Teenage Daydream: We Are The Girls Who Play In A Band

The coming of age autobiography of Debsey Wykes, vocalist, bassist and founding member of Dolly Mixture, a trailblazing post punk girl band forced to navigate the misogyny of the 1980s music scene.

Seeing an all-female band nowadays is hardly a rare occurrence. Dolly Mixture, one of the seminal girl groups founded by singer and bassist Debsey Wykes, are partly to thank. Teenage Daydream tells a story of pop fandom, aspiration, misogyny, highs and lows that is still shockingly relevant today.

The story begins January 1984, which would, unbeknownst to the girls, be their final year together as a band. Each of its twelve month-long chapters begins with an entry from Wykes’ diary and a letter from a fan before reflecting on the path that had taken them here.

The book details Dolly Mixture supporting some of the biggest alternative groups at the time, including The Fall, The Jam and The Undertones — as well as having U2 support the girls whilst they were still in their teens. For a brief moment - and following the success of ‘Happy Talk’ their Number One collaboration with Captain Sensible - world domination seemed theirs for the taking. 

And yet.....

‘Teenage Daydream’ paints an honest picture of the landscape women in music faced in the 1980s. It is a story of youthful ambition, enterprising DIY aesthetics and how an unlikely bunch of friends ended up on Top of the Pops in homemade hula skirts.

Debsey went onto greater prominence with Saint Etienne with who she has performed since 1992, whilst in 2025, desirable Dolly Mixture reissues sell out around the world as quickly as they are printed.

Debsey Wykes currently sings with Saint Etienne and her group Birdy alongside
occasional reunions with former Dolly Mixture partners.