The Aquadolls - Charmed

“L.A. treasures the Aquadolls are a glorious mass of contradictions. A walking dichotomy, covered in glass and glitter. On one hand, perhaps the most overt and obvious hand, they’re a joyful exercise in melodic pop-rock, kitted out in sparkles and mermaid tails. But life has a habit of reminding us that it’s not all sunshine, puppy dogs and rainbows, and the Aquadolls encapsulate that majestically.” – LA Weekly

“Think of glitter – but aggressive glitter – and that is exactly what the LA-femme punk band The Aquadolls bring into their new era of music that is saturated with gleaming sparkles, smashed cake, silk ribbons on knives and burning dollhouses.” – Unpublished Magazine

“Charmed promises to be an album full of growth both in music and in self-love/positivity.” – For The Punks

“The Aquadolls have been pulling fans in with the irresistible potency of a riptide ever since splashing onto the scene.” – LADYGUNN

When Melissa Brooks formed The Aquadolls 10 years ago, it served as an outlet for her to channel her angst. In high school, she was bullied by her peers, and music served as a therapeutic way to express herself in a positive way. Following the formation of the bedroom project, Brooks — who serves as the band’s primary singer, songwriter and guitarist — released the Free EP in 2012 and her debut album, Stoked on You in 2013. After cycling through musicians, Brooks joined forces with bassist Keilah Nina and drummer Jacqueline Proctor and things fell into place. The trio released their sophomore album, The Dream and Deception, in 2018.

Once their current lineup solidified around the release of The Dream and Deception, The Aquadolls made serious moves. They’ve performed with artists including Kate Nash, Pennywise and Jimmy Eat World, and have featured on major festival lineups like Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Warped Tour and a pair of appearances at Eddie Vedder’s Ohana Festival. The Los Angeles-based band spent the summer of ’22 on the road with Incubus and Sublime with Rome.

The Aquadolls’ third album, Charmed (which is named after the popular ‘90s/‘00s TV show), is a natural progression for their discography. Don’t let the relatable tales focused on love and relationships, heartbreak and longing for more fool you, The Aquadolls still are about having fun and showcasing humor in their lyrics. Charmed charts the growth in The Aquadolls’ sound, fusing elements of melodic ‘60s harmonies and ‘90s-driven crunchiness with a modern twist that ushered in a new era for them, and it serves as a strong representation of what they want to do.

Even as the current edition of The Aquadolls continues to evolve, their signature sound as a guitar-driven band remains the same. Armed with a continued desire to promote their message of self-love and positivity, Charmed is the perfect step forward. Combining a cohesive sound with this message, The Aquadolls are comfortable growing up with their audience — who view things through never perfect, Vaseline-tinged view of the world.