If you go down to Mono next Thursday, you're sure of a big surprise.

The Glasgow indie haven is hosting the second installment of The Girl Effect, a celebration of femme-powered pop that sees some of Scotland's best-loved artists cover girl group classics in support of Scottish Women's Aid.

As with May's inaugural Edinburgh leg, all covers are being kept under wraps in advance. Will Randolph's Leap play The Ronettes? Will BMX Bandits do Bananarama? Will Kathryn Joseph belt out Heart's Alone, amidst billowing dry ice and pyrotechnics? Time will tell.

The Girl Effect is organised by Carla Easton of Glasgow indie-pop four-piece TeenCanteen. The Mono line-up also features Broken Records, Jo Mango, The Cairn String Quartet and Bodyheat (among others), with each act being asked to play two covers of female-fronted music from any era. Easton hints at possible nods to Shakespeare's Sister and Destiny's Child, but her real passion is for the classic girl groups of the late 50s and early 60s: The Ronettes, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, The Chantels.

“It's great to put on an event that's raising money for a women's charity by exploring and celebrating women making music,” Easton says.

“I've always been passionate about girl groups – as a band, we're totally indebted to them. And the genre deserves much more exploration. Without the girl groups, popular music wouldn't be what it is today.”

If Easton wants The Girl Effect to highlight – and raise funds for – the vital work of Scottish Women's Aid, then so too does she hope to underscore the impact of girl groups on our cultural heritage. “In the 50s you had the rise of rock 'n' roll, and the birth of the teenager, but that was a pretty male-dominated thing – Elvis and all that,” she says. “Then all of a sudden these girl groups, who were predominantly from poor black or Hispanic backgrounds, transcended racial barriers, sold to white suburban America, and the idea of the teenage girl was born. It wasn't just: go to school, leave school, become a housewife, have children. It was: I'm a teenager too, I've got longings and desires. It opened up a discussion. The girl groups asked these questions – like, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? – and in a way, they set it up for The Beatles, who came along and answered them.”

The influence of classic girl groups on Scottish indie-pop – from Camera Obscura to TeenCanteen – stretches back decades, in no small part thanks to Duglas T Stewart, whose beloved Glasgow pop rabble BMX Bandits are celebrating their 30th anniversary. “For me, The King – if you're referring to music – is Carol King,” he says. “I like Elvis, but Carol is the King for me. A lot of people might think of BMX Bandits as a guitar-pop band, but although I like The Byrds, I'd much rather listen to The Cookies or The Shangri-Las.

“I've never felt comfortable with the typical male role in rock,” he continues. “I wanted to be the anti-Jim Morrison: I didn't relate to that at all. But I really did relate to an awful lot of stuff in girl groups, and there are very few BMX Bandits records that aren't similarly thematic. I want to write about love and romance. That's what I want to tell the world about.”

Stewart played solo at The Girl Effect #1 (with a little help from Teenage Fanclub's Norman Blake), re-animating The Chiffons and The McKinleys. This time, he'll perform with a full BMX Bandits ensemble, and is thrilled to be returning – not just for the girl group vibe, but for the impetus behind the show. “My heart's close to the cause,”

he offers. “I'm obviously a chap but years ago, many years ago, I was in the position of being on the receiving end of a violent relationship, and so the notion of any organisation which helps people find strength, or gives people support in these situations is, I think, an incredibly important thing.”

Easton notes that although one in four women will be affected by domestic abuse at some point in their lives, it remains a relatively taboo subject, which means that organisations like Scottish Women's Aid can struggle with visibility. “I think for them to reach quite a young audience through stuff like this is really important,” she says.

“Domestic abuse can be physical or verbal, or emotional, and they've been good at setting up awareness of stuff like revenge porn. The rise of social media opens up new avenues for domestic abuse, and people aren't always aware of it.”

Despite the serious issues at its heart, Easton sees The Girl Effect as a terrific excuse for a party. “My absolute highlight from last time was that the people who work at Scottish Women's Aid came along and had a good time, and everyone congratulated them,” she says.

“There was loads of glitter, and singing, and dancing. I don't just want to raise funds for them. I want to celebrate the important, amazing work they do.”

The Girl Effect #2 (TeenCanteen, Kathryn Joseph, Broken Records, BMX Bandits, Sonny Marvello, The Cairn String Quartet, Bodyheat, Sharptooth, The Just Joans, Skies Fell, Randolph’s Leap, Jo Mango, TYCI DJs): Mono, Glasgow, Thursday November 26.