been great getting to work with all the girls in Girl Pow-R, and I have learned so much from all of them!

KRISALYN: I finished a rehearsal and my parents told me that I am a new member of Girl Pow-R! I was jumping up and down, and was so excited to make new friends that knew what it was like to be in the music business too!

What has it been like being in this group for the last year?

CARINA: Being in Girl Pow-R for the past year has been one of the best experiences of my life! I am so close with all of the girls, and I don’t know what I would do without them. I have learned so much about performance and recording techniques, and I have been given many opportunities to use my skills to choreograph for the group. I have so many great memories of our performances and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.

AVA: Being in Girl Pow-R has been a really good experience working with other musicians and girls my age who love music. I’ve made new friends and created new bonds with the girls in the group. We are all very close friends now. We’ve learned a lot from each other and we love to perform together.

How difficult was it to come up with your band name? What other names were you considering?

KRISALYN: Our manager already had an idea of the name but, in the first auditions, we provided our input, as well. We all decided that Girl Pow-R was definitely the perfect name!

How do you think your hometowns have influenced your sound and how you all carry yourselves in this group? If you don’t think that it has, why is that?

SOFIA: I’m exposed to many different influences living in my city. I get to see a lot in Toronto and it helps shape my outlook on life and my music, as well. I put a lot of these influences into my songs.

Let’s talk about your newest single, “Stronger than Yesterday.” What was the inspiration for this track?

BELLA: The lyrics in this song are inspired by the challenges we face in our relationships, the journey towards recovery, and self-reflection to become ‘stronger than yesterday’.

How do you think it is different or similar to anything else that you have released like your previous single “KRISI”?

BELLA: ‘Stronger than Yesterday’ has similarities to our previous single ‘Krisi’ in that it addresses challenges girls face in everyday life. Through our music we try to give direction and support to empower girls to better themselves. Krisi is about rising above bullying, whereas Stronger than Yesterday is a personal journey to find the strength and confidence to overcome challenges, while recognizing it can be an arduous journey, but progress is made by being stronger than yesterday.

When do you hope to release more new music and a full collection of new songs?

KALISTA: We hope to have a new release Summer 2018 and a first album shortly after that.

SOPHIA: The band is currently working on writing several new songs.  We hope to have a full collection very soon.

KRISALYN: We have been working on original music recently and hoping to have it out sometime this year. We’ve also been working on our music video for “Stronger than Yesterday”, which was just launched, so we’re busy and excited about what is happening!

I would love to know more about Girl Pow-R’s involvement with #BeBoldForChange and International Women’s Day, or other social causes that you support?

BELLA: My social cause, “Stand Up, Stay Strong, Have a Voice” was created to provide information about where youth can find help to deal with their issues. My cause is twofold: 1) to help youth identify their issues and formulate plans to overcome challenges and 2) to actively participate in both self-help and assisted treatment, like how to manage stress or physical limitations. Simultaneously, I also work to identify and highlight youth who have successfully transitioned through a traumatic experience and are willing to share their coping strategies in the hopes of inspiring others to pursue a healthy recovery. I do this through a specially designed Instagram page called ‘Redesign your Fate’.

CARINA: Girl Pow-R actually debuted on International Women’s Day and each girl in Girl Pow-R has a social cause. My Social Cause is Anti-War and the “Give Peace A Chance” movement. I want to encourage today’s youth to think about peace in their community, and the world, one step at a time. I want to inspire kids to become active in things related to peace, unity, and making a positive difference in the world. Last November, I got an opportunity for Girl Pow-R to perform at a Vision Youth event that promoted the concept of spreading positivity and relaxation to students who are stressed out about mid-terms and needed a coffee house to chill, take a break, and have fun.

MILANA: I support Mental Health Awareness in Youth because I want to let everyone know that you don’t have to be ashamed or embarrassed to admit that you have a mental illness, because if you talk to someone, it could change your life forever.

How do you all hope to inspire young girls through your music?

BELLA: The greatest compliment for our band would be to recognize and respect the lyrics of our songs, while having fun with the melodies. The lyrics speak volumes about rising above challenges and moving on with a healthy outlook. Our social causes are geared towards identifying deficiencies in our society which should be addressed like homelessness, equality for women, and give peace a chance.

CARINA: Through the lyrics in our music, we would really like to inspire people to follow their dreams and to not hold back from their true potential. We promote equality for all, and we believe that no one should let anything get in the way of them achieving greatness.

If you had unlimited time and money for your dream music video, which song would you do and what would the video include?

KALISTA: I would do a music video to Great One by Jessie Reyez. I’d go into Toronto then fly to big cities like Paris, France, New York City, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and London, England so that I could get good scenery. And, I’d have those colorful smoke bombs and sparklers, and just dance around enjoying life.

KRISALYN: I would do an original song of course! With really cool special effects in it and aesthetic backgrounds!

Where do you think you are all happiest — in the studio recording new music, on stage performing or elsewhere?

BELLA: We are a group of girls from different backgrounds. I would say many like studio recording. There’s the excitement of new material, and assigning solos, and performing as a team. We work well as a team, so we manage to take on the task at hand with speed and accuracy. A few of the girls are stage-oriented, loving the instant feedback and the gratification that comes from live performing, with instant feedback.

MILANA: I feel the happiest when I’m at home with my family and friends relaxing, because I don’t get to see them that often. I also love being in the recording studio because l love all the effort and harmonies that make everything seem so magical!

You have done a lot of performing in the past year, so I am curious to know what has been a favorite show of yours, so far?

AVA: Definitely my favorite show was performing at the Mod Club as an opening act for the Wannabes, a Spice Girls tribute band. There was a huge audience, and a lot of cheering, which gave us a lot of motivation to really perform our best. We had a lot of fun and it felt amazing to know that people were enjoying our music just as much as we were enjoying performing it.

MILANA: My favorite show that we performed at would probably have to be “The Wannabe Spice Girls” when we opened up for them because it was a very fun experience and a very exciting show and the fans/audience were dancing and singing! The energy in the crowd was amazing.

What do you think makes for an ideal performance for Girl Pow-R?

BELLA: There are many things to consider in a performance that is ideal. Top priority for a singing band would be vocal clarity, technique and delivery. In many performances, we are also playing instruments, so coordination of sound, quality and timing and, of course, ensuring our instruments are performance-ready. Then there is dance choreography, as well, where we need to ensure synchronization and movement quality. The girls are trained to engage the audience with their movement, and entertain with their dance techniques. Assuming all this is achieved, the ideal performance would have audience participation via dancing or clapping along to the music, and connecting emotionally.

Do you have any upcoming tour dates this summer that you would like to tell our readers about?

CARINA: We will be performing all over Ontario at the Northern Heat RibFest series that started in May! We also performed at Youth Day on July 22nd at Yonge & Dundas Square where we were Featured Artists and Canadian Ambassadors. Check our social media, and our website, for dates and times for all of our shows! In the last year, we have done 65+ shows!

How do you think being a musician, and in this band, gives you all the most joy in life today?

AVA: Being in this band gives me joy because it has given me a way to express myself through music. It has given me an opportunity to use my talents and do what I love to do. Being on stage and performing with these girls is something I really enjoy and it makes me happy.

We are currently living through a very trying and politically charged time right now, so I am curious to know how your own music is reflecting this time period? If you don’t think it is, why is that?

KALISTA: Bullying and peer pressure from classmates, and even being pressured by society, is really big at the moment. We all want that perfect Kim K summer body and, although it isn’t direct, we are being taught that beauty is what is on the outside and not the inside. Our music talks about loving yourself for who you are and not trying to change yourself just to receive the approval from others.

Would you say that other musicians are making music that has been influenced by this climate?

KALISTA: Some artists talk about loving yourself, such as Alessia Cara, but a lot of the music that is popular is not spreading positive messages. They talk about how they do drugs for fun, and how all that matters in life is money and to look perfect, and everyone will like you. Which is NOT true.

How important do you think social media has been to this band? Do all of you help to maintain all your sites, or is one of you more into it all? Or do you rely on your PR/management team to handle it?

KALISTA: Social media has helped our band in multiple ways. It gets people to see our next tour dates, they can see our talents, and they can contact us through the world wide web. We do have a management team that makes sure our sites and pages are up-to-date, but all of us girls post and update the page ourselves. Some people do post a lot more than others, almost daily, and some of us post when we feel it is necessary, at least 3 times a week, or whenever multiple shows are coming.

Who would you love to work with in the future? Who are some of your favorite artists right now? What do you think would be a dream collaboration for this group?

AVA: Some of my favorite artists are Taylor Swift and Alicia Keys because their songs are empowering and fun to listen to. A dream collaboration for Girl Pow-R would be Alessia Cara, especially because she is Canadian and a young artist, so she is like a role model for us, and we actually sing two of her songs in our set.

If you girls were all going to be stranded on a deserted island, what musical item would you want to take with you, and why?

AVA: I probably want to be stranded on an island with my acoustic piano so we could all sing and create music, and play music all day long.

MILANA: If I was going to be stranded on a deserted island, I would bring a ukulele because it has a very relaxing and tropical sound! I might as well fit in with my surroundings!

What do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people continue to take away from your songs?

KALISTA: Positivity and empowerment. Feel good about yourself and who you are. Own it and improve only what you feel you need to so that you become a better person for yourself, NOT other people.

Where can our readers connect with this group?

CARINA: Readers can connect with us by getting our attention on social media, by commenting or direct messaging us on any of our platforms. We enjoy everyone’s comments and feedback, and we respond to as many people as possible! Our social handles are either GirlPowRMusic or Girl_Pow_R.

(Photography provided by Gramophone Media)