Lead singer of the “indie/emo/sometimes hardcore” band Hit Like A Girl, Nicolle Maroulis, opens up about their music making process, the story behind their latest single, “Keepsake Theory,” and the band’s upcoming LP, “Burning at Both Ends.” Beyond music, Maroulis displays their passion for helping the transgender community through their organization No More Dysphoria Found. To learn more about Nicolle Maroulis and Hit Like A Girl’s upcoming project, read on.

Where are you based?
I’m originally from North New Jersey, and now live in Philadelphia!

What inspired you to start making music?
Oh boy. I started playing music in middle school, and was always into creative writing/poetry. I always felt like I had “some sort of story to tell.” As I got older, I knew I wanted to express myself somehow, be a part of a community, and let’s be honest, some people want to be in bands to try and change the world. So I knew I wanted to be in a band since I was a teenager.

How did Hit Like a Girl come together as a band?
I used to do my own “singer songwriter” thing back in the day, but I always felt relatively alone doing that. I didn’t know the first thing about starting a band. So I recorded the first album with just me and the engineer, and we wrote these full band songs, and I just got friends to fill in when we booked our first show. Since then, this band has always had a rotating line up. Different people available to play local shows, different people who want to tour, different people for recording, etc. I’ve always wanted a more permanent lineup, and I think most of the current iteration of the band feels more permanent to me finally.

How would you describe the genre of music Hit Like a Girl makes? Are there any specific artists that the band looks to for inspiration while making music?
I’ve been writing “indie/emo/sometimes hardcore” everywhere when asked for our genre. I am a fan of a lot of different kinds of music; fast punk, hardcore, doom, indie, bedroom pop, devastating acoustic guitar stuff, etc. I try to blend all of these interests when/where I can because I don’t believe bands should limit themselves to one genre only forever. That sounds so boring! My main inspirations lately have been artists such as Adrianne Lenker, Tigers Jaw, Turnstile, etc.

Congratulations on “Keepsake Theory,” your latest single! What was the inspiration behind this song?
The lyrics tell a story of a specific event that happened to me at Fest 23 during an interaction with me and an ex I ran into there. But besides the specific/bluntness of the story telling, it’s also about feeling lesser than, or not having gotten any closure, and maybe feeling in a way a bit gaslit like “Oh you felt that way the whole time? I wish I knew that in the moment when it was relevant!”

The band also has a new LP coming out March 27, 2026, titled “Burning at Both Ends.” How did this project come to be?
I like to write songs whenever they decide it’s time to be written, and what I mean by that is I don’t usually sit down and intentionally go, “Okay I’m going to write a song now,” and try to force something out. I’ll pick up the guitar, noodle around a bit, and if I find a riff I think sounds cool, I’ll loop that until I can start humming a melody. Then I’ll either look in my notes for a poem I’ve written and see if something matches the vibe, or the lyrics will sort of start just coming to me in the moment based on how the riff makes me feel. So I started writing some of these songs over the span of the last four years. Once I had about 9 or 10 completed ideas, I showed them to my bandmates Mike and Mol, and was like “which of these are the top 8 best ones?” and those are the ones we worked on.

What are some potential themes and details listeners can expect to hear from this new LP?
Some themes that come up often on this record are struggling with mental illness and ideation, loss, grief, love, and a friendship ending.

What is the meaning behind the name “Burning at Both Ends’?
This is a phrase we all have heard in our daily lives. It’s an expression that often means feeling overwhelmed, super stressed out, or stretched too thin. Think of “a candle burning at both ends” or “a snake eating its own head.” So this was often how I was feeling over the course of the last four years. I’ve felt like I’ve constantly been burnt out, but had to keep going, and always over extending myself. I don’t personally really know how to relax so I hope some day I won’t keep feeling this way.

Hit Like a Girl has been making music together and producing albums for well over five years. How has the process behind how you create music changed over time? How has your music grown alongside the evolution of your process?
In the beginning, I would take the skeletons of the songs I’d write, and present them to my friends Fred and Leah, and together we’d record and build them to be the full band songs they became. I’m a little embarrassed by my first record NOW considering those songs I wrote well over 10 years ago and I’m just a completely different person now. You can hear the growth in the music, the skill, everything if you listen to the music in chronological order. I’ve grown so much as a person. I moved from the suburbs to a city, I’ve been medicated consistently for the past few years, I’ve transitioned, I’ve been in therapy consistently, I finally went no contact with my toxic family, etc. I’ve just changed a lot and I think that reflects in the writing/skill level big time.

What do you hope listeners take away from your music?
I wish I was the kind of person who could write more songs about important social justice and leftist leaning political awareness. Bands who do this, and do this perfectly are Lambrini Girls, Petrol Girls, Blind Adam and The Federal League, Ekko Astral, The Iron Roses, etc. I love their music, and I love these songs. When I try to write songs like that, they just don’t come as naturally to me. This might not be very healthy, but whenever I pick up a guitar, I without even thinking just start playing a sad riff. I can’t help it. So writing sad songs about grieving comes naturally to me, and is cathartic for me. I think this is a specific experience, and I hope the listeners who GET THAT, can feel some sort of solidarity when they listen to these songs. I want someone to feel a little less alone. I want someone to feel inspired to write poetry, or write a letter to their friend or something. I want people to reconnect with their friends and community if it’s been awhile because you don’t know what you got until it’s gone.

Nicolle, you founded No More Dysphoria, an non-profit organization dedicated to helping transgender individuals pay for major aspects of their transition. What inspired you to create this organization? Can you tell us more about it?
The idea for the organization was born 10 years ago between me and some old friends. Someone who’s asked to remain anonymous originally thought of the name, and the concept came to be during a conversation! I asked if I could take the idea and run with it because I am a more high functioning person, and they said absolutely. So it’s been mostly me all these years with the occasional help from my friends Stacy and Alex, and whoever else says they want to help me. I’ve only ever been able to secure one grant, so most of the funds come from crowdfunding or from my own pocket. I know what it’s like to live a life where you feel like you can’t fully be yourself, and I want everyone to live their life as their truest, most authentic selves.

What advice do you have for queer individuals who may be afraid to come out because of the current political climate in the U.S.?
I know it’s so much easier to say this then it is to believe this, but trust me it WILL get better. I know things look bleak as fuck right now, but please just hang on. You are NOT alone. There is support out there, and resources available to you, and online communities everywhere full of people just like you who are also terrified, and would love to find people to talk to about it. There is strength in solidarity. Our resilience is what will lead our communities to victory. Giving up is EXACTLY what the administration wants us to do, and we have to fight. Solidarity forever.

Are there any upcoming projects you are currently working on that we should be on the lookout for?
HLAG has a pretty busy front half of the year between the album coming out, and touring to support it. I hope we can get on The Fest this year and tour more in the fall around that. Otherwise, I’m working on the next No More Dysphoria fundraiser show here in Philly which will be March 6th at First Unitarian Church. My dream is to make it a tour some day. That’d be so sick.

It has been a crazy few years, and we expect at least three more. How have you been staying positive?
Once I heard that “Joy IS Resistance” I felt like an immediate weight lifted off my shoulders. Oftentimes I feel really bad about myself because I’m not always able to attend protests, or organize my community, or contribute to mutual aid, etc etc. I do these things when I can, but not as much as I wish I could. So I’ve always felt bad for “not doing enough.” But hearing “joy is resistance” assured me that living my life as full as I can, is exactly what the government doesn’t want. And as long as I have a mic in my hand, and any platform of any kind, I am going to speak up about issues that are important to me. I think making your views known is how you find like minded people, and you build community that way. Community is everywhere, and leaning on your people for support is more important now more than ever.

What is your motto in life?
I have a few!!
- “Write the song YOU want to hear.”
- “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’re always going to get what you’ve always got.”
- “Lead with love.”

To learn more about Nicolle Maroulis, please check out the links below:
OH MAN okay so some organizations worth noting are:
Gaza Soup Kitchen

The Sameer Project

Here in Philadelphia specifically:
Serenity House

Bread and Roses Community Fund

Project HOME

And for trans folks specifically, we have a small resource list on our website
https://www.nomoredysphoria.org/resources

Instagram: @hlagband

TikTok: @nicollemaroulis