Two singles soon followed, 'Hold These Eyes' and 'Distinction', both receiving glowing reviews from the press and praise from their ever-increasing fanbase as the band took to the road and undertook a live schedule that would make most grown men break out in a sweat and cry three days in because they were missing their mummies. The video for 'Distinction' soon became a Scuzz TV favourite (voted the most requested video by the end of 2003 and 'top totty' by Scuzz viewers!). A three part Channel Four documentary titled 'We Are The Suffrajets' was made about the band, following them on the road and capturing the passion and enthusiasm the band had for their music, exposing them to a whole new audience.

It appeared, however, that everything was going too well as the band suffered a major tourbus accident on the M25 that left them bruised, battered and picking up the pieces. In the interim, Gemma joined Pete Doherty's Babyshambles playing to huge crowds and baying media interest. Gemma has since left Babyshambles and The Suffrajets are once more ready to roll into action.

“The Jets rock with the best of them”bbc.co.uk

Gemma and Alex, having been joined by lead guitarist/vocalist Claire Wakeman and bassist Vicky Kingston quickly jumped back into live scene action. A riotous tour with Towers of London followed, interspersed with completion of their debut album. “Sold”, is their incredible set closer from that tour, having been recorded at Siren Studios, produced by Julian White and The Suffrajets themselves.
“Sold” precedes their full length summer release and is a 3:30 rock attack which goes straight for the jugular. Think, the Breeders run into Zep in a fizz ball street fight. Live reviews of their recent Towers of London support tour eulogised “The Suffrajets” to new levels, as Alex and Claire traded punched vocals song to song while Gem pounded drum beats which have are already familiar to the Tope Ten singles chart.

Gemma is keen to dismiss the preconceptions that the name may conjure up in a male dominated world ‘You hear the name and you think of the whole women’s movement, but that’s why we changed the spelling. We take from the original Suffragettes only the women’s connection, but we don’t have all the same women’s rights and beliefs. The only connection we have is the fact we are female, that’s it. We try and make it quite clear to people, we’re not women’s libbers, we don’t hate men, we’re just a band with girls in it who just want to play music’.

“this is what it’s all about”The Fly

That’s not to say The Suffrajets haven’t already come face to face with the non-believers, as Gemma laughs. ‘People think, ‘girls?…oh no…’ we get a lot of it, we have people looking at us strangely, perhaps expecting a real girlie - girlie band, but when they’ve seen us, they’ll usually come back up to us and tell us ‘actually you’re really cool!’.

And it’s that philosophy, along with the fact that The Suffrajets, undoubtedly believe in their own future, which clearly gives this quartet the revolutionary outlook to succeed, while summing up The Suffrajets’ philosophy. ‘If we’re going to work hard, we are working to the top’ proclaims Gemma, ‘We just do what we do, we are what we are!’ Let the revolution begin.

“Sold”, released on all major digital download sites on May 2nd 2005.                            

Adapted from article by James Sherry (Kerrang)     

http://www.thesuffrajets.com