“You Wouldn’t Call The Strokes a Boy Band; So Why Would You Call Us a Girl Band?”-Este Haim
- mvvvsic
- Mar 8, 2021
- 23 min read
Women in Music Who Have Significantly Impacted the Life of Others, Myself, and the World of Rock/Alternative Music
I often ask myself, “what does being a woman in music/what does being a woman who loves music mean?” However, I feel that there are so many layers to both of these questions, that it makes it super hard to give a concise and thoughtful answer. One thing that I tend to constantly think about regarding women in music is the constant misogyny that every woman who works in the industry and is a fan of music faces. A prime example of misogyny that women in the industry face are some of the reactions that were displayed after the grammy nominations for the rock/alternative categories were announced. For the 2021 grammy’s, many of the nominations in the rock/alternative categories are majority, if not all, female nominations. Many people, including myself, were beyond excited as we realized how huge this is for women in music. I remember seeing the list’s for these categories and I started crying because of how happy I was. On the other hand, there were some people that had the complete opposite reaction of myself. I remember seeing an instagram account that I follow post about how excited they were about this news and that all of the nominees deserved their nominations; however, while I was scrolling through the comments on the post, I saw one that really caught my eye and it ticked me off. The comment said something along the lines of, “I haven’t listened to the nominees, so I really don’t know if I’m to judge but is it really necessary/fair to have this many female nominees?” When I read that I was like what the absolute fuck! Absolutely no one would ever even think that or think to say that if the majority/all of the nominees happened to be male (like they have been in past years may I add!). Misogyny still heavily exists in the music industry today, however, there are certain spaces where it tends to be more obvious. For example, rock/alternative music spaces tend to have a large history of misogyny. Yes, there are sub-genres and other spaces in rock/alternative music where misogyny is not welcome, however, there are still misogynistic tendencies that are very alive today amongst these genres. For example, many bands with some female members or bands that just happen to have all female members will get asked many misogynistic questions. Some of these questions include, “Are you with the band?” and “Oh, you must be one of the girlfriends?” Misogyny is also very alive in different fanbases. For example, if a girl says she’s a fan of Nirvana, she will 99% of the time be quizzed to see if she knows more than their mainstream songs and how much she knows about the band in general. People will also be shocked when they find out that the girl’s favorite song isn’t “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” because people assume that the young girl doesn’t actually listen to a band that she likes and will only know the said band’s most popular song because the band is “cool and trendy.” Young girls in certain fan bases will also just get made fun of for liking something. One thing that I believe is particularly funny is that young women are responsible for making some of the most famous bands on this earth, FAMOUS. A prime example of this would be The Beatles, but I’m not going to dive too much into that right now. As I look at the different women in music that have impacted my life in many ways, I always look at how revolutionary they were in the world of music. With that being said, here’s a list of 41 women who have made an incredible impact on the life of others, myself, and the world of rock/alternative music.
Kim Deal
Kim Deal is a founding member of the American alternative rock band, Pixies. When the Pixies started, Kim had only known how to play guitar. However, those positions were filled so she decided to take on the role of being the bassist in the group. Kim is responsible for giving us some of the most iconic basslines in alternative history; some of these include “Gigantic,” “Here Comes Your Man” and “Hey” to name a few. I find this extremely amusing because she has become one of the most iconic bassists in the realm of alternative music.
The Breeders
The Breeders were formed in 1990 by Kim Deal. Yes, I’m talking about the same Kim Deal from Pixies. The Breeders were a name that Kim and her twin sister, Kelley, used to play under when they were growing up. However, when the Pixies were on a hiatus in 1990, Kim Deal started her side project, The Breeders, and recorded the iconic album, “Pod.” The Breeders went through many different lineups throughout the course of their career but the lineup always consisted of majority female members. My favorite The Breeders lineup is probably their 1992-1994 lineup that consisted of Kim Deal (guitar/vocals), Kelley Deal (guitar/vocals), Josephine Wiggs (bassist), and Jim Macpherson (drums). The Breeders are responsible for the insane 90s hit “Cannonball.”
Women of Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie
Two of the most famous women in rock music are none other than Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie. Both of these women joined the group years after the formation, however, they really transformed the sound and played an active role in the Fleetwood Mac sound that we all know love today. These women are responsible for writing a large amount of Fleetwood Mac’s hits, some of these include “Dreams” and “Everywhere.”
Joni Mitchell
One of the most famous singer-songwriters to come from the Laurel Canyon scene of the 60’s is none other than Joni Mitchell. Joni Mitchell changed the world of music by keeping her lyrics at the center of her discography. Whenever I listen to Joni Mitchell, I will 98% of the time be choked up or in tears by the end because of the way that the combination of her soft voice and poetic lyrics affect her songs. Mitchell is responsible for giving us one of the most beautiful albums, Blue, and many other hits like “Big Yellow Taxi,” “Car On a Hill,” and “Woodstock.”
Janis Joplin
On January 19, 1943, the legendary queen of the 60s, Janis Joplin was born in Port Arthur, Texas. Somewhere in the mid 60s, Janis Joplin made the move to San Francisco and the rest was history. She was a true icon and legend in the Haight-Ashbury scene that was taking the world by storm in the 60s. Her performances at Monterey Pop Festival in ‘67 (with Big Brother and the Holding Company) and Woodstock ‘69 just prove how powerful she was. Unfortunately, the world lost this beautiful soul on October 4, 1970 when she tragically died at 27. Joplin’s legacy is still very much alive today. To me, Janis Joplin is probably one of the most important figures in my life. I am very much constantly inspired by her and how she was as a person and artist. Joplin was just so unapologetically herself and didn’t care what people thought. Joplin’s powerful voice and songwriting gave us an album like “Pearl,” and songs like “I Need a Man to Love,” and “Kozmic Blues.”
Kim Gordon
Kim Gordon is the bassist and founding member of the New York noise-rock band, Sonic Youth. Sonic Youth formed in the early 80s and became super popular in the indie-underground scene of New York. Kim Gordon plays such an important role in Sonic Youth. Her style of playing bass is so foundational to the way that Sonic Youth plays. Gordon’s voice is super sultry and husky; that’s one thing that I really appreciate about Gordon. Whenever Kim is on vocals, she’s not trying to sound super feminine, if I’m being honest I don’t think she’s even trying at all. Her voice just comes through so authentically. Sonic Youth became an unintentionally feminist band with Kim’s presence as well. She always made sure that there were girls in the crowd and that Sonic Youth shows were a safe space for young girls. She also thought, if young girls saw other girls on stage, it might inspire and show them that these shows can become a creative safe space for girls in the underground scene. One of my favorite Sonic Youth tracks that Kim is lead vocals on is “Brave Men Run (In My Family).”
Kira Roessler
Bassist, Kira Roessler is most famously known for her time with the legendary Hermosa Beach hardcore underground punk band, Black Flag. One of my favorite things to do is watch archived Black Flag sets that were from Kira’s time in Black Flag. Watching Kira play bass is unreal and she just looks like she’s having so much fun while doing it. She’s just jamming and not really caring about anything else. One of my favorite Black Flag tracks that Kira Roessler played on is from their 1984 album, Slip It In, and the track is titled, “Rat’s Eyes.”
The Slits
The Slits were one of the first British punk bands that were super integral to the early beginnings of the scene. Not only were they one of the first British punk bands, they were also one of the first ALL FEMALE punk bands. As important as they are, their presence seems to be erased and overlooked when talking about the history of British punk and especially punk in general. I’d say that the Slits are just as important as The Clash and Sex Pistols regarding the foundation of British punk. The most famous and influential lineup of The Slits consisted of front woman Ari Up, Viv Albertine (guitarist), Palmolive (drums), and Tessa Pollitt (bassist). The Slits are responsible for the hit, “So Tough,” that appeared on their 1979 debut album, Cut.
Poly Styrene
Poly Styrene is the punk icon who was the front woman of the legendary British punk band, X-ray Spex. Poly Styrene is super influential in the history of punk because she was one of the first women of color to play such an integral role in the British punk scene. Poly Styrene with X-ray Spex, is responsible for giving us the classic punk album, Germfree Adolescents, with the classic punk anthem,“Oh Bondage Up Yours!”
Tina Weymouth
Tina Weymouth, founding member of the iconic new-wave band, Talking Heads, and revolutionary new-wave/hip-hop group, Tom Tom Club, has certainly made a name for herself in the world of music. Weymouth is responsible for her iconic basslines and concepts of many Talking Heads songs that we all know and love today. For example, Weymouth collaborated with David Byrne (lead vocalist/guitarist of Talking Heads) on all aspects of their iconic song, “Psycho Killer.” Weymouth started Tom Tom club with her husband/bandmate, Chris Franz (drummer of Talking Heads) in 1981. Tom Tom Club became a group that revolutionized new-wave and hip-hop in the 1980’s with the iconic track, “Genius of Love.”
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
The Mother of Rock ‘n’ Roll that oftentimes tends to be erased when talking about some of the most influential people in the history of the genre. Sister Rosetta Tharpe, a black woman, was one of the first people to play the electric guitar like how it's commonly played today. Many people like Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lewis to name a few, were influenced by her work. I find it amusing when men act like women can’t enjoy/play rock music when it was literally invented by a woman of color. Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s legacy needs to be more represented when talking about the history of rock music.
Patti Smith
Punk icon. Patti Smith is arguably one of the most iconic figures in punk history. Patti Smith had something to say and boy did she get her message across. Patti was first and foremost a poet. Patti is an artist, and is someone who really made me appreciate good lyrics. Her voice is also just so unique and unapologetically herself. Patti Smith is responsible for her incredible and legendary debut album, Horses, that featured tracks like “Kimberly,” “Gloria,” “Free Money,” and “Redondo Beach.”
The Runaways
An all-female teenage rock band from the Valley that took the world of rock music by storm. When looking at all of the accomplishments that The Runaways accomplished throughout their career, it’s insane to think that they were all from the ages of 15-17 when they had started. The most iconic lineup of The Runaways consisted of Joan Jett (guitarist), Lita Ford(guitarist), Sandy West (drummer), Cherie Currie (front woman), and Jackie Fox( bassist). The Runaways gave us hits like the iconic song, “Cherry Bomb” and “Queens of Noise.”
Bikini Kill
In the early 90s in Olympia, WA many young girls became frustrated with how they were being treated in the punk scene. This is known as the birth of the 90s feminist movement, Riot Grrrl. One of the most iconic riot grrrl bands to come from the scene was Bikini Kill. Bikini Kill has taught me so much in regards to feminism and has helped me shape my own philosophy that I use to guide myself as a young woman in this crazy world. Bikini Kill was formed in 1990 and it’s founding members were front woman Kathleen Hanna, bassist Kathi Wilcox, drummer Tobi Vail; in 1991, guitarist Billy Karren later joined the group. Front woman, Kathleen Hanna, is one of the most significant icons in riot grrrl history. Her stage presence is just mind blowing. She has the crowd at her fingertips and would tell them to do something and they would do it. She would also write words like “slut” across her stomach and wear her infamous red dress that said “kill me” on it to just prove a point. The point she was trying to prove was the whole “asking for it” concept. Many people, especially men, would always say that a woman asks for it with the kind of clothing she wears. Kathleen was trying to prove that that wasn’t true by wearing this dress that was quite literally “asking” for people to kill her. She thought of it like, “you say girls are asking for it because of what they wear, so if that’s true then I’m essentially asking for you to kill me. Will you actually do it because I’m ‘asking for it?’.” Bikini Kill wrote songs about real issues that young girls were constantly facing; and they weren’t writing these songs through subliminal messages either. The lyrics of these songs were so very clear and upfront and honest; and that’s why I believe so many young girls like myself identify with Bikini Kill’s music because of how honest it is.
Bratmobile
One of the other most notable riot grrrl bands is Bratmobile. Bratmobile is made up of Allison Wolfe, Molly Neuman, and Jen Smith. The movement really began when the members of bands like Bratmobile and Bikini Kill started making Riot Grrrl fanzines that were expressing their frustrations with how they were being treated in the punk scene and in life as well. Both of the members of these bands, and many other Riot Grrrl’s would hold meetings and discuss these ideas with each other. These zines became the foundation for the philosophy of the Riot Grrrl movement. Bratmobile blessed us with feminist anthems like “Cool Schmool,” “Love Thing,” and “Bitch Theme.”
Sleater-Kinney
Although Sleater-Kinney didn’t start in the origin of Riot Grrrl, they are very much considered to be an important Riot Grrrl band. Sleater-Kinney was formed in the mid 90s by Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker. Sleater-Kinney’s guitar heavy punk sound mixed with both Carrie and Corin’s vocals gave us the iconic track like “I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone.”
L7
It all started with a punk and a poet in echo park. That punk would be Donita Sparks and the poet would be Suzi Gardener. They both met each other in the early-mid 80s because they had the same circle of friends and the rest is history. They later had bassist Jeniffer Finch and drummer Dee Plakas join the group and that was how the L7 we know and love was created. L7 is often lumped into the whole grunge scene of the 90s because they were friends with many of the bands from the scene. One thing about L7 that I appreciate is that they never made it a point to acknowledge that they were an all girl band; in their eyes they were just a band and that it shouldn’t be a big deal that we’re all girls. This attitude was very prevalent in interviews and the way they carried themselves. They also had a very big “give no fucks” attitude about them. They were wild and crazy and didn’t care what people think. One of my favorite L7 stories is when they played Reading Festival in 1992. They were having technical difficulties and the crowd started getting mad. Donita Sparks was irritated that the crowd was throwing mud and getting mad at them because it wasn’t their fault that there were all these technical difficulties. Then out of nowhere, Donita unzips her pants a little bit, pulls out her bloody tampon, and proceeds to throw it at the crowd. Although it may be very gross, that is one of the most badass things I’ve ever seen a woman do on stage. L7 gave us the unapologetically feminist hit, “Fast and Frightening,” and other hits like “Pretend We’re Dead,” “Wargasm,” and “Andres.”
Hole
One of the most iconic bands from the 90s would be none other than Hole. Hole was started by Courtney Love and she then later recruited other members to be in the band. The most famous Hole lineup is probably their Live Through This (mid 90s) era lineup which consisted of guitarist/lead singer Courtney Love, lead guitarist Eric Erlandson, drummer Patty Schemel, and bassists Kristen Pffaf (‘93- ‘94), passed in ‘94) and Melissa Auf der Maur (‘94- ‘99). One member of Hole that has had a significant influence on my life is drummer Patty Schemel. As a female drummer, Patty inspires me constantly and has a huge influence on how I play drums. Whenever Patty talks about how empowering it felt as a woman to look out at a crowd of thousands of people all jumping to the rhythm of a beat that she was controlling just with her right foot gives me the chills. Hole gave us the iconic album Live Through This in 1994 with iconic songs like “Miss World,” “Violet,” and “Doll Parts.”
Ann and Nancy Wilson, Heart
Ann and Nancy Wilson, also known as the “heart sisters,” were a part of the iconic 70s rock band, Heart. Heart happened to be the first ever hard rock band to be fronted by a woman. That woman was Ann Wilson. Ann had joined the band as a lead singer, and then her younger sister, Nancy, decided to join her in the band while playing guitar and also doing backup vocals as well. The Wilson sisters are pioneers for women in hard rock and constantly inspire many young girls to play this type of music.
Debbie Harry
Debbie Harry, lead singer of the iconic new-wave band Blondie will forever be a female rock icon. I remember when I first became aware of Debbie Harry’s existence and was just fascinated by her. I know this sounds lame but everything about her is just so fucking cool. Her voice is just so hypnotic and is essential to Blondie’s sound. One of my favorite tracks by Blondie that captures Debbie Harry’s hypnotic voice is “Heart of Glass.”
Tina Turner
Tina Turner was a name that I constantly heard throughout my childhood because my mom is such a huge fan. However, I didn’t start appreciating her music and cultural impact until I got older. Tina Turner had to endure so much throughout her career, that it honestly breaks your heart. Tina Turner is an absolute icon and full of talent. She knows what she’s doing and boy is she doing it right. How I sometimes will evaluate an artist's talent is when I listen to a cover that they’ve done. I remember how shocked I was to find out that “Proud Mary,” was just a cover and not an original. She took the classic song and made it her own. Tina Turner’s iconic voice is still super influential in today’s world of music.
Mo Tucker
One of the coolest bands to ever exist was the New York proto-punk band, The Velvet Underground. What makes them even cooler is that their drummer, Mo (Maureen) Tucker is a girl. I remember finding this out and being so surprised for some reason. Mo Tucker’s style of drumming is super influential and very inventive. I remember the first time I watched a live Velvet Underground set and saw her drum, I was completely fascinated. She went through many different phases of drumming, however she would sometimes do such unique things. Sometimes she would drum standing up and barely use any cymbals. She always believed that drumming was used to keep time of the song and that cymbals were a disruption of that time; which is honestly genius.
Louise Post and Nina Gordon
Veruca Salt is an essential 90s band that was started as a duo by Louise Post and Nina Gordon in the early 90s of Chicago. The two then recruited a drummer and bassist and took off from there. They gained their popularity with their infamous single, “Seether,” in 1995 right after the grunge scene of the early 90s was fading out.
Babes In Toyland
Babes in Toyland is one of coolest sounding bands to come from the 90s. With Kat Bjelland’s screeching yet somewhat soothing voice and crazy guitar riffs, Lori Barbero and Michelle Leon/Maureen Herman’s incredible rhythm section, it was really hard to impersonate what they were doing. Babes in Toyland was created in 1987 when Kat Bjelland moved to Minnesota because of the scene that was happening over there. She met drummer Lori Barbero and asked her if she played an instrument and Lori said no. Kat proceeded to ask her if she wanted to play drums for her band and Lori said yes. Kat said she just really liked Lori’s energy and that’s why she wanted her in the band. Since Kat was a self taught guitarist, she thought that by Lori not knowing how to technically play that it would allow her to play with her imagination and create unique sounds. They then got bassist Michelle Leon ‘87-’92, and the rest is history. Bassist Maureen Herman ‘92-’96, later joined the group. One thing that amazes me about this band is that they’re a 3-piece and can make an incredible amount of noise. My all time favorite Babes In Toyland song was released on their debut album, Spanking Machine, is “Swamp Pussy.” You just turn it on and it immediately makes you want to jump around and mosh.
Gwen Stefani
Growing up, my mom made sure that I had extensive knowledge on everything Gwen Stefani. No Doubt supplied many of the essential tracks to my childhood. In my junior year of high school my english teacher played us the essential 90s feminist anthem, “Just a Girl,” because it related to the book we happened to be reading at the time. I remember saying, “Oh yeah this is a No Doubt song,” and people were like “Who’s No Doubt?” I immediately became shocked when I realized that not everyone knew who they were. What shocked me even more is that people didn’t realize how Gwen Stefani got started. No Doubt is one of my all time favorite bands. I love everything and anything No Doubt. I remember spending hours watching interviews and live sets in high school. Seeing how Gwen Stefani was in No Doubt has influenced me in so many different ways, it’d take me hours to explain. No Doubt’s album, Tragic Kingdom, is a comfort album that I listen to whenever I feel sad, lonely, confused, or just lost. No Doubt, and especially no doubt era Gwen Stefani will always hold a special place in my heart.
Dolores O’Riordan (the cranberries)
Another band that I was introduced to by my mom was the Irish rock band, The Cranberries. I remember she played me their song, “Dreams,” and I was immediately entranced by Dolores O’Riordan’s voice. Her voice is so unique to The Cranberries sound and still prevails as incredibly influential in today’s world of rock and alternative music.
Fanny
The first ever all female band to ever be signed to a major label and gain commercial success was the American rock band Fanny. Many incredible artists like David Bowie have described Fanny as an incredible band with incredible influence. Fanny broke so many barriers for women in rock music.
Courtney Barnett
Courtney Barnett is an Australian Singer-Songwriter/Guitarist. Courtney Barnett is one of the best modern day artists around. When talking about Courtney Barnett with many of my friends, I asked them, “What does Courtney Barnett mean to you?” My friend Sydney responded with “Courtney equals representation that I’ve never felt.” For a lot of people, that’s exactly what Courtney is. It’s such a breath of fresh air to see, especially in the rock and alternative music scene today. While Sydney and I continued our conversation about Courtney we both brought up how unintentionally feminist some of Courtney’s lyrics are. She just writes what she feels and also embraces her femine anger. My other friend Reagan said, “She’s just good, there’s really no other way to put it.” As a guitarist, Courtney Barnett completely owns it. Throughout my discussion with Sydney, we talked about how the culture of guitar playing can be very misogynistic. However, that doesn’t stop Courtney from absolutely owning the guitar. Songs like “Debbie Downer'' and “I’m Not Your Mother, I’m Not Your Bitch,” just shows how honest, unapologetic, and unintentionally feminsit she is through her songwriting.
Snail Mail
Snail Mail, also known as Lindsey Jordan, is probably one of the biggest and most influential people in indie rock right now. When talking about Snail Mail with my friend Sydney (who is probably the biggest Snail Mail fan I know), they talked about what Snail Mail’s music means to them. Sydney said that Snail Mail’s music is also representative for them as well. Lindsey Jordan is only a couple years older than both Sydney and I. A lot of Snail Mail’s songs are about actual problems that she faces in her life. That’s one of the things that Sydney feels that Snail Mail represents. Sydney said that as a teenager, you face these problems that feel like the end of the world but in the grand scheme of things, some of these problems are miniscule. However, how Snail Mail writes about these things, it feels very relatable and validates your feelings regarding those problems.
Phoebe Bridgers
What can I say about Phoebe Bridgers that hasn’t already been said. Phoebe Bridgers is one of the biggest up and come names in alternative rock music right now. Phoebe’s music is honest, real, emotional, and beautiful. When talking to many of my friends about Phoebe’s music and just herself as an artist, we talked about how refreshing it is to see someone like her breakthrough into the “mainstream” and become really popular. One of our other favorite things about Phoebe is how unapologetically herself she is. The way she presents herself on social media and in interviews makes her feel like she’s one of us, there’s no fan to artist power dynamic with her. Phoebe also called David Crosby on twitter a “whiny bitch” and “little bitch” which deserves all the cool points she could possibly get. In all seriousness, seeing someone kind of breakout into the mainstream like Phoebe has been so amazing and refreshing, that it’ll be exciting to see what next steps she’ll be taking in her many projects to come.
Julien Baker
Julien Baker is a powerhouse, like Phoebe Bridgers, has been making massive breakthroughs in the alternative music scene. Julien’s ballady voice, incredible guitar playing, and honest/very poetic lyrics have become a staple throughout her discography. I believe that with Phoebe’s recent breakthrough to the mainstream, Julien is not far behind and it will be exciting to see where Julien is able to go.
Lucy Dacus
Like Julien and Phoebe, Lucy Dacus is another up and coming alternative artist that is breaking her way into the mainstream. The way that Lucy is able to write songs is absolutely mind blowing and so refreshing to listen to.
Boygenius
The last three women that I mentioned are the geniuses behind the supergroup, Boygenius. One thing that amazes me about this supergroup is that all three of their solo projects sound so different, however, when they come together as Boygenius, it couldn’t be any better. In an interview with Rain and Summer Phoenix, Phoebe explained that the name Boygenius comes from this mentality and phrase that they were saying in the studio when recording the first Boygenius EP. Phoebe says that as a woman being in a recording studio full of men is the most intimidating thing ever. She says that women can go into a recording studio, pitch the most brilliant idea ever, but it’ll get rejected because she “doesn’t have the confidence of man.” She then went on to explain that a man can go into a studio with the dumbest idea ever, but since he has this weirdly confident attitude about it, he’ll get praised. They coined this term, “Boygenius,” because of that.
The Regrettes
The Regrettes are a punk-alternative band that originated in Southern California. The Regrettes current members are front woman Lydia Night, lead guitarist Genessa Gariano, bassist Brooke Dickson, and drummer Drew Thomsen. Genessa Gariano and Lydia Night have always been consistent to The Regrettes lineup. The Regrettes have deep influence of punk and riot grrrl which is really prevalent in their debut album, Feel Your Feelings Fool!, which was released in 2017. It’s so refreshing to see a band with their deep feminist values become super popular over the years. Songs like “Ladylike/WHATTABITCH” and “Go Love You” showcase how unapologetically feminst they are.
Hinds
If you were to ask me what is your all time favorite band (besides Nirvana) it would probably be Hinds. Hinds started in 2011 when Carlotta Cosials(vocalist/guitarist) and Ana Perrote Garcia (guitarist/singer) started to learn the basics of guitar together in Madrid, Spain. They were falling in love with the concept of writing songs and playing them together. They recorded a couple of demos and were playing live shows. In 2014, they realized that they wanted to become more of a full band and that’s when they recruited their best friend, Ade Martin (bassist) and met Amber Grimbergen (drummer) online, and it only went up from there. Hinds had everything odd against them that you could possibly imagine; they’re women, english isn’t their first language, and they weren’t singing/playing mainstream popular music. However, they’ve prevailed and become rockstars in the alternative music scene. From meeting and playing with their heroes The Strokes, Mac DeMarco, etc., it’s been crazy looking at how their journey as a band has progressed. When asking my best friends and bandmates what they love about Hinds, Rylee said that she loves that they aren’t super technical when it comes to playing because it showcases how much fun they’re having. My other bandmate/best friend Reagan, said that they’re song, “Just Like Kids/MIAU,” perfectly sums up Hinds as a band. What I love about Hinds is that they make the music that they want to make and are super honest through their lyrics and playing. I could talk for hours about this band, they’re my absolute favorite.
Maggie Geeslin and Grace Repasky, Lunar Vacation
Maggie Geeslin and Grace Repasky are from the Atlanta indie rock band, Lunar Vacation. They started Lunar Vacation in high school and have been taking the indie rock world by storm. One thing about Lunar Vacation that I love is how honest their songs are. Lead singer, Grace Repasky (is only about a year older than me) so it’s really comforting being able to listen to these songs and have something to relate it back to. Another thing I love is how as guitarists, Grace and Maggie are just able to bounce off of each other and play really well together. They have yet to release a full length, however when they do I know it will be absolutely amazing.
Ayla Tesler-Mabe
Guitarist Ayla-Tesler Mabe is taking the world of guitar by storm. She first started off in the Vancouver band Calpurnia and also started her other band Ludic a little bit after Calpurnia. However Calpurnia disbanded in late 2019, and Ludic has become her main focus. Watching Ayla play the guitarist is such a hypnotic experience, she’s absolutely insane. Although Ayla has already accomplished so much in her short but amazing career, it will be so fascinating and exciting to watch her grow as an artist.
Victoria Legrand, Beach House
I was first properly introduced to Beach house by one of my best friends, Reagan. I remember listening to them and being mesmerized by this beautiful yet operatic voice. I was also shocked when I realized that Beach House only consisted of two people. I then learned that the beautiful voice that I had been listening to throughout Beach House’s discography was Victoria Legrand. Victoria Legrand is one of the coolest voices in alternative/rock music and she still continues to bring a new sound to every record that Beach House puts out.
Grimes
The queen of hyper-pop, Grimes, is one of the coolest people in popular music as we speak. She’s constantly reinventing herself with every album she releases. Grimes has brought a uniqueness to popular music that I think no one else is doing right now. Grimes has this way of mixing so many different effects and instruments that you think wouldn’t sound good together, but they just do. She’s also just so fucking cool and has her own sense style; I don’t know how else to describe her besides she’s just Grimes.
Plumtree
One of my favorite bands that seems to be forgotten from the mid 90s is a band from Halfax, Canada called Plumtree. Plumtree was formed in ‘93 which consisted of sisters Carla and Lynette (guitar/vocals and drums), Amanda (guitar/vocals), and Nina Martin (backup vocals/bass). In ‘95 Nina Martin left the band and was replaced by Catriona Sturton. One thing about this band that fascinates me is that these girls were all teenagers when they recorded their first 3 albums. Plumtree akso made one of the biggest contributions to pop culture and film that no one could ever imagine. On their second album, Predicts The Future, there’s a single on there titled “Scott Pilgrim,” which is about a bittersweet relationship. Do you recognize the familiar title? That’s because Bryan Lee O’Malley, who wrote the Scott Pilgrim vs. The World comics wanted to write the comics after he listened to this song. These comics then inspired the legendary movie and the rest is history.
HAIM
HAIM are one of best rock bands that is breaking into the mainstream right now. HAIM consists of three sisters: Este Haim (bass, backup vocals), Danielle (guitar, lead vocals, drums), and Alana Haim (guitar, backup vocals). HAIM own being an all girl band is such a misogynistic industry. They have become an incredible influence for myself and many other young girls who want to pursue playing music. HAIM is also making music that is such a breath of fresh air. Every album that they’ve released has a different sound and feeling to it, nothing sounds the same. One of my absolute favorite albums right now is their most recent release, Women In Music Pt. 111. Every track on this album is so differently sonically and tackles many heavy topics such as death, heart break, and accounts of misogyny that they’ve encountered in the music industry. HAIM’s lyrics are open and honest and their sound helps elevate those feelings.
When asking my bandmates/best friends what does being a woman in music mean to them, we all said being a woman in music means: not letting misogyny stop you, being proud, creating art, doing something that makes you happy, and feeling empowered. Being a woman in music is one of my favorite things in the entire world and I wouldn’t want to be anything else. With that being said, that was a list of 41 women who have influenced the life of others, myself, and the world of rock/alternative music.
(my band with two of my best friends, azul)
P.s. HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY TO ALL MY LADIES!!!/Attached is a playlist of songs from these artists :)
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