A Dirty Dozen with THE SOAP GIRLS – May 2026

Photo credit: Will @ Darkstar Image

According to a recent press release: “The SoapGirls are not just a band — they are a movement. Formed by sisters Noemie and Camille Debray, this genre-defying alternative rock duo has been inseparable both personally and creatively since early childhood.  Their story is one of raw talent, relentless perseverance, and an unshakable sisterhood that has powered them from street performers in South Africa to internationally acclaimed headline acts on major stages around the world. What began as a childhood endeavor to raise funds for various neo natal awards/hospital by singing and selling soap at the local wharf (Hence their name) the sisters quickly evolved into something extraordinary encouraging and inspiring others to make a difference.  Their natural charisma and musical intuition caught the attention of audiences and industry professionals alike, culminating in a global recording contract with Universal Music by the time they were teenagers — a milestone that laid the foundation for a lifelong career built on integrity, authenticity, and vision.” We get the sisters to discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release. What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through? Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

Mille: “Running” hits quite hard on the surface. It feels urgent, almost like you’re being chased or trying to escape something. But what people might not catch straight away is that it’s not just about running away… it’s also about running towards something, even if you don’t fully understand what that is yet. There’s a tension in it  like fighting yourself. You can hear it in the way the energy pushes forward, but lyrically there’s this sense of being trapped in your own mind. It’s that contradiction we live in a lot wanting freedom but not knowing how to break out.

Mie: There are quite a few emotional layers in “Running.” On first listen it can feel very driven and intense, but underneath it’s quite vulnerable. It’s about feeling overwhelmed, like your thoughts are looping and you can’t escape them. I think what people might notice more over time is how the meaning shifts depending on how you feel when you listen to it. It can feel like panic, but it can also feel like release. There are also small details in the vocal delivery and dynamics that change the mood in subtle ways those are the things that reveal themselves the more you sit with the song.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

Mille: Music wasn’t a choice. It was something we had to do. We started performing on the streets while selling soap to raise money for causes we believed in, and music became this way of expressing things we couldn’t say otherwise. There wasn’t a moment of “I want to be a musician”  it was more like “this is who we are.”

Mie: It just grew naturally. Being out there, connecting with people, sharing something real… it became a part of us without us even thinking about it.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

Mille: Honestly, nothing shaped us more than playing live and seeing real reactions. That’s where you learn what actually matters.

Mie: For me, it’s more about how music makes you feel. Certain artists made me feel understood, and that stayed with me. It’s less about copying anything and more about that emotional connection.

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Mille: Dave Grohl. No question. He gets it — the rawness, the honesty, no pretending. That’s what we connect with.

Mie: Danny Carey.

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour? What do you like to do to unwind?

Mille: Being around animals. It resets everything. No ego, no nonsense — just real energy and catching up on social media and drawing.

Mie: Nature, definitely. Quiet spaces, animals… and creating art in other forms, like painting. It helps process things in a different way.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

Mille: Our music is raw, honest, and completely unfiltered. We write and produce everything ourselves, so it’s not shaped by trends or what’s considered commercially acceptable it comes straight from us, from real emotion, real experiences, and sometimes real chaos. It’s rooted in rock, but it moves wherever it needs to  heavier, softer, more melodic, more aggressive  we don’t restrict it, and we never will. And that’s probably the thing we push back on the most  the need to label it. The industry is very quick to box things in because it’s easier to market, but we’re not built that way. Our music is genre-defying because human emotion is not one-dimensional. What’s been frustrating at times is how the focus can shift away from the music entirely. We’ve had reviews that comment more on what we’re wearing than what we’re creating, which says more about the lens it’s being viewed through than anything else. And then on the musical side  I do a lot of low vocals and growls live, completely naturally, no effects, no backing tracks and to have that dismissed or reduced to something to “chuckle” at, while praising male artists using obvious backing tracks, highlights a deeper issue. It’s not just criticism it’s inconsistency. And at times, it reflects a kind of bias that still exists in parts of the industry. But ultimately, we don’t create for that. We create because we need to. And we trust that the people who really listen who feel it  understand exactly what we’re doing.

Mie: I’d describe our music as emotionally driven and very honest. It’s not confined to one sound because it reflects how we feel, and that can change a lot. There’s a balance between intensity and vulnerability, and I think both are equally important in what we create. In terms of comparisons, it can feel limiting when people try to define us as just one genre, because it doesn’t fully capture what’s there. There’s a lot more depth and variation in the music than that. And I think sometimes the focus can shift in ways that don’t really reflect the music itself. What matters most to us is the connection  how people feel when they listen  and that’s something that goes beyond labels or surface-level impressions. At the end of the day, we stay true to what feels real to us, and that’s what matters most.

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

Mille: No one cooks properly 😂 it’s chaos. And guitars come out way too fast; usually me starting something.

Mie: It’s very unstructured… things just happen. But yes, guitars definitely don’t stay quiet for long.

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

Mille: I don’t really get starstruck. I respect people who are real  that’s what matters.

Mie: Same. It’s more admiration than being starstruck, especially when someone is genuine.

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

Mille: The connection. When someone feels something because of what you created that’s everything. If not music… something that still allows me to be creative it would be acting or a tv presenter.

Mie: Connecting with people on an emotional level I would also be acting, tv shows.

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

Mille: Ask us why we feel the need to create not just what we sound like. The answer is because it’s the only way to process everything. And we’re definitely tired of being asked to fit into a genre. We don’t.

Mie: I’d like more questions about the meaning behind the music what it comes from emotionally. And yes, the genre question… it’s not really how we think about what we do.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

Mille: Trusting the wrong people. That’s the biggest one. But at the same time, it forced us to take control of everything ourselves so it made us stronger.

Mie: There were difficult moments, but they taught us a lot. We’ve learned to rely on ourselves and protect what we’ve built.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose and what does that record mean to you?

Mille: Nevermind. Because it changed everything. It wasn’t polished  it was real, and people connected with that.

Mie: Nevermind as well. It captured a feeling that resonated with so many people. That honesty is something we always aim for.

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Category: Interviews