The first strum of their infamous guitar riff, and all cameras were up on Die Spitz on stage. On November 2 of last year, the all-female rock group headlined yet another show in their hometown of Austin, Texas. Dripping in fake blood and covered in face paint, the four girls met a crowd who knew every single word to each of their songs and a mosh pit that was swinging in full force.
Formed only two years ago, Die Spitz has grown exponentially from Austin’s local music scene to music hubspots all over the U.S. Their fame did not arrive without its uncomfortable comments and moments, though—whether it has been flat-out statements about their bodies racking up hundreds of likes on YouTube or AI porn being made and posted publicly of the early 20-year-olds.
“People just cannot wrap their head around the fact that women rock musicians can exist and perform in this male-dominated space,” Chloe de St. Aubin, the drummer of Die Spitz, said.
This sort of sexism in the music industry is nothing new. However, how it has evolved and presented itself over time has changed both for the better and for the worse. Musicians like St. Aubin and her bandmates may experience it on a much grander scheme, but female bookers, managers and music technicians get their own taste on the backend. As a response to the inequalities in this space, a few organizations for women’s rights in music have been founded. They stress that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. To break down the patriarchal music ecosystem, a blend of various attacks is required.
St. Aubin shared how one of the biggest hurdles her and her bandmates face is always being grouped into identity circles—getting constantly identified as an all-girl band or riot grrrl group rather than just being seen as plain old rock musicians. The drummer pointed out how this is an issue that is much more present in rock rather than other music genres like pop or R&B. This is because of rock’s aggressive, loud, fast and therefore more masculine nature. Trying to break past these stereotypes, Die Spitz is dealt an insurmountable amount of hate and threats.
The band has received social media comments like, “Don’t mind the boobs bouncing,” cryptic Instagram hate accounts interacting with all of their friends and flyers outside their shows with defaced pictures of the girls. Sometimes, even remarks from male sound technicians were so inarguably objectifying and inappropriate that they would be openly fired on the spot during the band’s sound checks.
Unfortunately, these sorts of accounts are all too common amongst many female musicians no matter how big or small they are, no matter how they present themselves—in a more feminine or masculine light.
Mary Dougherty, a freelance booker and radio station manager based in Austin, Texas, went on to cement the point that women are constantly belittled and not taken seriously in the music industry. Dougherty shared how she had many managers and coworkers who underestimated her knowledge of how to book shows or run promotional campaigns. She told a specific story of how one of her bosses kept her under closer scrutiny than her male colleagues—checking up on her nonstop when deadlines were close or making her double and triple check her work. Dougherty brought up another time when she even sat down with one of her male coworkers to compare résumé to résumé, only to see that she was the one with more experience, yet also the one to be micromanaged. As a result, Dougherty said that she had to learn how to balance backing up her experience, withhout coming off as too strong or arrogant.
“With every professional music environment I enter, I have to first test the waters with what I can say and bring up.”
What’s unfortunate is that people who are vocal about their boundaries and opinions are also the ones to face more backlash. It then becomes intimidating for many women to stand up for themselves or know how to do so in the first place.
That is why organizations like Future Front Texas are founded—to create communities of women and LGBTQ+ creatives that support, uplift and empower each other. Xochi Solis, board president of FFT, which is headquartered in Austin, Texas, shared how her group is there to smooth the transition of women entering the music space and breaking through the status quo’s oppressive structures.
“Though we cannot fully erase sexism, we want to better equip people to know their value and have the resources, knowledge and support to navigate the music industry,” Solis said.
FFT runs various events throughout the year for musicians, whether it is the Front Festival put on during Labor Day weekend, smaller shows throughout the year, technical workshops or club gatherings. The non-profit aims to offer a layered approach that helps female musicians through every angle. Last year, the Front Festival alone exhibited 65 artists, welcomed over 1,300 visitors and raised over $12,000 for their musicians.
Solis explained how FFT’s first step towards bringing change is educating their members. The board president went on to point out how older white men in the industry currently hold a wealth of information about music technology, industry networks and other tricks of the trade. Once they leave, there needs to be someone to pass the torch to—why not be women? This is exactly where FFT hopes to act as a conduit of information, teaching women how to plug into resources, find opportunities, negotiate for themselves and even create their own music.
The organization is currently working on putting out guides that would help form similar communities across the nation for musicians like Andrews and music industry business women like Dougherty.
Dougherty added that professionalizing the music industry would also help in curbing sexist comments. At larger and more established companies, the promoter usually did not experience as much bias or negative comments from her coworkers. However, Dougherty also vocalized that creating more diverse spaces and relationships must be done in an organic way, rather than trying to meet gender quotas or appease the human resources departments.
Another powerful tactic St. Aubin brought up is for women to decentralize sex in themselves. Though women can and should use their bodies as they see fit, St. Aubin made clear, those who are breaking the typical standard of looking sexy and very feminine are the ones who are dismantling the sexist and demeaning structures in place. To break the mindset that many hold, this reimaging needs to be done in large numbers. The immediate, first thought people have when they see female musicians should not be about their bodies, but rather about their work and who the artists are beyond their gender.
It is through a mixed strategy of educating women, inspiring them to use their voice and breaking belittling stereotypes that women in the music can finally be taken seriously and handed the same opportunities as their male counterparts.
At the end of the day though, it’s also important to remember why this fight is being fought in the first place.
“Stay devoted to your instrument, your sound and your skills,” is a message St. Aubin hopes to share to aspiring musicians. “Remain poised in the face of mean people who will make you cry. See the end through. See your goals through.”
Find Die Spitz here:
Find Future Front Texas Here:
Find Mary Dougherty here:
Find DJ Mint Chip here: