#90 Women of The Music Industry
In honour of International Women’s day, we spoke to a few people that are doing great things for women in the music industry. We asked them 4 questions each to gather insight on their experience.
Babywoman Records is an artist run label and community founded by musician and ‘label boss’, Charlotte Carpenter. If you haven’t watched her inspiring Ted Talk, we recommend that you do! Find it HERE.
What inspired you to begin Babywoman Records?
Babywoman Records came off the back of a frustrating time for me. In my music career, I was doing everything right, everything I was told, everything that other people were doing but it wasn’t working out the way I had planned. I felt isolated, lonely and really tired, almost burned out. So I started thinking about what else I could do, something that hadn’t been done yet and when I questioned myself, about why I was feeling isolated and tired, it always came back to a thought that I’d had for some time which was: is this fun anymore? Quitting was never an option, but I needed something to breathe life into this again. So, I started to think about what I didn’t have and that was a community and so the label was born. I wanted to create a place for likeminded musicians to work together, collaborate and have honest conversation about our experiences in the music industry. There wasn’t enough of that when I was starting out, we were made to feel we just have to keep our head down, crack on and be nice but that’s not the message I want to send to the younger generations of musicians to come. Babywoman Records more than a label now, it's as a community and a support network for anyone working in music. The mission statement for the label is “you’re not alone in this” and I wear that badge everyday in the hope other musicians (including myself) remember that amidst the sleepless nights, release anxiety and chronic imposter syndrome that this industry can put them through, their wellbeing should always comes first and there is ALWAYS something else feeling exactly the same way.
What advice would you give to women starting out record labels / businesses?
Be as creative as possible. Find something that hasn’t been done and do it quickly. Know your bigger picture. You might not see results instantly or for many years but keep the reason why you want to do something at the forefront of it all, and be open to change. To be successful is about finding that sweet spot of being innovative, creative and brave on top of being very business minded. You want every choice, decision, social media post, caption, merchandise idea…everything to have a purpose towards the bigger picture, so don’t lose sight of that.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Before the pandemic, I was really busy and I played Latitude for BBC Introducing which was probably my biggest festival yet. I’ve played across Europe a few times but playing in Barcelona for FemPop will always be a highlight. I played inside of grounds of Mount Montjuic as the sun was setting, and it was such a pinch myself moment. My younger self would never have guessed that I would be able to play overseas! Being invited to talk for Tedx will always be a big moment for me too, because that has been such a big catapult for me and the label.
What’s next for Babywoman Records?
I’m just working on an IWD2021 podcast special where everyday this week I talk to a different woman from the music industry and celebrate their story and journey to where they are today. I launched the podcast - Indie Insider - last year and we are currently on season 2 which has been an amazing experience. Season 2 wraps up soon and then I’m going into a busy year of releasing so much music! Keep an eye out for new music from the label from Alex Lleo, Dom Major and Lauren Hoyle.
Check out their socials:
Women That Rock is a music curation & discovery platform with a mission to spotlight & celebrate the best rising women in music. Women That Rock’s online outlet hosts daily artist, release & content features via Instagram.
How did Women that Rock begin?
Right before I founded Women That Rock, I was working with a recording studio in NYC doing some A&R and Executive Production work, and I started to develop a network of emerging musician friends, many of whom were womxn. Knowing about my background in the business, these artists started coming to me for advice about all kinds of career-related things - how to navigate a single release contract with a small label, how to strategize around an upcoming album release, branding and marketing advice, etc. I saw how hard these independent womxn artists worked and how tough it was to break into the industry, especially as a marginalized group. Women That Rock started off as just an Instagram page to spotlight up-and-coming womxn musicians, driven by my desire to help support these amazing emerging womxn artists trying to get their music and their voices out there.
Since then, Women That Rock has grown into an integrated music curation and discovery company dedicated to amplifying the voices of the best rising womxn in music. Through femme-focused live and virtual music events, Women That Rock connects artists, fans and brands and creates safe spaces for womxn on stage. Women That Rock also supports and spotlights rising womxn artists through dedicated features on its digital promotion platform, building community and promoting gender equality in the music industry. WTR also celebrates diversity, representing womxn artists of all musical genres, locations, ages, nationalities, and skill sets and prioritizes the amplification of BIPOC and LGBTQ+/GNC voices.
With regards to your live shows, have there been any particular highlights?
Absolutely! One major event highlight was WTR’s first showcase at SXSW music festival in Austin, TX in 2019. Through a series of unexpected events, we had a last minute opportunity to put together a showcase at the festival, but had to make it happen in just about three weeks! With a lot of hard work, dedication and long nights, we put together an incredible showcase at legendary ATX venue Hole In The Wall. We featured 12 womxn-led bands across 2 stages for 7+ hours of amazing music. We had over 500 attendees and heard from many that it was their favorite event they went to that year of the festival!
'Women that Rock' seeks to support and celebrate rising female artists. What needs to be done to create a positive space for women in music, and are there any causes we can donate to?
So many things need to be done to create more positive spaces for womxn in music! Firstly, more visibility for the womxn who are doing fantastic things in music – from artistry to production to mixing and mastering to business achievements. So first, creating more opportunities for the womxn doing amazing things to be SEEN, which will in turn normalize the roles of womxn in music and inspire other womxn to feel empowered to take on similar roles. Beyond that, more opportunities need to be created for and given to womxn in all music spaces. There needs to be equal pay and equal treatment in industry spaces (at venues, on tours, at festivals or events, in industry environments) - free of harassment, misogyny and diminishment. As a platform that amplifies the voices of womxn in music and creates these types of opportunities, folks can donate to Women That Rock (donations help us continue our work supporting womxn in music) and can donate via Venmo to @womenthatrock. I also LOVE the nonprofit Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls - many of our events have benefitted them. They’re a great organization that provides training and opportunities for the next generation of womxn musicians! They also accept donations on a rolling basis.
These are challenging times for the music industry, do you have any advice for rising female artists that may be struggling?
It certainly is a challenging time for the music industry at large, and absolutely for emerging female artists. My advice for womxn artists is to try to be as creative and out-of-the-box as possible when it comes to getting music out there and generating revenue. Try different types of interesting marketing campaigns, try giveaways, try looking into sync licensing opportunities and creative, unique merch. And network, network, network. Try to connect with artists that she admires that are a few steps ahead of where she currently is – learn from them and build a relationship. This industry is so much about relationships and those relationships often lead to cool opportunities.
Check out their socials:
Girls Rock London are an award-winning charity based in Hackney, supporting women, trans, and non-binary people to transcend barriers by creating equal opportunities of participation within the industry. Find out more about their courses and apply HERE.
It’s so important to create safe spaces for young women to come together, which is exactly what Girls Rock London do; how to you encourage young girls/women to explore/ leave their comfort zone?
We do this by demystifying the process of making music. This means encouraging and celebrating the 'mistakes' made along the way, embracing imperfection, and focusing on music as a vehicle for self-expression, creativity and fun. We encourage people to make and perform new music in a short space of time; the time pressure of our camps means that you get a lot of these 'firsts' out of the way very quickly, which can be helpful to overcome procrastination and perfectionism. All of our programme facilitators are women, trans and/or non-binary people - so we live the idea that 'you can't be what you can't see', which also helps to create an environment where people feel confident to explore new things. When we run programmes our priority is making people feel comfortable enough to push themselves - so every decision we make in the planning and delivery is always made with this in mind.
Do you feel the industry is changing to make space for women?
There is no doubt that today there is an increased awareness of gender inequality in the industry, with some really exciting initiatives promoting equality, and and big players such as Primavera making significant progress with their 50/50 lineups. But there is still a lot of very basic prejudice around, and we would love to hear more about initiatives to support and promote trans women, women of colour and disabled women specifically.
What would you say to Women and Girls that face being challenged as a result of their gender?
I would say try to find a community of people of all genders who share your values, and who can support you when/if you face discrimination, whether direct or indirect. You are entitled to the space you are occupying, but it can be hard fighting for your place all the time; a community can have your back and prop you up when you need it.
What do you hope to do next with Girls Rock London?
Our dream is to run programming for young and adult women, trans, and/or non-binary people all year round, and before Covid hit, we were on our way to achieving that. We have just launched an online music production programme for adult women, trans, and non-binary people that will run between April and May, and we are excited to get back to in-person programming after that. We hope that with in-person and online offerings, we can reach lots more people in the future and get them making music wherever they live!
Check out their socials:
Muna Ileiwat, alongside being an artist in her own right, has held various roles within the industry; working as a project manager within distribution services, coordinating live video production, and also has experience of running her own label.
As someone who is both an artist and has worked in various areas of the industry, have you ever found it difficult to maintain a balance? What would you say to those who seek to do the same?
Creativity has always played a huge role in how I express myself and working within the industry has given me a more comprehensive understanding of the logistical and strategic aspects of releasing music. I think knowledge is power. Both aspects complement one another in my experience - my creativity allows me to relate to other artists and help sensitively manage their work, whilst working within different aspects of the industry helps inform my creative decisions when tackling my own projects. This work has also driven me to challenge the industry and invest my time into ways I would like to see it change.
As I grow and develop both musically and professionally, this relationship has become somewhat symbiotic. I’ve definitely had existential moments where I question if this is what I want to be doing long term. I try to come back to my foundation, remind myself why I love music and creating in the first place. I think it’s important to just take a break too. We were all forced to do this over the last year which ultimately has been a good thing - taking a step back to slow down and reconnect with yourself and your art.
Can you tell us a little bit about your experience running a label, what inspired its conception, and anything you learned and would like to share?
Born from my experience as a woman of colour in the music industry and the desperate need for representation, I co-founded Galang, a collective and label focused on women and non-binary musicians of colour. Through it we have endeavoured to support communities by providing spaces to access music, alongside the traditional elements of running a label.
I’ve learnt so much through the experience. I’ve learnt what it takes to develop and deliver creative strategies in order to build and support a brand and advocate for its objectives. I’ve developed and worked with a diverse network of artists and musicians. I’ve also learnt how to manage release campaigns for a label. The whole experience has helped further develop the ways I communicate and relate to others.
Ultimately, I’ve learnt what it takes to build something from the ground up. It’s really empowering to see something take shape as it inspires, connects and fosters a community of people. It's really important to have these spaces for people to come together and celebrate their identity.
What needs to be done to amplify women of colour within the music industry?
From a basic stance, it’s not only understanding the importance of representation but also taking action to diversify your teams and the people you surround yourself with. We all know you can’t be something you don’t see. By diversifying your workforce, you’re making way for different voices and experiences. Naturally that feeds into the work you create or represent, and the cycle continues.
I don’t understand why people wouldn’t actively be seeking a more expansive outlook on the work they are involved with in order to connect with larger groups of people, as well as working hard to make sure these voices are rising to the top within the industry. This type of work is not just a trend either. It’s a constant battle to fight for these issues and people of colour shouldn’t be the ones advocating for change anymore.
Do you have any plans for the coming year (perhaps when we return to normality)?
I want to see my family! That is my first plan when things return to normal, travel to see my family who are scattered abroad. I’ve been sitting on quite a bit of music too. I had planned to release new music in 2020 but like many, my life had different plans. I’ve recently just finished recording an EP. I am looking forward to channelling my creative energy again in 2021; releasing new work, connecting with myself and collaborating with others through my creative projects.
Check Muna’s socials: