Numerous trailblazers of the music industry are women, but many go unseen because of the overwhelming amount of traction that their male counterparts receive. This lack of recognition continues to be a concerning issue today. Though there is a lot more room for women in the music industry than there used to be, they still face a plethora of issues. This is not only felt on a broader level but also on a local one, in Boston — a hotspot for DIY and local music. Smaller Bostonian venues like Pasta Planet and the Paradise Rock Club are core parts of promoting bands in the local scene, with a number of these bands being fronted by women.

Issues that female-identifying and feminine-presenting people face in the music start with the binary. Olvia Monarch, guitarist of local experimental band Retrograde88 emphasizes this point, stating, “To move forward, I think that we need to stop being so obsessed with the gender binary.” Stereotypes and reactions arise because of the simple fact that you're a woman making music. Abandoning the idea of femininity as a construct is not the solution, but normalizing it and making it a widely accepted idea is what’s important.

Nectarine Girl, an indie-rock musician based in Boston, explains, “Anything I see that's praising a woman or a fem person for doing anything, I ignore it. Like, whatever. Yeah, okay — what else is new? Women can speak and have minds and they can stand up and play a guitar — what else is new?” Women don’t want to be seen just for the fact that they’re women, but for the music and art they create. Though it’s important to recognize women musicians, in general, for moving forward in a world and industry that doesn’t want to see it happen, let the music be music.

As a result of the binary concept that’s been constructed by society, frontwomen, feminine-presenting musicians constantly face issues involving ‘the standard.’ Tanvi Das, the lead singer of Hallway, expresses her issues with standards created by the music industry and societal pressures to be a certain way: “It's hard to be a woman in music and not be sexualized, which is something I also struggle with now… you have to get used to people, you know, watching and perceiving and judging you.” Being at the front of a band is enough pressure as is, but when it comes with over-sexualization and aggressive stereotypes, it makes performing much more difficult.

*F1ing, image courtesy of* *Hayley Kaufer*

Often, because all that people see when it comes to female musicians is their image, it takes a lot away from the music they’re creating, which is the last thing any musician would want — it creates an extremely frustrating work environment. Monarch references, “When people are like, ‘Oh, you never straighten your hair when you sing anymore,’ and I'm like, but I can now belt higher than I've been able to and we just released some music — why do you care?” It’s this kind of ignorance that needs to stop. The obsession with the aesthetic and appearance of female artists is so important to dismantle. Belle Fortebuono, a member of Emerson band F1ing, emphasizes that she believes to battle the everlasting judgment, we must recognize that “female musicians are put into boxes,” and to push through, we must “[break] through what a female musician is supposed to be, like those standards, and [recognize] they can be as versatile as any band.”

*Nectarine Girl, image courtesy of* *Nicholas Cordeiro*

With the constant remarks over images, frontwomen, front people have learned how to embrace it and turn what could appear as weakness into a strength. Nectarine Girl has carefully crafted her own image for herself, with standout stage makeup and tall platform boots that grace the stage. Her image has become part of her brand, and not by mistake — Nectarine Girl says she feels the enhancement and focus on putting up more of a show leads to, “on average, more interesting performances, and just something that is more stimulating to look at and be a part of.” She expands, “It's not pressure that I feel, it's more so inspiration to kind of be part of a stir to achieve a certain standard of entertainment performance, where, like, I don't just go onstage.”

Though there are a lot of battles that come with being a woman in music, there is also a lot of beauty in it that isn’t discussed as often. Because women have shared experiences, it creates a connection that men will be able to fully understand. Das recalls an experience she had at a show where she recognized this lack of understanding, stating: “I was like, ‘Wow, I'm the only woman. Not only that, I'm the only not-white musician here.’ And [a band member] was like, ‘Wow, I didn't even notice that.’ And I was like, ‘Well, of course you didn't.’” Tove Jegeus, another member of F1ing, expands on Das’ point, saying that making music is based on a lot of the shared experiences women have. She explains that they write music in the way they do “because we want our listeners who can relate to what we’re saying to take what they can from it and relate to it in any way they can […] a lot of the stories that we’re telling are moments from our lives, [which] can be related to by women who are going through these kinds of relationships.” This allows listeners to have a connection with the music they’re listening to, as well as the musicians that make it.

Maddie Russell, Francesca Londono and Monarch are all in Retrograde88 together. They opened up about how being in a band with other women adds a lot to the creation of their music because there is an open, easy mode of communicating with one another. Londono states, “I just feel more comfortable creating and performing when I have other women beside me. I think it's very empowering — and it's just fun.” Russell shares the same feelings, emphasizing, “There's so much love and the communication is so easy. That's the hardest part, I feel. The guy or girl combo is like, ‘Where are your communication skills?’”

“I just feel more comfortable creating and performing when I have other women beside me”

Experiences like these are why it’s so important that more women become, yes, involved, but also seen in the music world. Our society is slowly changing and becoming more accepting of women in music, we just need to see more of it. As Londono puts it, “The more [frontwomen and female musicians we have], the more we impact a younger audience of musicians […] who will feel more comfortable if there's more successful female musicians.” This isn’t just an idea, however. Every artist I interviewed cited inspiration from at least one female-fronted band or artist. Tanvi Das by Miley Cyrus, Nectarine Girl by Cherry Glazerr, Olivia Monarch by Hayley Williams, Maddie Russell by Fleetwood Mac, Belle Fortebuono by Tove Jegeus and Tove Jegeus by Belle Fortebuono. That’s the beauty of it all.

Women in Music: Beauty and the Beast

“I just feel more comfortable creating and performing when I have other women beside me”