Towa Bird Is Our American Hero

On October 1, Towa Bird updates me from the green room of her headlining show in Brooklyn. The 25-year-old’s career has been building up to this moment. “I just never really could have imagined this. My first-ever headline tour sold out within two hours. That’s pretty surreal,” she says.

In 2022, Bird burst onto the music scene via TikTok and soon caught the attention of a major record label, which offered her a record deal. Her debut album, American Hero, has been a runaway hit, cementing her status as an It girl.

Bird’s sound and style draw heavily from the ’60s and ’70s. “In general, whether [it’s my] music, videos, art, or fashion, [it’s] all tied together,” she says. “It all comes from the same creative place.” Currently, she’s partial to the stars of the British ’70s rock scene. “My moodboard is full of those motherf*ckers… but brought forward into 2024.” Of course, shoes play a pivotal role in rock-star style, and Bird shares an affinity for Dr. Martens with many of her icons.

“I’m a lesbian, so Dr. Martens play the highest of roles in my collection. They are the #1 shoe.”

Dr. Martens made its first pair of boots in 1960. Already owning a trademark yellow stitch, grooved sole, and heel-loop, workers initially wore the boots. Dr. Martens became a signifier for youth, music, and queer culture, subverting the utilitarian silhouette for empowerment and attitude.

Today, Dr. Martens boots are a symbol of individuality. They’re a canvas for every kind of cool and a mainstay in Bird’s wardrobe. “If Dr. Martens were a real person, he’d be my father,” Bird jokes of her love for the brand. “I’ve been wearing them since I was a kid…they’re just always the shoes I default to.”

Bird has been a part of pop music’s queer awakening. But her imminent icon status hasn’t shaken her style on stage. “It’s still me,” she explains. “It’s more like an extension of what I would wear on a day-to-day basis.”

“Just Towa turned up a couple of notches.”

On tour, she pairs her ’70s-inspired shag with sleeveless tees, low-rise trousers, leather jackets, and a pair of beat-up 1460 boots. “I can’t tell the difference between a Dr. Marten shoe and my own foot,” she jokes. A sense of humor is undoubtedly her signature. When asked about touring essentials, she only picks one: “a lifesize cardboard cutout of myself.”