All-female alternative/punk rock band Lash, from Perth, Western Australia, formed in 1996. The group consisted of Belinda-Lee Reid (vocals, guitar), Jaclyn Pearson (drums), Jessicca Bennett (lead guitar), and Micaela Slayford (vocals, bass). They met at the Catholic Santa Maria College and initially performed under the name Exteria. Their breakthrough came in 1996 when they won the Open Youth Category for the under-18s WAM Song of the Year with "Aloha Mr Hand". In 2001, they renamed themselves Lash and signed to Festival Mushroom Records. Their debut single "Take Me Away" was released in March 2001, peaking at number 33 on the ARIA Charts. The follow-up single "Beauty Queen" reached number 31 on the same chart. In 2001, "Take Me Away" was nominated for an ARIA Award for Breakthrough Artist – Single. Lash won Best New Australian Artist on Commercial Radio at the Commercial Radio Australia Awards of 2001. Throughout 2002, they toured with notable acts such as Eskimo Joe and The Living End. Their debut album The Beautiful & the Damned was released in April 2002, peaking at number 74 on the ARIA Charts. In February 2002, they released the single "Don't Ever Make My Mind Up". Lash represented Australia at the Golden Stag Festival in Romania in 2002. Their song "Beauty Queen" was featured in the 2003 film Freaky Friday, as well as its soundtrack. The group disbanded in 2003.
