Softcult is sisters Mercedes (guitar/vocals) and Phoenix (drums/vocals/production) Arn-Horn. The band began dropping single tracks in early 2021, and released their first EP, Year Of The Rat, on April 16, 2021. Citing Bikini Kill as a major influence, the band takes the ethos of the riot grrrl movement and mixes it with shoegaze, grunge, and dreampop influences. Squarely feminist, the music addresses endemic issues of abuse, assault, harassment, misogyny, and social and gender norms as well as mental health.