![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Courtesy-Photo-_-Fea_01.jpg\")
Fea\u2019s most recent album is its first on the Cosmica Artists label. Credit: Courtesy Photo \/ Fea<\/p>\nFea\u2019s most recent album is its first on the Cosmica Artists label. Credit: Courtesy Photo \/ Fea<\/p>\n
Punk\u2019s riot grrrl movement is often framed as a bicoastal phenomenon, defined by early-\u201990s breakthroughs such as the Pacific Northwest\u2019s Bikini Kill or New York\u2019s Lunachicks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Far from those epicenters, San Antonio has cultivated its own insurgent lineage, a brown-girl-loud strain of feminist punk rock called Fea. And the band is hardly representative of a bygone era.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fea is about to embark on a jam-packed two-week tour across the Southwest with New York\u2019s Ratas En Zelo. The road dates follow the release of the San Antonio group\u2019s third studio album, The Nerve, earlier this summer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
While the tour doesn\u2019t include any SA dates, local fans can catch the band Saturday, Sept. 19, at Sam\u2019s Burger Joint with all-woman AC\/DC tribute act Hell\u2019s Belles.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before Fea, though, there was Girl in a Coma, whose blend of Tejana post-punk and rootsier sounds made them one of San Antonio\u2019s most memorable bands of the early 2000s. The trio included Phanie Diaz, her best friend Jenn Alva and Phanie\u2019s sister Nina, whose first show with the band was a week shy of her 14th birthday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The band had a quick rise that included a contract with Joan Jett\u2019s Blackheart Records label, a tour with Morrissey and opening slots for acts ranging from Social Distortion to Tegan and Sara.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Girl in a Coma\u2019s success and eventual breakup set the scene for Fea. Not just by proving San Antonio punk shakes rooms from here to Europe, but also by giving Phanie and Jenn a creative restlessness that eventually guided them toward a new project \u2014\u00a0one with a pointedly political agenda.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Although Girl in a Coma disbanded in 2018, the trio has since reunited and plans to head on tour later this fall. Balancing both bands, Fea\u2019s Alva said, has sharpened her sense of what each project is meant to do.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have really enjoyed both bands because, in Fea, we can be assertive, confident and have a message, while in Girl in a Coma we can just get lost in the passion for playing,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Girl in a Coma\u2019s momentum carried directly into Fea. When Phanie and Jenn launched the new project in 2013, they did so under Jett\u2019s label, which went a long way to putting Fea\u2019s sound in the ears of punk fans worldwide.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For example, their early song \u201cMujer Moderna,\u201d a grungy takedown of macho man behavior and rape culture, was featured in NPR\u2019s list of the greatest songs recorded by women in the 21st century.<\/p>\n
The band\u2019s early years were shaped by collaboration as much as sheer grit. By the summer of 2014, they had locked in their current lineup: Diaz on drums, Alva on bass, Adrian Conner on guitar and Letty Martinez on vocals.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lived experiences<\/strong><\/p>\n Fea coproduced their debut full-length album with Alice Bag, a pioneering Chicana punk vocalist whose work in late-\u201970s Los Angeles helped lay the groundwork for riot grrrl politics. Bag\u2019s influence carried into Fea\u2019s songwriting and stage presence, both dedicated to making punk that speaks directly to the lived experiences of Latinas.<\/p>\n In conversation, the band is quick to point out that the issues they were singing about a decade ago haven\u2019t gone anywhere. Misogyny still shapes their daily lives, both online and off.\u00a0<\/p>\n The new album\u2019s title track, \u201cNerve,\u201d deals with how women are punished for noncompliance, whether that be rejecting a cocky dude or refusing to smile on command.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s still happening today,\u201d Alva said. \u201cPresident Trump is telling a journalist to smile. It\u2019s just so classic: \u2018Smile more.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe song is about an experience rejecting somebody, who then starts picking on your physical appearance,\u201d Martinez added. \u201cAnd Trump does exactly that, to reporters that don\u2019t agree with him or ask questions that he doesn\u2019t want to answer. Suddenly he\u2019s commenting on her appearance, and that parallel is just crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n As a cohesive album, The Nerve digs into the parallel between personal experience and political reality. While earlier albums, Fea (2016) and No Novelties (2019), were sharp, loud and outward-facing, this one turns inward without losing its edge.\u00a0<\/p>\n And the edge has been there from the beginning. \u201cFea\u201d means ugly in Spanish, and the name was a deliberate choice to reclaim a word used to belittle girls who dared to be loud or different. But it\u2019s also an acronym that means \u201cfuck \u2019em all.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis album is a little bit different from the last two because we focus on personal experiences,\u201d Martinez said. \u201cThe heart of the album is growth and empowerment in our personal lives.\u201d<\/p>\n In Fea\u2019s world, healing means the refusal to apologize for yourself. It\u2019s the decision to stop wearing bras, to shave or not shave, to wear blazers just because they make you feel powerful, even if it\u2019s \u201cfucking hot outside,\u201d as Martinez acknowledged.\u00a0<\/p>\n Conner said the power comes from shaking off shame and old insecurities to take back ownership of your body.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re used to being told how to heal the right way,\u201d Diaz said. \u201cWhatever it takes to feel good about yourself, that\u2019s it. You do it for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n The members\u2019 thoughts about body autonomy bleed naturally into conversations about dealing with identity and language as Chicanas. Diaz and Martinez shared contrasting stories about speaking Spanish \u2014 Diaz was discouraged from learning for fear of discrimination, while Martinez was bullied for speaking it fluently.\u00a0<\/p>\n Both experiences reveal the balancing act many Mexican American kids grow up with as they straddle two worlds at once.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI was treated differently just because I spoke Spanish,\u201d Martinez said. \u201cLike at recess, we\u2019d have to partner up and they\u2019d say \u2018Ew, she speaks Spanish,\u2019 like it\u2019s some contagious thing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Martinez\u2019s early experiences shaped a sense of responsibility that extends beyond singing political lyrics. In addition to performing with Fea, she\u2019s a paralegal at a law firm, where she assists pro bono clients navigating the immigration system.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis underdog complex came about because I was treated so badly, which made me want to protect the others,\u201d Martinez said. \u201cI\u2019ve always tried to take other people under my wing, and I think we all resonate with that. It\u2019s why we all ended up in this project.\u201d<\/p>\n The members of Fea are acutely aware of how women, especially women of color, can be scrutinized or dismissed. Diaz recounted early interviews from the Girl in a Coma era, where journalists would focus solely on their appearances or sexuality.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThey would point out things that just didn\u2019t matter: how puffy my cheeks looked, how fat my face was, all dumb things that should have nothing to do with the interview,\u201d Diaz said. \u201cIt had the opposite effect \u2014\u00a0it made me not give a shit. It made me want to help people feel unashamed of themselves.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The members\u2019 commitment to visibility is matched by their passion for their hometown. They speak about San Antonio\u2019s music scene with equal parts affection and frustration.\u00a0<\/p>\n They said they love the tight-knit nature and feel that artists are free to help each other book shows and build community. Yet they\u2019re candid about the challenges posed by rising costs, inconsistent support and the city\u2019s tendency to overlook its own musicians.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m proud that we\u2019ve been able to accumulate fans from everywhere, and we still have that San Antonio pride,\u201d Alva said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Even so, there\u2019s room for growth.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to nurture our artists better,\u201d Diaz said. \u201cThe people of San Antonio need to come together and start taking care of our musicians, instead of bitching about who\u2019s on the lineup or going to Austin for shows.\u201d<\/p>\n For fans and musicians alike, it\u2019s important to show up and engage with the scene instead of waiting for it to entertain you.\u00a0<\/p>\n Perform for the algorithm<\/strong><\/p>\n At the same time, Fea is navigating the realities of the digital age. They\u2019re blunt about the exhaustion of content culture and the pressure to post constantly to perform for the algorithm. It\u2019s a vastly different world than the one where Girl in a Coma first found success.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not a fan of this style of marketing, but I also accept that it doesn\u2019t matter that I don\u2019t like it,\u201d Conner said. \u201cIt\u2019s just the way of the world now.\u201d<\/p>\n Martinez described herself as a \u201ctotal lurker\u201d who hates posting but accepts that it\u2019s necessary.\u00a0<\/p>\n Despite the IG grind, the members of Fea see hope in the resurgence of physical media. For their release of The Nerve, the band again collaborated with local graphic designer Regina Morales. Beyond digital and CD releases, the album is also available on neon green vinyl.\u00a0<\/p>\n Alva and Conner agreed that vinyl\u2019s comeback has a lot to do with connection. The ability to have an artist sign your record and have a conversation with them at the merchandise table are parts of the music experience lost during the COVID-19 pandemic.\u00a0<\/p>\n After lockdown forced Fea into livestreamed shows, or what Martinez described as \u201ctalking to a camera with a green screen behind me,\u201d the band is grateful to be back in rooms full of sweaty, screaming strangers.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t top the energy of a live show,\u201d Martinez said. \u201cThe crowds give us their energy, and I can\u2019t describe how great that feels \u2026 the dancing, shouting, it\u2019s all so important. I\u2019m glad that that never got phased out.\u201d<\/p>\n Right now, the band is focusing on giving The Nerve the long runway it deserves. They\u2019re adjusting to life on a new label, Cosmica Artists, along with a changing promotional landscape.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Nerve is their first album in seven years, a milestone that still feels new despite the band having played many of the songs live since Conner joined the lineup.<\/p>\n Longevity is the goal, the members explained, not just for Fea but for Chicana punk bands they hope will come after them.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve taken advice from Alice Bag,\u201d Diaz said. \u201cShe said to do it for as long as you physically can. If you can fucking do it, then do it. If we can tour, we\u2019ll do it.\u201d<\/p>\n Sure, they face real-life obligations \u2014\u00a0jobs, motherhood, dogs \u2014\u00a0but the sentiment is clear: Fea isn\u2019t slowing down anytime soon. For a decade, they\u2019ve watched their project evolve into the band they once needed to see.\u00a0<\/p>\n As Fea head into their tour, they carry a message with them, along with a decade of Chicana punk history and a new record that refuses to apologize.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re proud,\u201d Alva said. \u201cLet us be the disease and we\u2019ll spread.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Texas politics is a mess. We make it a readable mess.<\/p>\n Sign up for San Antonio Current\u2019s new \u201cTexas Politics This Week\u201d newsletter.<\/p>\n Sign Up for SA Current newsletters.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Follow us:\u00a0Apple News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Google News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0NewsBreak<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Reddit<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Facebook\u00a0<\/a>| Twitter<\/a>\u00a0| Or sign up for our\u00a0RSS Feed<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Related Stories<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Courtesy-Photo-_-Fea_02.jpg\")
After concluding its two-week tour, Fea will play Saturday, Sept. 19, at Sam\u2019s Burger Joint with all-woman AC\/DC tribute act Hell\u2019s Belles.
Credit: Courtesy Photo \/ Fea<\/p>\n
![\"San](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1787851156_218_Courtesy-Photo-_-Fea_01.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Trump](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Mid-City_New_Orleans_-_200_block_of_N_Carrollton_Ave_2_December_2025_-_04.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n