They took the most prestigious European festivals by storm last summer. They opened an arena show for the Foo Fighters in Germany, played with Camp Freddy and Filter and toured with the Smashing Pumpkins before they even had a record deal. At Reading, Leeds, Rock En Seine, Oxegen, Highfields and Lowlands, and most recently at Australia’s Soundwave festival, the all-girl rock band from Los Angeles not only held their own, but they won new believers at every stop. CHERRI BOMB accomplished this when the average age of the four girls was 14.

The next chapter in this extraordinary story will be written with the release of This is the End of Control, the debut album from CHERRI BOMB. A refreshing antidote in a world of prefabricated pop tarts, the band delivers high energy rock & roll for a new generation. Dave Grohl has called CHERRI BOMB “a real rock band,” Kerrang! Magazine named them one of “10 New Bands You Need to See,” Alternative Press included them in their prestigious “100 Bands You Need To Know” 2012 issue, and one listen to This is the End of Control will tell you why. It is a remarkable story, but there’s an equally remarkable backstory.

It centers on Samantha Maloney, the former Hole and Mötley Crüe drummer who was so moved by the boundless talent of the fledgling CHERRI BOMB that she put her own career on hold to dedicate herself to theirs. She plucked the quartet out of the ultra-competitive LA music scene, deftly handled the fierce label competition that resulted in signing with Hollywood Records, and has guided the band’s accelerating rush towards their rock ‘n’ roll destiny. Though the girls’ ages range from 13 to 16, their album is the product of years of work. It begins with guitarist/vocalist Julia Pierce, who found her musical calling before she was five. Her talent was undeniable, and her commitment was so unwavering that her parents were persuaded to uproot the family and move from New Jersey to Los Angeles – where they believed that she would have more opportunities to pursue her music. “When I got an electric guitar,” she says, “I realized that I wanted and needed to start my own band. I posted ads online and in local music shops around LA, looking for girl musicians my own age who were as passionate about music as I was. At the time it was hard to find girls my age who could even play instruments.”

Nia Lovelis, who was also searching for girls to play with in a band, was the first keeper. Her skills behind the drums, at such a young age, are such that the editor of Modern Drummer took notice andwas instantly impressed by the maturity of her playing on the group’s 2011 ep Stark. Next to join was Miranda Miller, a classical piano prodigy from the age of four who also played a mean rhythm guitar. “Being classically trained has really helped me as a musician,” the cool cerebral blonde says. “I’ve always been a bit of a theory nerd and it definitely adds another element to the band. Our musical backgrounds and personalities are all totally different, so we’ve learned to play to each others’ strengths.”

When Nia’s guitar-playing sister Rena Lovelis was lured into the fold as a “temporary” bassist who quickly became permanent, the lineup was completed in the classic mold – four distinctive parts that add up to something beyond special. This chemistry, hand in hand with lots of hard work, explains how a young group could handle being thrown into the deep end of the live performance pool. “There’s nothing that can compare to the feeling of connection you get from playing a live show,” declares Rena. “Being onstage, and being 13, I envision myself larger than life, a part of something greater than myself. I want everything I bring to the live show to inspire people, take them on a journey, push them to open up the creative parts of their own selves. Whether it’s the way I play or the bond I have with my sister onstage, I want the audience to feel a part of this. I want them to feel at one with the rhythm section from hell.” “I was born to push buttons,” says her sister Nia. “There’s a two-fold obstacle thrown at me being in this band. It’s not only being 15, it’s being a female musician. I like tearing down people’s expectations and preconceived notions. It drives me and is a huge sense of accomplishment when I can change opinions about female drummers. The years of dedicated hard work, and the passion and creativity that demanded nothing less, shine through on This is the End of Control.

Produced by Red Decibel & Bobby Huff and mixed by Chris Lord-Alge (“Let it Go,” was mixed by Neal Avron), tracks like “Let It Go,” “Raw Real,” “Shake the Ground” and “Too Many Faces” present an exciting and startlingly mature sound in which melody melds with epic guitar riffs, a sound that speaks to the youth of today, and what is timeless about rock & roll. If asked, the girls will talk about influences that include Foo Fighters, My Chemical Romance, Paramore, Garbage and Led Zeppelin. Those influences, however, are like posters on the wall of rooms these four young musicians no longer live in. What they’ve found together is their own. And to pre-empt any misconceptions, the group’s moniker was not inspired by the Runaways. “We came up with the name after we read a book called ‘Cherry Bomb’,” explains Julia. “It was filled with tips on how to survive as a girl in rock & roll, and stories from badass women in rock. It inspired us because of its confident message. We think of the name CHERRI BOMB as an explosive, in-yourface, attitude-driven symbol.” (It is ironic that one of the main contributors to the book was none other than Samantha Maloney. Talk about destiny.)

CHERRI BOMB.