words by liam menzies (@blnkclyr)
Today is March 8th and if you haven’t been on any social media (which you will have, how else did you find this) then you’ll be unaware to the fact that today is International Women’s Day, an event where women of all identities all over the world go to great lengths to empower one another. It’s undoubtedly an important day and I couldn’t let it go by without doing something about to celebrate its significance which is what resulted in this short but hopefully interesting list of some female identifying acts that deserve your attention if they haven’t already got it.
From successful solo acts to women-fronted bands, there are no exceptions to who gets included and if you’re wondering “hey where’s ARTIST X” you may want to check out the last edition of this series which includes Grimes and Courtney Barnett. Without further ado, here’s just a tiny portion of the ripe female talent available…
Kero Kero Bonito
If you’ve gone this far in your life without listening to Kero Kero Bonito then a) where the hell are you finding your source of happiness and b) please give us some. Back on track, KKB are a London act and while Gus and Jamie were the OG duo, their decision to incorporate Sarah Midori Perry into the act was not only a genius move but one that has pretty much defined the peppy pop outfit. The production on every KKB release is stunning but it’s in Sarah’s lyricism and bilingual spoken word delivery where the band’s heaps of positivity is generated – the optimistic attitude she wears on pretty much every track is an absolute joy to behold and in such a grim political climate, she as well as the rest of KKB are the ray of happiness we all need.
Leor Miller
Brought to our attention via GoldFlakePaint’s comprehensive rundown on essential album by transgender artists, Leor Miller is the complete opposite of the description just given to KKB. Raw, emotional, borderline gothic, her work relishes in its lo-fi, bedroom aesthetic that further exemplifies the transparency of her work though, fascinatingly enough, Leor doesn’t pigeonhole herself and has expressed personal woes and experiences in various ways: gender dysphoria memes features some of her poppiest moments especially on tracks like discover myself while xtra strength is the project where Leor feels her most vulnerable in what can only be described as an emo release with moments of pop influence. As one user reviewer put it, “this girl is going places” and boy, they’re not fucking wrong.
Soccer Mommy
Grinding away over the last few years on some solid Bandcamp projects, you better get used to seeing the name Soccer Mommy because, with the release of her debut album Clean, you’re gonna see it a lot and for the right reasons. With the impressive knack of describing complex feeling and scenarios in a simplistic, charming way, Sophie Allison has cemented herself amongst the ranks of other formidable singer-songwriters like Julien Baker. The sonic landscapes Soccer Mommy weaves her sombre stories on are minimalistic but they always spice themselves up, whether it be hometown southern tinges, harking back to lo-fi roots with clipping effects or splicing tracks with raw demos. With her potential fully realised, it’ll be intriguing to see what the future has in store for Soccer Mommy but regardless, you’ll want to be part of the journey.
Ravyn Lenae
At the young age of 19, R&B artist Ravyn Lenae‘s list of accomplishments will make you feel a bit envious: dropping her debut EP in 2015, Lenae has gone on to support some big names in the scene, most notably SZA during her telefone tour, and is now set to blow up in popularity after the release of her Crush EP early last month. Backed up by some gorgeous production from Steve Lacey, Lenae makes it all about her with ease in no small part due to her impressive vocals that are utterly enthrall in nature. If you’re unsure of where to start then you can’t go wrong with Computer Luv, where Lenae‘s harmonies and her blunt approach to internet romance are undeniably admirable. Whether you listen to her or not, get ready to see Lenae‘s name everywhere over the next few years.
TRANSISTOR 