The New Wave

How Canberra became home to a new generation of badass female musicians.

WORDS Molly McLaughlin

PUNK ROCK may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Canberra. Live music in general has often struggled to thrive in the city, with nationwide tours and international artists regularly opting to skip the capital in favour of Sydney and Melbourne. But behind the scenes, women from all parts of the industry have been building a different kind of music community. And the rest of the country is starting to listen.

You may have caught Moaning Lisa’s recent single Carrie on Triple J, or seen them charming the crowd at Groovin’ The Moo in early 2018 with their relatable lyrics and hypnotising melodies. The band, made up of Ellen Chan, Hayley Manwaring, Hayden Fritzlaff and Charlotte Versegi, formed in 2016 after the members met while studying music at ANU. They discovered a mutual love of British alternative rock band Wolf Alice, and rapidly became regulars at venues like The Phoenix and Transit Bar.

As Ellen explains, “It’s such a humbling feeling to see the same faces you know and love smiling back at you from the crowd when you’re playing.

“Everyone knows everyone and is incredibly supportive, especially of new acts. We definitely would not have grown as much as we have if it wasn’t for the Canberra music community.”

Alongside bands like Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, Dalmatia, Slagatha Christie and Lady Denman, Moaning Lisa are part of a wave of female-fronted musicians in Canberra. Jayne Hoschke of genre-defining outfit Lady Denman, got her start as a solo artist at Smith’s Alternative as “a girl with a ukulele”. Jayne agrees that there’s something in the water in Canberra right now.

“I think our small population is definitely part of it, but also whenever you go to a gig it’s kind of just like entering a room of potential friends. Because there’s not such established structures of band managers and booking agents, there’s this beautiful DIY element here.”

Shannen Egan moved to Canberra from the UK a couple of years ago and was immediately drawn to the live music scene. After a suggestion from a friend, she started CBR DIY as a gig guide on Facebook, and it has since grown to include a website and booking services.

“Being successful in the music industry has got a lot to do with networking and initiation which, especially as a female, can be really difficult,” she says.

“But right now, you’ve got all these feminist, queer, female rock bands in Canberra who are all in it together and it is actually bringing a wider range of people into the music industry. Canberra was missing that female voice on the stage and that is changing.”

BUT IT ISN’T ALWAYS EASY being a woman in the music industry. Female musicians are chronically underrepresented on festival lineups and get less radio airplay, with solo-female artists or all-female acts only making up about 28 per cent of the mostplayed songs across the airwaves over the last 10 years, according to Triple J. At Spilt Milk 2018, just 39 per cent of artists on the lineup featured one female member.

The best way to build a diverse and inclusive music scene and industry is from the ground up.

The figure for the Groovin’ the Moo national lineup in 2018 was only 33 per cent.

When it comes to harassment at gigs and online, female musicians are also disproportionately affected.

“We’ve had moments of just feeling really awful and objectified after a gig, and that sucks,” says Jayne of Lady Denman.

“It’s just about having that awareness of boundaries and power dynamics that is often not shown towards women and other oppressed groups.”

After experiencing it as crowd members themselves, Moaning Lisa have also been vocal about the need to change the prevalence of gendered harassment at gigs in Canberra and across the country.

“As performers we’ve witnessed a number of times where a couple of people have just had that bit extra to drink and are being obnoxious and inappropriate. It’s annoying because much of it has been normalised as just a regular part of going out, but it shouldn’t be.

“That’s why it’s important for people who witness any form of verbal or physical harassment to call out these offenders to show them this behaviour won’t be tolerated.”

Education programs like Girls Rock! are also essential to creating a more inclusive music community. Girls Rock! Is an international movement, and the Canberra organisation was founded by Chiara Grassia in 2015.

Over a week-long school holiday program, Girls Rock! Canberra aims to give girls and gender-diverse young people a space to learn an instrument, express themselves and be loud.

The third iteration of the program in Canberra, which took place at Ainslie Arts Centre at the end of July, proved that the formula works. This year, the program was able to offer scholarship placements to even more people, including those from regional areas to continue to increase the reach of Girls Rock!.

“The best way to to build a diverse and inclusive music scene and industry is from the ground up,” explains organiser Yolande Norris.

“There's nothing better than watching the campers take the stage at the end of week showcase and seeing how stoked and proud they are of what they've done, knowing that it has unlocked something in them that will carry them forward.”

And the young women of Canberra still have plenty of ideas to help the music scene continue to grow in both size and diversity.

“You’ve got to check yourself all the time, because there’s already this huge existing inequality, and changing that is exhausting but it’s important,” says Jayne.

“If I could change anything about Canberra it would be to have more all-ages gigs and more options on the radio.”

Shannen cites the recent addition of Yours and Owls, a Wollongong booking agency, to the management of MOLO Live, a bar and live venue at ANU, as a sign that the Canberra live music scene is set for more growth.

The announcement of $108,000 worth of funding from the ACT Government for MusicACT to invest in capacity building programs in artist management, recording, touring, and promoting, as well as more all-ages gigs in the region, will also support the community.

“But the most important thing is just to go to the shows,” Shannen says.

“Find out what’s going on in your local area, buy merch, buy music, interact on social media, do anything that can help the musicians grow and we’ll keep getting to experience this great, positive community.” •