Girl Authority

In 2006 Rounder Records, the Cambridge, Massachusetts imprint, ventured into family-oriented fare by assembling Girl Authority in the style of the Kidz Bop series. The resulting nine-piece act drew its members—each between eight and thirteen years old—from Boston’s outlying communities. Every participant adopted a distinct persona tied to the number she performed: Country Girl Crystal, Glamour Girl Carly, Preppy Girl Zoe, Bohemian or Boho Girl Jess, Urban Girl Gina, Party Girl Kate, Rock-n-Roll Girl Tarr, All-Star Girl Jacqueline, and Fashion Girl Alex. Bound by four explicit guidelines—“sing loud and proud,” “dance like they mean it,” “love and respect their friends,” and “have fun”—the group recorded a debut album consisting entirely of age-appropriate renditions of hits spanning the 1960s onward. Following an acclaimed series of live dates that included a Boston opening slot for the Dresden Dolls, the members began work on a follow-up. Issued in 2007, Road Trip contained five newly written tracks, among them a revised version of the previously unreleased Depeche Mode composition “Let’s Get Together,” alongside additional cover material.