Man/Woman/Chainsaw

Man/Woman/Chainsaw is a British band from London, formed in 2019 by school friends Billy Ward and Vera Leppänen. In this article, we’ll take a detailed look at the band’s history, its members and their upcoming gigs.

The band’s history

The story of Man/Woman/Chainsaw began back at school. Billy Ward and Vera Leppänen met as teenagers and started making music together at around the age of 14. They were later joined by other school friends. All members of the current line-up, apart from Clio Starwood, went to school together. In the early years, the musicians experimented a great deal with the line-up and instruments before settling on their current configuration.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, they continued to rehearse and write new material. As a result, a group formed around Ward and Leppänen, which later became Man/Woman/Chainsaw. The final line-up was established in 2023. It comprises vocalist and pianist Emmie-Mae Avery, drummer Lola Cherry, guitarist Billy Doyle and violinist Clio Starwood. Billy Ward plays guitar and sings, whilst Vera Leppänen plays bass and sings. The band’s music blends several genres – art rock, post-rock and indie rock.

The band’s first official single was the song "Any Given Sunday", released in September 2022 on Big Richard Records. In 2023, the single "What Lucy Found There" was released, and in the summer of 2024, the band released "Ode to Clio". The title of the track refers to Clio Starwood, who by that point had already become a permanent member of the band.

In November 2024, the band released their first EP "Eazy Peazy". It was produced by Daniel Fox of Gilla Band. The release received positive reviews from the music press and helped Man/Woman/Chainsaw break out of the small London scene. The EP was released on Fat Possum Records.

In 2025, the band continued to record new songs. The single “Adam & Steve” was released in May, followed by the track “Only Girl” in November. These tracks were recorded with producers Seth Evans and Margo Broom at RAK Studios. Following the release of “Only Girl”, the band signed a contract with Fiction Records.

On 7 August 2026, the band released their major debut album "Cannonball". Margo Broom and Seth Evans also contributed to the album. The recording featured both traditional rock instruments and the violin, keyboards and synthesisers.

The band’s music is built on contrasts: calm passages give way to noisy guitar parts, whilst almost chamber-like episodes are followed by a dense rock sound. The combination of different instruments and abrupt transitions has become one of Man/Woman/Chainsaw’s defining features.

The origin of the band’s name

Many people think that the name "Man/Woman/Chainsaw" is just a random combination of words intended to shock. But that’s not the case.

The name was coined by Billy Ward. It was inspired by a well-known feminist book on cinema entitled "Men, Women, and Chain Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film" (by Carol J. Clover).

This book explores the role of women in horror films, particularly the famous trope "Final Girl" – where it is a woman who ultimately defeats the killer.

The band members really liked this cinematic concept, and they shortened the book’s title for their band.

Discography

Their debut full-length album "Cannonball", was released on 7 August 2026 on the Fiction Records label. It features 11 tracks.

The band released the EP "Eazy Peazy" on 8 November 2024 via Fat Possum.

Among the tracks that are particularly important for getting to know the band’s work are "Any Given Sunday" (an early track), "What Lucy Found There" and "Eazy Peazy", as well as "Only Girl" and "Nosedive", which preceded the debut album. On "Cannonball" the tracks "Canyons", "Goddamn", "Lizard Man!, The Thing" and "Something Else To Give" stand out in particular.

Members

Man/Woman/Chainsaw is a band comprising six musicians. The combination of several vocalists, guitars, bass, piano, violin and drums largely defines the band’s distinctive sound.

Billy Ward

Billy Ward is one of the key members, frontman, lead singer and guitarist of the band Man/Woman/Chainsaw.

The band’s story began with Billy and bassist Vera. They became friends at school and started writing their first songs together when they were around 14 years old.

Billy is a proponent of diversity in music. He often tells journalists in interviews that, as a matter of principle, the band does not write songs that sound the same:

We don’t write songs that sound the same. We wanted to go to different places, so we did.

Emmie–Mae Avery

Emmie-Mae Avery plays the piano, keyboards and synthesisers, as well as singing. Her keyboard parts add softer, more atmospheric moments to the band’s music, contrasting with the heavy guitar and drum parts.

Avery took part in the recording of the debut EP "Eazy Peazy", and subsequently the album "Cannonball", on which keyboards became a key component of the arrangements. The combination of the band members’ different instruments and musical tastes helps the band avoid being confined to a single genre.

Vera Leppänen

Vera Leppänen is a co-founder of the band, bass guitarist and one of the vocalists in Man/Woman/Chainsaw. Together with Billy Ward, she began writing and performing music whilst still at school. Leppänen is one of the songwriters behind "Lighter", which featured on the debut album "Cannonball". Her vocals can be heard not only on individual tracks but also on songs where the parts are shared amongst several band members. In the live line-up, Leppänen provides the bass foundation, over which Billy Ward and Billy Doyle build their two guitar parts.

Clio Starwood

Clio Starwood plays the violin and is responsible for one of the most unusual elements of Man/Woman/Chainsaw’s sound.

Unlike the other five members, she did not attend the same school as them. Her arrival in the line-up helped the band expand their usual rock formula through the addition of violin parts, which complement the two guitars, bass, keyboards and drums. At concerts, her violin is particularly prominent in tracks where the band shifts from calm melodies to sharp and noisy passages.

Lola Cherry

Lola Cherry is the drummer for the band Man/Woman/Chainsaw. Her drumming forms the rhythmic foundation of the songs, in which the band frequently employs abrupt tempo changes, dense drum patterns and unexpected transitions. At live gigs, Cherry plays a particularly important role in creating transitions between quiet and explosive sections, which have become one of the band’s defining features.

Billy Doyle

Billy Doyle is the second guitarist in Man/Woman/Chainsaw, playing alongside Billy Ward. Having two guitars allows the band to incorporate heavy riffs, distinct melodic lines and sharp noise effects all at once. On the album "Cannonball", his guitar is particularly prominent in tracks with rich, multi-layered arrangements. In live performances, Doyle and Ward often swap guitar parts, resulting in a sound that is more dense than the studio version.

2026 Tour (Upcoming Gigs)

The band’s UK & IE tour begins on 19 September in Belfast and ends on 7 October in London.

Following these concerts, Man/Woman/Chainsaw have already announced a series of gigs in America.

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