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Interview with Newcastle songwriter Joanna Leigh who performed at the International Women's Day Hottest 100 event.

What's the purpose of the IWD Hottest 100 for songs by female artisits?

In 2009 radio station JJJ polled the nation on what were the Hottest 100 songs of all time.  The absence of women artists was shocking.  Only 2 female guest vocalists (Elizabeth Fraser  on Teardrop at 22 and Shara Nelson Unfinished Sympathy at 93 both by Massive Attack),  4 bands featured women the White Stripes drummer Meg White (Seven Nation Army, number 20) Pixies bassist Kim Deal (Where Is My Mind, 29), Smashing Pumpkins bassist D’arcy Wretzky (1979, 35; Bullet with Butterfly Wings, 51; Today, 78), and Pulp keyboardist Candida Doyle (Common People, 81).  In the next 200 there were only 6 women artists.

To celebrate International Women Day, Newcastle Resistance group decided to conduct their own poll of the Hottest songs of all time by female artists. I was approached by Katie Cherrington to perform a few songs from the top 100 and invited a few local musicians to join me Amy Vee, Anousha Victoire, and Exekreye.

The diversity of the women artists who were represented in list just shows how many amazing talent women are out there.  From Aretha Franklin to Tracy Chapman, Billie Holliday to Joni Mitchell and so many more.

 I’m not sure why these wonderful women didn’t make the JJJ list, but it’s their loss.

The IWD Hottest 100 Poll and listening party was a great way to celebrate the talents of women while highlighting the need for further change.

Do you think sexism exists in the music industry?

Definitely.  I think it’s so entrenched that many people aren’t aware of how sexist the music industry is.  I was actually surprised myself at the lack of women in the JJJ Hottest 100.  I didn’t think it was that bad.  In the IWD Hottest 100 poll of women artists shows there are plenty of great songs and plenty of talented women musicians.  So why didn’t these songs make the list.  Two reasons I see; the music industry itself is sexist and in 2010 our society as a whole is still sexist.

Women musicians have to work doubly hard to prove themselves as being equal to their male counter parts.  Jokes are made about the “chick singer” and in many parts of the music industry women are still put in the role of being objectified.  While aging male rockers like the Rolling Stones and ACDC, women as young as 25 are being told they are past their prime. (Despite artists like acts Sheryl Crow not beginning her career as a solo artist until she was 32).

Roles like lead guitarist, drummers and sound engineers are still considered to be “men’s roles”, although I have worked with talented women in all these areas.  Some men try to intimate or psych you out or patronize women in the music industry.  A lot of it is deeply entrenched in the subconscious.

There are great women role models in the music industry in each generation (such as PINK and Beth Ditto of Gossip).  This year see’s the return of Lilith Fair, a festival of women’s music which filled stadiums in North America in the late 1990’s, after music executives laughed at the idea of putting 2 women playing back to back, let alone a whole day of them.  The thing is that if a concert has all male bands, it’s just a concert.  If it has all women it’s a a “women’s event”, as though it needs clarification of not being equal.   

With developments in technology and with more artists following in the footsteps of pioneers like Ani Di Franco, more women have more control over their careers.  Previously they would been at the mercy of record companies, who could

Sexism in the music industry may seem novel compared to other women’s issues such as violence and body image, however the absence of women in the JJJ Hottest 100 and other examples of sexism in the music industry are symptoms of a greater problem: that in 2010 we still live in a society that is inherently sexist.

Music has been an important part of not only the women’s movement but also anti war and black civil rights movements.  Not recognizing women’s music is silencing their voices and ignoring their stories of their struggles and their triumphs.

What do you think the importance of International Women's Day is?

International women’s day is an important day to celebrate women’s achievements, to recognise how far we’ve come and to be grateful to the feminists before us who paved the way.  It is also about looking towards a future vision where all women are safe and free to live the life of their choosing.

The first International Women’s Day was celebrated in 1911 after it was called for at the 2^nd International Conference of Working Women the year before.  Initially one of the main issues was to get the vote for women which was first achieved in New Zealand in 1893 but many other countries didn’t get it until much later.  Now many of us take this hard fought for right for granted.  We’ve come a long way, but there is still a way to go until we are all safe, free and equal.

Ways to support women musicians

1.       Go to their live gigs

2.       Pay for music wherever possible.  Buying tracks through itunes or cd stores helps songs make it into the charts.  Also independent musicians usually self fund the recording of their music so giving a few dollars back per track helps and also gets more of the music you like in the charts.

3.       Join their mailing list

4.       Spread the word to your friends, social networks

5.       Ring radio stations and request their songs

6.       Vote for them in popularity polls

7.       Join their street team and help with promo in your area (often in exchange for free stuff like CDs, Tickets and posters)

8.       Book women to play not cos they’re women but because they rock

9.       Encourage women of all ages to play the kind of music they want to play (whether it’s drums, electric guitar or the flute)

10.   If you’ve always wanted to bang the drums or shred a guitar it’s never too late.

Joanna Leigh is a songwriter,  performer and event organizer who has been active in the music industry for over 10 years.  She was the co-founder of HOWLfest: Festival of Women’s Music held in Newcastle in 2003 and 2004.  For the past 4 years she has been organizing OutSkirts a showcase of samesex attracted female songwriters.  She has performed everywhere from Melbourne’s Esplanade Hotel  to Sandringham Hotel in Sydney and the Lass O’Gorwie in Newcastle. For more information and updates see www.myspace.com/joannaleighmusic

Did you know: The first recognised composer of Western Art Music was a woman named Hildegard of Bingen.  She lived in what is now known as Germany in the 11^th Centenary.  Over 70 of her compositions have survived as well as extensive writings on spirituality, visions, medicine and nature.