Thorny and throttling, Marie DeVita’s emotional alt-rock makes a lasting impact. After experiencing an epiphany while watching bands at 2012’s Splendour in the Grass festival, she was inspired to start her own. Forged in the fruitful Brisbane scene, WAAX leaned into DeVita’s intense vocal catharsis and unflinching lyrics on grunge-indebted early tracks such as 2015’s “Holy Sick” and 2016’s “Same Same”. Venting is what she does best, as proven once again on 2019’s “FU”. Co-produced by Powderfinger icon Bernard Fanning, the track centres on the defiant proclamation, “Nobody hurts me/Fuck you for trying.” Reinforcing that snide spirit, 2022’s “No Doz” added see-sawing harmonies to her volatile vocal delivery. The lineup of WAAX has changed often enough over the years to make DeVita the sole mainstay, and she has also lent her striking voice to the likes of metalcore act In Hearts Wake and the rapper Illy. After relocating to Los Angeles, DeVita proves as ferocious as ever on 2026’s “UH OH (bardcore girls)”, a screamy anthem about women reclaiming the mosh pit for themselves.