There is a long, long history of discrimination, abuse, exploitation and misogyny in the music business. That is hardly news. It’s boring, right? “He’s not banging on about that old hobby horse again!” I hear some of you sigh. Well, suck it up, because every time I watch a film like this one, or the Lunachicks documentary, or…well, you choose!, that same shameful 
point keeps on getting made. Written, co-directed, and narrated by award nominated musician Carla J Easton, ‘Since Yesterday: The Untold Story of Scotland's Girl Bands’ sets out the case better than anything I have seen of late.
Using the examples, and first person recollection, of The McKinleys (the first Scottish girl band to break into the charts in 1964, and the first girl band to ever play Wembley Arena),The Ettes, Strawberry Switchblade (whose hit single gives the film its name), The Hedrons, Sophisticated Boom Boom, Sunset Gun, His Latest Flame, The Twinsets, Lung Leg and Hello Skinny, it forms a damning indictment of the music industry’s behaviour. Although much of the film focuses on Strawberry Switchblade (probably Scotland’s biggest female band over the decades) and Sophisticated Boom Boom, and their mis-management by male execs concerned that band members might get pregnant and ruin the marketing plan, it is the McKinley sisters story that struck me the most.
Discovered in 1962, sisters Sheila and Jeanette McKinley were groomed for success, resulting in support slots to the Beatles, multiple TV appearances on popular shows like ‘Ready, Steady, Go’ and Wembley appearances with The Rolling Stones. Due to their young age, they were easily manipulated, whisked away from their native Edinburgh to London and thrust into recording studios and photo shoots without anyone to guide or protect them. What is really shocking though is that despite their high profile and success they weren’t paid. Not under paid. Just not paid at all! They even had to borrow money to buy food, celebrating Sheila's birthday with a bag of chips, as that was all they could afford. All of their earnings went into the pockets of the unscrupulous men who controlled their career. When Beatle's manager Brian Epstein offered to manage them, their label even lied and said they already had a manager, unwilling, no doubt, to share the income they were getting (stealing!) from the girls. Then, when the hits dried up, the label dropped them without a second thought and they were virtually forgotten by pop history. That is truly shocking.
That is not to say there are not a host of other, 
equally abusive and exploitative tales packed into this film, stacked as it is with personal anecdotes, previously unheard demos, archive footage and performances, most notably from Sophisticated Boom Boom and Strawberry Switchblade.
The emotions that come across strongest in the film are that of anger, defiance, optimism, the joy of being part of a gang, and a determination not to be silenced.
There are organisations fighting to correct the imbalance who are featured and many more of these films are now being made and more stories are being told, so there is at least a glimmer of hope that things will change over time. Sadly. many female artists still feel the need to play the role of sex puppet, pointlessly casting off their clothes for the camera and the audience, but there are increasing numbers of serious creatives out there who refuse to accept the need to do that.
‘Since Yesterday’ isn’t a new film, having snagged a clutch of awards last year, including ‘Best Scottish Film’ at The List Film Awards 2024, and winning the Besties ‘Unsung’ award 2024. However, it is now available to watch for free (assuming you have a TV licence, that is) on the BBC iPlayer until November and I’d say you owe it to yourself to give it a look if you genuinely care about this stuff.
Essential Information:
You can watch ‘Since Yesterday: The Untold Story of Scotland's Girl Bands’ on BBC iPlayer here
Main image photograph: Graham Gavin
