LOUD WOMEN
An essay on LOUD WOMEN
In 2015, the Reading and Leeds Festival had announced its lineup, which included only ten acts out of almost a hundred, with at least one female in the band (Marsh, 2019). This news started a much-needed discussion about the lack of female representation at music events. The lack of diversion in the UK music scene has not been unheard of. According to the UK Music Diversity Survey from 2016, white people and men occupied the prevalence of higher positions in music and were in work for a longer time. The UK Music Diversity Taskforce and Loud Women were founded in the same year. The first one is a group of executives from music labels and establishments such as PRS and PPL, responsible for putting out a yearly report on the diversity in the music industry. Loud Women is a non-profit music promoter and ezine dedicated to supporting female, POC and LGBTQ artists and DIY bands. Neither UKMDT nor LW were directly related to the Reading and Leeds Festival controversy, but their establishment was a part of a movement dedicated to diversifying the music industry. In this essay, I will analyse Loud Women's activity to this day and their future prospects.
In an interview celebrating four years of Loud Women, the founder, Cassie Fox, said: '[...] I was feeling frustrated at the amount of 'man-band' heavy lineups all the time, and macho crowds. I was particularly tired of my all-female band always being the token women on the bill, and wanted to put on a fundraising gig with my friends' bands that could be relaxed and inclusive[…]' (Maps, 2019). The first LW event was part of a series of food bank fundraisers, 'We Shall Overcome'. There were almost entirely man bands involved, and the promoters told Fox that there were not enough women bands to book. She proved them wrong by booking a whole set of female-led bands. The fundraiser gig night was a success and ultimately led to the start of Loud Women. Since 2015 it has expanded to New York, Los Angeles, Ireland, Canada and Australia. Its mission is to address the lack of opportunities for new female-led acts and provide an equal representation.
Loud Women was inspired and carry similarities to the Riot Grrrl movement from the 1990s. Both were born with the purpose of 'Empowering young women and providing a space where they are free to express themselves without being directly compared to, or overshadowed by, boys [...].' (Whiteley, 2000). The Riot Grrrl formed in The United States in the 1990s. It combines fashion, music, journalism, and politics as a form of feminism. 'Riot grrrl also proposed a different way of conceptualizing feminist activism, to move away from traditional state-focused protests like marches, rallies and petitions, towards an idea of cultural activism […] like creating art, film, zines, music and communities as a part of feminism activism.' (Downes, 2007). Riot Grrrl members formed zines and ezines, where they wrote about issues such as incest, date rape, self-abuse and abortion rights (Whiteley, 2000). It was a safe space for many women to discover their identities and sexualities. Despite having a positive impact, Riot Grrrl has also had a fair share of criticism. There was no discussion about race, ableism and classism because grrrls were mainly middle-class white straight women. There is also no record of trans women's participation (Demir, 2021). These issues are present in the twenty-first century as well. Some white feminists exclude women of colour and trans women in their battle for equality. Although many members of Loud Women are middle-aged white females, they share their platform with POC and LGBTQ people. There is a strong emphasis on amplifying their voices. Cassie Fox recognizes the inequality in the music industry and aspires to go beyond the 50/50 balance between men and women. The ex-vocalist of Dream Nails, a band which grew alongside LW, named Cassie a ‘fairy punk mother when talking about the space she created for non-binary artists (Bulmer, 2021).
During my internship with Loud Women, I came across many writers, photographers and bands involved. It was through a Facebook group, where all members communicate. Some of them I wrote about for my weekly Instagram segment, 'Loud Woman Of The Week', and some I met in person. Artists such as Charley Stone (Salad), Debbie Googe (My Bloody Valentine), and Debbie Smith (Echobelly, Ye Nuns) debuted in the 90s and are involved in the UK's music scene to this day. All of the above, including Cassie, are 'drawn to the scene by the ideas.' (Albertine, 2014). Loud Women is rooted in the punk movement but leans towards indie rock genre-wise, like Riot Grrrl (Leonard, 2014). The members communicate through social media platforms and are responsible for putting out festivals, regular live events, music reviews, promoting upcoming artists and releasing monthly Ezines. It is a non-profit institution, meaning the collaborators do not get reimbursed for their work. The writers and photographers choose whom they write about based on personal judgements. It makes for honest, in-depth material on their blog. However, some cannot participate as much because of their jobs and families. The lack of reimbursement and low accountability lead to decreased involvement. Some days the activity on loudwomen.org is high, ranging between one and five posts. However, there are times when the blog has no entries. Another issue is the lack of editors. Cassie Fox is responsible for editing and quality checks, and because of her busy schedule, these tasks take longer. The finished pieces can wait up to even a week to be posted. An American member of Loud Women, Reva May is the most active writer and editor, and even her contributions are not enough to bring a bigger audience.
The most consequential Loud Women project, in my opinion, is their 2021 charity single in support of Woman’s Aid, Reclaim These Streets. Cassie Fox and Brix Smith co-wrote it and invited over sixty singers to perform it. In an interview with The VPME, Fox said: 'I wrote this song out of rage and frustration. Two women a week are killed by men. Refuge services are having to turn away one in two survivors of violence. And yet refuge funding has been cut by one quarter since 2010. This is a song of feminist solidarity and hope – all women and gender non-conforming people have a right to walk safely on every street, and be safe in their own home.' (Pip, 2021). The single was a direct response to the murder of Sarah Everard by a Metropolitan Police officer. As hard as this topic is to discuss, it is necessary to speak up about it. 'Reclaim These Streets' is a contemporary feminist anthem. The powerful lyrics and the execution led the song to number 3 on the iTunes alternative chart.
The 21st-century music industry is changing rapidly, and Loud Women do their best to keep up. They hold an annual festival called Loud Women Fest. It has been ongoing since 2016, except for 2020, due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The festival has been growing over the past six years with the support of funding from The Arts Council. The 2022 edition is expected to be the biggest one yet. Loud Women also put out regular gigs around the UK with funding from ticket sales. The artists usually play for free, especially at fundraising events. However, Fox is willing to reimburse them for their travel. Loud Women also holds an annual 'HERcury' award for best album by a UK female music band/artist. These activities provide a representation for the upcoming female and queer artists. Dream Nails, Nova Twins and ARXX are just a few of many bands who established themselves with their help. These artists grew into the mainstream, but Loud Women is not there yet. Cassie told me she is interested in growing their following, but there need to be more young voices contributing to the blog. The Loud Women team consists of hundreds of people, but their understanding of the current music industry and social media is limited. One of their focuses is the DIY scene, but they should be looking towards the mainstream media for marketing strategies. Although no plan suits all, Loud Women should be more aware of their competition and learn from them.
The statistics about the current music industry in the UK are not too promising. Women in CTRL's 'Seat at the Table' 2021 analyses the changes between 2020 and 2021 across twelve UK industry bodies. The report shows a lack of representation of black women across eleven music trade bodyboards. It also showcases an increase of female board members in PPL, AIM, and ISM, to name a few (Women in CTRL, 2021). It does show progress and deserves celebration, but the seat at the table does not automatically mean inclusion. A study from 2021, 'Inclusion in the Recording Studio', shows much worse results. The report covers 900 Popular Songs released in the years 2012-2020. Over half of these songs have no female writers, and less than one per cent have only women writers. Over the years, women and artists of colour have become more visible as performers. The gender gap in the studio is the more prominent issue. Out of 1291 production credits, only nine went to women of colour. An average of 2,6% of females were producers between 2012-2020. Moreover, women are most present in the POP and Hip-hop genres, with barely any female-led bands in the mainstream (2021). Loud Women participates in transforming the industry by building a community. They provide a platform for female-led and queer bands by booking them to play at the LW Fest and events across the UK. The consumers recognize the issue and hold the industry bodies accountable. Although change does not happen instantly, the existence of the bodies mentioned above is a step forward. Loud Women operates at a lower level than Women in CTRL, but their work is not any less valuable. They generate visibility for female and Queer artists in the DIY scene, which opens the door to the mainstream.
Through research and my internship at Loud Women, I realized how important is the community Cassie created. I have not come across any similar group in the United Kingdom yet. Beforehand, I compared them to the Riot Grrrl movement and found that LW learned and developed based on their example. Loud Women offers inclusivity and opportunities for beginning musicians. I believe Cassie Fox is responsible for most of their success. She came across a big issue in the music industry and found a way to tackle it. Loud Women is simultaneously a grand and a personal project. I believe it would not be as successful if not for Cassie's dedication. The team needs to include more young voices and try producing more content. Loud Women does not have a plan for future growth, but if they want to be deemed an authority in the music industry, they should consider monetizing their blog in the future.
Bibliography
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Maps, P. (2019). Interview: Cassie Fox talks 4 Years of Loud Women + Shares Her LW 4th Birthday Playlist. [online] Joyzine. Available at: https://joyzine.org/2019/10/04/interview-cassie-fox-talks-4-years-of-loud-women-shares-her-lw-4th-birthday-playlist/ [Accessed 12 Mar. 2022].
Marsh, S. (2019). “It’s an act of defiance”: the rise of all-female festival lineups. The Guardian. [online] 20 Aug. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/aug/20/all-female-music-festival-lineups-native-loud-women-fest-boudica-hearher.
Pip, V. A. (2021). Track Of The Day - Loud Women - Reclaim These Streets. [online] Available at: https://www.thevpme.com/track-of-the-day/track-of-the-day-loud-women-reclaim-these-streets/ [Accessed 5 May 2022]
Smith, S., Pieper, K., Choueiti, M., Hernandez, K. and Yao, K. (2021). Inclusion in the Recording Studio? [online] Available at: https://assets.uscannenberg.org/docs/aii-inclusion-recording-studio2021.pdf.
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Daily log
I was introduced to Loud Women in 2021, during my second year at The University of East London. In November of the same year, the founder Cassie Fox gave a guest lecture for my class. I spoke to her afterwards and offered to intern for her establishment. Loud Women is a nonprofit music blog, record label, promoter and festival. I was an intern for them between December 2021 and April 2022. The internship took place online, but I attended some events as a guest. The Loud Women gigs added value to my experience, but they were not an actual part of my work. I communicated with my internship supervisor, Cassie Fox, through Zoom and Facebook. My responsibilities included writing on the Loud Women website, running a segment on their Social media and shadowing the coordination of gigs and a festival.
There are hundreds of people across three continents involved. Loud Women consist of a website with live music and album reviews, a monthly online ezine and social media accounts. Moreover, LW is responsible for putting out gigs across the UK and an annual festival in London. The first meeting with Cassie Fox took place on the 8th of December 2021 and was an introduction to the Loud Women community. She told me about the upcoming projects and let me decide how would I like to get involved. I wanted to participate in the studio sessions and the live gigs organization. However, I soon found out I could not do that because Loud Women did not have the funds to insure me. I decided to focus on writing on their blog and think of ideas for boosting their social media. Otherwise, my university would not accept the internship.
I wrote my first piece for the Loud Women website on the 23rd of December 2021. I received the artist's press release from Cassie and pointers on structuring and editing the review. I used previous posts as examples for my work. I sent back a draft, and it was published the next day. Cassie recorded a tutorial video of her editing the post to help me with my future writing. In February, Loud Women asked me to review a concert. Most of the posts I wrote were in the Video of the day category, so I was beyond ecstatic when I had the opportunity to write a longer piece. What I enjoyed writing the most was Anna Shoemaker's album review. I became genuinely interested in music journalism and had a chance of exploring my writing skills outside of lyricism.
Loud Women has many voices, but not enough youth is involved. Cassie and I spoke about boosting our social media activity to reach more young people. I proposed an idea for a weekly segment called the 'LOUD WOMAN of the week’, or LWOTW for short. Each Monday, starting in February, I will be posting a photo and a biography of a female artist on our Instagram and Facebook pages. One of the Loud Women's missions is to support upcoming female-led acts and address the inequality in the music industry. I wanted to amplify that by showcasing well-known and smaller artists and acknowledging them for standing up to such imbalance. Social media can be toxic, especially for young, impressionable people. We want to grow our following without participating in the negativeness. The response to LWOTW has been very positive. I received recommendations from my fellow students on who to write about next. I also asked the Loud Women members for their suggestions because Cassie found some artists I chose not suitable. Compromise is valuable in collaborative practice. I learned not to get attached to my vision because there is always space for improvement.
While working with Loud Women, I learned about event managing directly from Cassie Fox. We had regular Zoom calls where she would share how she plans the live shows, the festival and the compilation album production. Cassie introduced me to Submithub.com, a website where artists upload their unreleased music for review. I only wrote about one band because most of the releases we write about come from our email box. During one of our sessions, we went through applications for the Loud Women Fest and the reasons for including and rejecting them. Unfortunately, I could not participate in a team meeting dedicated to the final confirmation of the lineup. Loud Women does not have many funds, so Cassie applied for funding from the Arts Council. She explained the complexities of that process to me. The application for the 2021 festival was accepted, but this year they refused to grant any funds. This news meant we might need to downgrade the event if Cassie does not find other ways of financing the festival. I was able to see the sometimes unpleasant business side of planning music events. It is crucial to not dwell on the letdowns and continue curating shows.
My internship at Loud Women has been a terrific experience. I am grateful for Cassie's guidance, who, despite being the head of Loud Women, a lecturer and a mother, found time to speak to me directly. Moreover, she treated me as an equal. Cassie gave me her trust and considered my opinion. She made me feel comfortable and valuable from the very beginning. I believe I brought new ideas to the team, which I can develop after graduating. I decided to continue writing for Loud Women despite the end of my internship. Their mission of supporting women of all ages, people of colour and the LGBTQ community in the music industry is very close to my heart. As a queer woman and a musician, I am keen to help build a safer environment for underrepresented groups. At Loud Women, I became confident that I could make a difference.