The golden era of grunge music lasted for about a decade between the late 1980s and the late 1990s. Born in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, the music was known for its brooding moods, heavy guitar riffs, and slew of recognizable stars, from Eddie Vedder to Kurt Cobain to Chris Cornell.

Ever since the musical movement subsided, there have been few, if any, artists who have tried to bring the style back. Few, if any, artists have claimed they were grunge. It’s a curious thing given that pop culture trends seem to cycle back through time, from bell-bottom pants to acoustic folk music.

We wanted to offer three modern artists (who just happen to be from Seattle) who could also be grunge stars. Whether they wanted to claim the genre today or hop in a time machine and travel back to 1991, all three of these artists would flourish in the era, if they so desired.

Molly Sides

The frontwoman and lead contortionist for the Seattle-born band Thunderpussy, Molly Sides’ limber dance moves are only matched by the agility of her voice when she sings on stage with her hard-rocking crew. There is a reason why Pearl Jam frontman Mike McCready has said Thunderpussy is one of his favorite modern bands and has gone as far as to put their music on his boutique label. Sides, who sounds like a combination of Grace Slick and Layne Staley, could have thrived during grunge.

Julia Shapiro

Julia Shapiro knows how to set a mood. It’s like she can reach out and grab that moment when you’re half-asleep and half-dreaming. Like you’re float-hobbling down a cold stone hallway as candles burn out all around you. Shapiro, who records and performs both solo and with groups like Chastity Belt and Childbirth, would have been a coveted artist during the grunge days. You can picture her backed by, say, guitarist Jack Endino and drummer Matt Cameron as her band played a howling set, opening for Screaming Trees.

Ayron Jones

Ayron Jones performs with such honesty and grit that he would have been one of the grunge greats had he chosen that route or had he been born 20 years earlier. Today, he is a chart-topping rock artist who sings about the hardships he endured as a young person growing up in the Emerald City. His guitar prowess is second to none today, and the heft and weight he plays with is the kind of thing that would surely inspire Cobain or Cornell. It’s too bad we can’t see them all get on the same bill at the Showbox in Seattle today!