‘We’re out here’: Pegzilla lead singer highlights women’s role in hard-rock ahead of District Bar show

California’s Pegzilla may be defined by its bewitching hard-rock ethos, but its intentions lie on shining a light on women on the alt-rock side of the vast musical spectrum.

It was around the time of middle school when Olivia Saperstein discovered her love for bands such as Korn, Black Sabbath and Limp Bizkit. As she continued to dive deeper into alternative rock, one of her friends began taking guitar lessons.

“I didn’t know that this was something I could just do,” Saperstein said. “I had never met another girl who was learning guitar.”

It wasn’t long before Saperstein fully handled heavy riffs and shredded solos. By the 2010s, she was playing guitar and singing in multiple bands across Los Angeles.

Her busy schedule made her partially reluctant to join Pegzilla when asked by their former bassist. But all of a sudden, she wasn’t so busy.

“Then the pandemic happened, and I was like, ‘All right, I have riffs, let’s do this,’ ” Saperstein said.

The trio has come a long way since.

Besides lineup changes, Pegzilla’s sound has become more distinct. Self-described as “witchy stoner-rock,” Saperstein has also been aiming for a particular feel – creating a spellcasting yet dark and heavy sense of ambience with a tang of vengeful flare.

“Sort of seductive in a way, but not in a way that pop stars are seductive, in a way that’s more uncomfortable,” Saperstein said. “Sometimes on stage I feel more like a character … but it’s cathartic in that way.”

Saperstein, who acts as the band’s lyricist, has found that as a woman, she is typically writing about different topics than many of her influences in such a male-dominated field. Although there are more than a few women shredding in the hard rock genre, she wishes the scene was more receptive.

“There are some amazing women playing heavy music and I just want to see more of them on festival lineups and on tour and in the press and everywhere,” Saperstein said. “We’re out there.”

Such specific accents and themes can be found on their 2022 EP, “Giver,” in which Saperstein found herself not being afraid to heavily lean into her own sense of assertiveness.

Although “Giver” may be its only project released, the band has many songs loaded in the chamber and will be in the studio early next month to record either another EP or a full-length album.

“We have a lot of new songs that I feel have matured a lot,” Saperstein said. “They’re just a little more elevated and a bit more complex.”

They’ll be in the studio soon after their current “Fall Freakout Tour,” which is taking them up and down the West Coast – including Seattle’s “Freakout” festival and Spokane’s District Bar on Sunday.

Pegzilla has been playing across the United States , but this will be their first venture to Spokane.

“For people that like really loud music and want something that’s slightly different, maybe a little bit more empowering … I think they’ll leave feeling inspired,” Saperstein said.

An earlier version of this story misspelled lead singer Olivia Saperstein’s last name.