We saw Shonen Knife and they were so cool. I turned into a nine-year old girl at a Beatles concert. I was crying and jumping up and down and tearing my hair out - it was amazing. I’ve never been so thrilled in my whole life. They play pop music - pop, pop, pop music. - Kurt Cobain speaking to Melody Maker, September 14th 1991.

Kurt Cobain fell in love with all-girl Japanese trio Shonen Knife when he heard their Burning Farm cassette EP in 1983, pushed his way by Calvin Johnson, frontman of another of Cobain’s favourite bands Beat Happening, and head of K Records, whose logo Cobain later tattooed on his own arm. A mixture of chirpy ’60s girl group pop and choppy punk rock, they later became a favourite of many of Nirvana’s peers as well, particularly Sonic Youth and Red Kross.