Since Yesterday showcases Scotland’s unknown girl bands.

Carla J Easton’s thought-provoking directorial debut gives viewers an unforeseen perspective of the experiences that Scotland’s girl bands faced. It tells us the stories of bands that went otherwise unknown such as Strawberry Switchblade, The Hedrons, the McKinlay’s and more.

I went to see the documentary at the Anderston Pyramid at the weekend, and it was certainly worth it. The feel of watching it through a projector in a gym hall certainly gives that feeling of being educated at school, which is exactly what this documentary does - it educates you.

Strawberry Switchblade (Kerstin Rodgers)

Easton does a spectacular job at telling the stories of those who went unseen compared to their male counterparts as she narrates the challenges these women faced, the highs and lows of being in a girl band and straight-up sexism and misogyny. Since Yesterday spans genres from pop to post-punk, showcasing the brash band The Ettes, to the pop-sounding His Latest Flame. As the founding member of the band TeenCanteen, Easton was inspired to make the feature after wondering why there was a lack of representation of Scottish girl bands.

The artists are showcased in the feature by their photographs and posters being plastered onto a young girl’s bedroom wall in between interview excerpts. I like this creative touch as it reminded me of myself and others alike, showing that mentality that if you see someone like you doing it, you can do it too.

Interviews with Rose McDowall and Jill Bryson of Strawberry Switchblade - arguably the most successful band of the bunch - are partnered with unseen footage, photographs and demo tapes from their time as the duo, which was fascinating to see. The girls were the first Scottish girl band to reach the UK Top Ten with their most successful single Since Yesterday, which was mistaken to be a love song due to their gender but was, in actual fact, about nuclear war.

The documentary spans 50 years starting in the 1960s. In an interview with Jeanette McKinlay (The McKinlay’s), she tells us about how she and her late sister Sheila toured with the Beatles and were the first band to play Wembley Stadium, supporting the Rolling Stones, a huge feat! Yet they were exploited as they were never paid for any of their performances.

The Hedrons, an all-girl group from Glasgow starting in the 2000s, were interviewed on their experiences. They played the Isle of Wight Festival in 2007 and were subsequently told not to use the walkway on stage, as it was for Mick Jagger, but did so anyway.

They played gigs all over the UK and were never signed. What was the reason? They were told that it was because of their age and that one of them “might get pregnant” and ruin it all.

This documentary brilliantly shows the challenges that girls in Scotland faced, and still do, in the music industry. It makes you wonder how many more faced this.

The documentary ends on a bittersweet note as it left me feeling empowered yet angry at the experiences these women were robbed of because of their gender.

Since Yesterday review: Shining a light on Scotland’s forgotten girl bands