Lipstick Homicide is a pop punk band based in Iowa City, composed of three friends who started the band while attending West High School in 2006. Members of the band include singer and bassist Rachel Feldmann, singer and guitarist Kane Edwards, and drummer Luke Ferguson.
The band sat down with The Daily Iowan after their performance in the DI newsroom on Feb. 27, as part of the 2026 Headliners series.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The Daily Iowan: What inspired the formation of your band?
Feldmann: We started the band when we were in high school, almost 20 years ago, and we were all in different bands. We all played the talent show, and Kane was like, ‘We’ve got to start a band,’ and I didn’t even know Kane. But we did, and then we had other members, and Luke was in a different band, but kinda in the same friend group.
So, we started jamming with Luke, and then we started writing a lot of songs, and we would record at the United Action for Youth Center. It’s pretty awesome; they let kids record for free there. We just had all these resources, and it just all kind of happened, and we kept going.
Ferguson: That was 2006 at West High here in town, so like, exactly 20 years ago.
Has it always been just the three of you?
Feldmann: Once we got Luke, it stayed the three of us, and it has all been the same lineup.
Edwards: We tried out a couple of other, like, fourth members, second guitar players, that just didn’t fit right. A three-piece worked for us.
Ferguson: And we realized we fit in a van better. We used to go around in a little tiny minivan, and we’re all crammed in there with all our stuff and the merch; the drums were like Russian Dolls inside of each other just to make room.
How would you describe your music?
Feldmann: A lot of our recorded music is pop punk. We’ve always been pretty melodic, with vocal melodies, power chords, and poppy chords. We get a little grungy sometimes. We have a little Riot Girl influence, but a lot of people have called us pop punk.
What’s your favorite part of performing?
Feldmann: I just like playing my bass really loud, and feeling the bass frequencies and getting to sing really hard and jump around and hear the drums and rock out.
Edwards: It feels good to get on stage and just be loud and sing loud and just sing the lyrics. I feel like I’m a big social anxiety person, so just kind of making myself do it, and then just being like, sometimes I’m super anxious on stage, but then I’m so happy I did it, and it felt really good.
Ferguson: I think music is fun, so it’s fun to play. Getting to meet different people in the community, and see other bands and all the venues and all the people that work at the venues, you get to see so many ins and outs of the cities. When traveling, it’s really fun too, because instead of being a tourist and just going to a hotel and not knowing what to do, you’re instead just thrown into the counterculture of whatever city you’re in, because you’re just hanging out with other artists. It’s an amazing way to connect with people.
Is there a particular venue in Iowa City that stands out as the most memorable, or the most interesting?
Feldmann: We used to play at The Mill a lot before that got torn down, but we’ve played at Gabe’s so many times since we were little, so that’s where we feel really comfortable. I really like Alley Cat, too. That space sounds awesome, and we have a lot of memories there.
Ferguson: Trumpet Blossom is still around. Public Space One has that cool building now; they’re definitely a favorite.
What do you have planned next for Lipstick Homicide?
Ferguson: There’s new stuff on the way; we’ve got recordings.
Feldmann: Yeah, we have a new EP coming out, it’s called ‘Lipstick Homicide in the Stone of Opportunity.’ We recorded some songs for that, and then we’re going to play some fun shows this summer.