Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — Leaning into the microphone in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Nora let out a primal scream. Guitars blared and drums pulsed behind her as part of a performance with her bandmates during a recent show.
The performance of Seera, an all-female psychedelic rock band that mixes traditional Arabic melodies with the resurgent psychedelia of bands like Tame Impala, would have been unthinkable just years earlier in the kingdom.
But as Saudi Arabia liberalizes some aspects of its society, Seera represents the way women are now finding their voice and expressing themselves through the arts, in a nation long associated with ultra-conservative Islam and strict separation of sexes.
“We didn’t know how people would react,” said Meesh, the band’s bassist, who, like other members, asked to be identified by their stage names. “We strongly believe in self-expression. To our surprise, they really had open arms for us.”
The band’s name, Seera, can mean “life” or “biography” in Arabic. The band members say they try to embrace the multiple meanings that can be extracted from a word in the language in their sound, whether through the drums and cymbals or the synthesizer that accompanies the guitars.
Seera’s musical style revolves around the life experiences of the band of four members, all of Saudi nationality. They sing in the Saudi Arabic dialect, while drummer Thing wears a traditionally embroidered red face covering.
“I thought this would be great as a reflection of culture and heritage and roots,” she said. “At the same time it would be a cool representation between traditional and modern and an expression of that. This is also within our sonic identity.”
Seera is quick to point out that they are not the kingdom’s first girl band. Instead, they say this goes to The Accolade, who were formed in 2008 and could only play underground. Things have changed radically in the kingdom in recent years, since the rise of King Salman and his assertive son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
In 2018, women gained the right to drive. Cinemas and other entertainment centers were opened. Women are no longer forced to wear the black abaya in full camouflage.
Clear limits to speech and any political activity remain in the heavily governed kingdom. But in the arts space, Saudi Arabia is slowly opening up, as seen in Seera’s performance earlier this month at The Warehouse, a live music venue in Riyadh’s Diriyah neighborhood.
There, dozens of young people in leather jackets and black rock t-shirts swayed and danced to the music. A young man with heavy eyeliner wore a shirt that said, “I HATE LIFE.” The fashion choices resembled any other punk club show in the West, although there was no smoking or any alcoholic beverages in the arid kingdom.
“Things have definitely become better, more towards inclusion and in a broader perspective and in a broader way,” Thing said. “There is definitely room for more growth.”
Seera plans to release her debut album later this year. They also booked their first international show in Dubai, where they will have the first chance to perform outside of Saudi Arabia.
Nora said she wanted the band to be “an inspiration for the younger generation” to express themselves.
“It’s okay to look, act and behave however you want, as long as you’re not hurting anyone else,” she said.
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