Women Led Artists in Alternative Music
In celebration of Women’s History Month I wanted to take some time to bring attention to some contemporary Women led alternative artists that will, one day, be part of women's history in how they’ve changed and will change the history of music forever. These are not in any particular order, nor are they being reviewed or compared. Rather I want to help provide a platform to help propel these artists and what it is they do to celebrate all they have done in an industry predominantly male.
Firstly, one of my recent favorites would be Spiritbox. Ripping their way to the top of the metalcore scene and led by husband and wife duo guitarist Mike Stringer and vocalist Courtney LaPlante, Spiritbox really hit the scene hard starting in 2017. LaPlante also led the group iwrestledabearonce from 2012-2016 before leaving to create Spiritbox. If you’re a metalcore fan of any kind Spiritbox is a must listen. Their first LP Eternal Blue was released in 2021 with stand outs such as “Holy Roller” and “Circle With Me”. Their newest EP Rotoscope was released in 2022 and I expect we’ll hear some new stuff soon, so be sure to keep an eye out!
From Brighton England, Orchards is a group I was lucky enough to meet in NYC a few years ago and they are an amazing group of people. Led by Lucy Evers on vocals and backed by Sam Rushton on guitar and Dan Fane on Bass, Orchards combine pop-rock with summer melodies and a taste of funk. Their debut LP Lovecore from 2019 really showed how diverse their music can get with hits such as “History” and “Girlfriend”. My favorite release of theirs was the Losers/Lovers EP from 2018 when I discovered them. To this day this is still my go to summer bops, from tracks like “Peggy”, “Double Vision” and “Luv You 2” they really make me want to move. Both of these records I actually own on vinyl. They have released a few singles and an EP since their release in 2019 but we are bound to hear some new music soon. Until then be sure to check them out, and they have been touring around England regularly so be sure to keep an eye out for shows if you’re in the area!
An Artist we've actually talked about recently is Raue “it’s pronounced, ROO-ay.” One of the most recent, and best, punk acts from California is Paige Kalenian and Jax Huckle. Their latest EP KARMA!! Is a fast 2-track that doesn’t let up, giving you a great taste of the California punk scene. Their first EP Erase & Rewind from 2022 is a slightly different flavor with a slightly more relaxed vibe, standing out is the track “K!Ng”.
There is of course no way we could talk about women in alternative music without touching on the impacts of Paramore, led by Hayley Williams. Rising at a time where alt music was still full of misogyny and run by men (not that it’s all dissipated unfortunately), Hayley Williams combatted that and pushed through the hate making Paramore one of the most well known rock groups in the world to this day. From tracks such as “Misery Business”, which really took Paramore off into the sky, to “Still Into You” and “Hard Times” they really have a wide variety of sound and have proven that women have a place in alternative music and always have, regardless of what some may believe. They did just release their most recent album This Is Why further expanding their sound and proving why they where they are. Hayleyb Williams also had a solo record during the hiatus of Paramore, which is definitely worth a listen if you’re a Heyley Williams fan.
Co-created by Anastasia Kreslina and Nikolay Kostilev, we have the Russian electronica group IC3PEAK. Although considered ‘electronic’ they are far from your typical sounding groups. Mixing in elements of metal, rock, and hip-hop, IC3PEAK creates a very distinct sound you won’t hear in many other places. Some of their standout tracks are “Dead But Pretty” and “TRRST”, both of which accompanied by visually compelling music videos. The duo's music and videos have heavy political messages, to the point that the Russian government has made attempts to repress IC3PEAK’s music in the past and were even arrested at one point. Only being freed due to media pressure, much of which coming from the West. They have had many of their shows canceled and are being supported by many artists around the world against artistic suppression and censorship in Russia. IC3PEAK continues to make an impact in the music industry and in Russian culture and absolutely earn their respect and fans around the world.
If you’ve been a metal fan for some time you’ve probably heard of, if not very aware of, the powerhouse that is Babymetal. The band known for creating the sub-genre ‘kawaii metal’, Babaymetal started in 2010 and has taken the music by storm since then. Whether you love or hate them, they have definitely made their mark in the music industry, and regardless of how you feel about “talent agency bands” you cannot deny the talent and impact of Babymetal. Their biggest track“Gimme chocolate!!” has almost 200 million views on youtube indicating just how quickly they took over the internet upon their record label debut in 2013.
Doors At Seven regulars have definitely heard of our next group Glimmers, the pop-rock group from Atlanta Georgia led by Maggie Schneider. Glimmers really rides the line between rock and pop utilizing Maggie's piano skills and incredible vocal range to stretch what’s possible in the genre. Allowing them to quickly run up the ranks with their constant push of new music and videos, they really envelope themselves in production releasing content on a regular basis. Not only that, they are regularly touring and are probably coming to your area! I’ve been honored to interview Maggie back in 2022 and interviewed them in February of 2023.
Probably one of the most genre diverse and polarizing artists here is Poppy, the Youtube sensation originally known as “That Poppy” turned pop artist, turned metal artist. “That Poppy” was an eerie, weird, avant-garde series of short videos, a background way too obscure and bold to even try to summarize here. Poppy released their debut LP Poppy.Computer in 2017 and Am I A Girl? In 2018, Both of which are an almost satirical over stylized version of pop. Poppy then released the album I Disagree which is when I learned of their career change and fell in love with their odd exchange of metal and electronic pop. Poppy’s newest EP Stagger is a mix of punk, industrial rock, and even pop. This is by far the rawest Poppy has sounded in any of their releases, while being the most diverse in a single project. This release is from October of 2022 so I imagine we’ll hear some more from Poppy sometime this year. There’s no telling what they’ll sound like then.
All of these artists are one a kind acts that you should be listening to. Women are a very important part of alternative music and culture, and will continue to change and influence them forever. Although it is currently women's history month, let us not forget about the impact women have just because March will end. There is still much room for improvement when it comes to respecting and accepting women in alternative music and culture, whether we want to accept it or not. I look forward to more music by all these artists, and many more to come!
