Tearing Down The Boys Club: An Interview With Syracuse’s ICE HOLEZ
By Staff | May 14, 2026
On stage, April 2026. Photo credit: @zoessfocus
Coming out of of Syracuse, ICE HOLEZ took their name from a shirt that singer Hope’s deceased uncle was wearing, and they interpret it as honoring his memory while also punching a hole in systemic oppression - because, you know, fuck ICE. The band critiques the earlier riot grrrl scene for its racism and cliquishness, and they strive to create a more welcoming, feminist punk community in Syracuse where girls and non‑binary musicians don’t feel shut out. Even though their young ages lead many venues to hesitate booking them, the quartet’s bond has deepened rapidly since November, allowing them to craft more sophisticated, meaningful material that has already sparked crowd singalongs and unsolicited fan recognition at Guitar Center. At the heart of an ICE HOLEZ performance is the hope that attendees walk away embracing their own individuality, recognizing society’s flaws, and feeling motivated to help repair it.
How did the name ICE HOLEZ come to be, and what does it represent for your band’s specific identity?
Our name came from our singer Hope, from her uncle’s … death. When he had died, he had been wearing a shirt that said “Iceholes” on the front. Having the name be the Ice Holez was one of the conditions of joining the band, Hope already had the name set. I mean besides the uncle story, to us it means putting holez in ice, because fuck ICE.
As a young band diving into the riot grrrl genre, how do you interpret the movement’s legacy for your own generation of musicians?
We are hoping to be the better riot grrrl generation, considering how racist and exclusive the old scene was. We, Hope especially, were very angry at the fact that there was no girl bands in Syracuse. We knew that we needed to let the scene know it’s not just a boys club, and that it’s a shared spot.
What's the current punk scene like for the youth up in Syracuse, and how has the local community embraced your sound so far?
The youth scene is very separate from the other parts of the scene, and we are currently trying to build a bridge for that gap. Considering how closed off it is from the rest of the city we think/hope it will have its revival soon.
Backstage, February 2026, opening for the War Lovers. Photo credit: @olivespilka
When blending original songs with covers in your setlists, how do you ensure your own unique creative voice remains the focal point?
We tend to choose covers that were really important to the genre; with our originals we went a different route. To us we feel like our music really is unique. We haven’t really been able to pinpoint one specific band that we sound like as of late. There are bands we want to sound like, but we haven’t quite achieved it; mainly because we change the sound so drastically, that it just kinda sounds like us and no one else.
What has been the most surreal or memorable experience you’ve had while on stage? Everyone's got a good story.
I think the most surreal experience has been getting recognized on stage, and while we’re out and about!! We haven’t been recognized from Instagram as much as we did from our second show, and it was really exciting! One of the times the four of us went to we to guitar center together, the guy at the check out said “Do I know you guys from somewhere?” and we just froze. And then he said “are you guys in a band” and we were like “uh yeah” and he told us he saw our set at Middle Ages!!
My favorite stage moment was at our show at the pink rock downtown. when we were playing our closer Get Out of My Basement and the crowd started screaming the chorus and grabbing the mic and it was just amazing. People were looking in from the street and dancing and some even came in.
Before their first performance, January 2026. Photo credit: @olivespilka
What has been the biggest challenge of navigating the DIY aspects of band management, such as booking and promotion, at this stage in your career?
I think our biggest road block has been our age. Lots of venues are hesitant to book us because of how young we are. Also getting people to come to the shows when people don’t know who we are in the scene itself. I know for Hope it’s a lot of pressure on her. She is the band manager while also managing school, working for a zine and also in a program called school of rock and their house band. Most of our band members are in school of rock and their house band besides Olivia.
How has the chemistry between the four of you shifted and grown during these first seven months of writing and performing together?
We have changed so much since November!! We are all very close to each other, Hope and Olivia have known each other since they were four but have gotten so much closer. And Jules and Lee just met Olivia and they are equally as close with her. We all think our writing has just flourished since the beginning our first song was Get Out of My Basement and it’s the most simple writing you’ll ever read, but now we’re writing more and more complex stuff that means more to us. It feels as if we are getting more and more free with it and falling more and more in love with it as well.
Olivia on stage. Photo credit: @riverratt_
What is the one core message or feeling you hope listeners take away after experiencing an ICE HOLEZ show?
I hope people feel like they should strive to be themselves. Individually is cool and so are you. They should realize that the world is shit but we can try to fix it.