Manchester’s finest, Loose Articles are on a mission- to empower and inspire young women and non-binary people to get into the music scene. But whilst inspiring people is one thing, there has to be the opportunities and inclusive environments to welcome them into- and the band are doing their bit to create those opportunities as well!
No stranger to using their platform to tackle issues around sexism and discrimination, Loose Articles have taken the next step by offering opportunities to get a foot in the door and some experience of live music with their new endeavour- the Kick Like A Girl Extra Time project.
Named after the 2022 track from their ‘Chaos‘ EP, the band are supporting young female/non- binary people into live music across a range of areas, from performance to sound and technical roles. These opportunities will run alongside their Northern tour dates in the new year where participants will get to shadow the band and their crew during the whole gig process- set up, sound check and performance. And if any participants are in a band themselves, there’s opportunities for a support slot and all will be able to pick the brains of the band and crew to really make the most of the chance.
Punk Rock Philosophy spoke with the band to find out more about what prompted them to create this amazing opportunity and the impact they hope it will have:
Natalie: “It was from our own experiences being in a band and also working in the music industry that made us think about doing this. When we first thought of the idea for this project in 2022, there was a BBC article that came out which had looked at festival line-ups and found that out of 200 headline acts looked at: only 26 (13%) were an all-female band or solo artist; 149 (74.5%) were either an all-male band or solo artist; 24 (12%) had a mixed line-up of male and female performers; one (0.5%) artist identified as non-binary.
This really was an eye opener to how women and non-binary people aren’t getting the chances men do when it comes to playing live. Additionally, there’s a lack of female and non-binary people in the industry when it comes to behind the scenes such as sound techs, lighting techs, managers, touring crew members. So, as a band we wanted to try make a small difference to the music industry by encouraging young women and non-binary people to get involved. Then hopefully by doing projects like this we can help spread awareness of what is happening to influence music industry employers, who are booking bands or hiring crew, to really think about gender equality… as we know women and non-binary people are just as good as the men!”
And wherever you get your figures from, the issue of representation is real (even in a scene like punk that considers itself to be inclusive by its very nature). The ‘F List for Music‘ was launched in 2020 by Vic Bains and is the first directory of its kind to collate up to date information on UK-based women and gender non conforming musicians and songwriters across all genres. The F List gave a submission to the Misogyny in Music enquiry and their accompanying statement makes for grim reading on the issues and barriers that occur for marginalised demographics in all aspects of music writing, recording, performance and production.
Analysis has shown 86% of signed songwriters and publishers; and just over 80% of signed artists on record labels in the UK are male. And this doesn’t just affect who gets the headline slots at festivals and large gigs, it also leads to significant inequality in the popular UK music charts and on radio airplay. On average, music creators signed by record labels earn more than those who are not signed; and male music creators earn £7,000 a year more than women in the sector. This is despite 44% of 25,690 music related degree students in the UK in 2019 being female.*
Helen Reddington’s 2021 book ‘She’s At The Controls‘ explores the barriers and discrimination faced by women in the less visible world of music production and the different power dynamics at play in specific scenarios and environments such as the male culture of the studio and access to education and professional mentors. Helen emphasised the impact that the skewed ratio has on women in having ownership and direction over the process of recording their music:
“The ‘only men know how to use music technology’ myth is often invisible to men; it seems to be natural. Men have written themselves into the roles of music producers and engineers, simultaneously writing women out of those roles. This means that not only can they manipulate the aesthetics and gender politics of music we make, but they can also insert themselves into the authorship (and hence, monetization) of our songs and compositions. Access to studios and training (with crucially, plenty of time for women and non-binary people to experiment to create their own practice, and their own sonic signatures), is the best way to empower us in the future.“
And with many challenges facing the music industry- and in particular live music-initiatives that bring more people into the fold can bring a welcome injection of excitement, innovation and positive momentum. A live music scene that has space to support people from all backgrounds will be one that’s resilient, evolving and thriving. The band are hopeful that this will be the start of a shift on a individual level for those taking part, as well as the scene as a whole:
Abbi: “I’m hoping to see more women and non-binary people being inspired to get involved and become part of the industry. Not just as performers and creatives but also in the many other roles needed in order to make the shows happen and music be heard and discovered.
At the moment occasionally we’ll arrive at a venue and there’ll be a woman working, for example as the front of house engineer, and we’ll be overly excited and enthusiastic to see them there. In the future I’d love to go beyond this and arrive at a venue and see more women working and being excited about it because it’s become the norm rather than being a novelty.”
And if Loose Articles can show people that it can- and in fact SHOULD- be done, then hopefully more will follow suit:
Erin: “Encouraging and supporting female and non-binary people into the music industry is everyone’s responsibility. The playing field needs levelling for people who are underrepresented and everyone can play a part in making it happen, whether that be venues, bands, promotors or fans.”
For anyone who may not get to take part in this but they are sat at home wishing they could be in a band or get started in aspects of live music- the band have some words of wisdom and encouragement on getting started:
Erin: “To anyone thinking about starting a band or getting involved in any aspect of live music I would advise that it is a good idea to surround yourself with a supportive crew. Go to gigs, meet like-minded people who share similar ideas, go for it and see what happens. Don’t listen to people who tell you can’t do it, cause you can.”
As the saying goes- ‘if you don’t know where to start, just start’!
The Kick Like A Girl Extra Time project is being partly funded by the Arts Council England and will be used to subsidise the overheads for the independent venues used which means ticket prices for gig-goers can be kept low and accessible.
Participants in the scheme will continue to be part of the band’s music industry journey with early invites to tours, the opportunity to join a gig buddy scheme, attendance at special events, and they’ll signpost you to music industry opportunities that are happening locally.
In support of the project, Loose Articles will be expanding LAFC via Discord—an inclusive fan club with exclusive merch, big days out, and a way for an expanding network of fans to get involved with the band.
The tour dates that are available to take part in are:
KICK LIKE A GIRL EXTRA TIME! Tour Dates:
26/01/25 – Salty Dog – Northwich
01/02/25 – The Ferret – Preston
02/02/25 – The New Adelphi – Hull (Femme/Queer All Dayer)
07/02/25 – Sunbird Records – Darwen
08/02/25 – The Snug – Atherton
13/02/25 – The Empire – Rochdale
14/02/25 – Bootleg Social – Blackpool
21/02/25 – FutureYard – Birkenhead
22/02/25 – The Vale – Mossley
28/02/25 – Barrow Underground – Barrow
08/03/25 – More Music – Morecambe
If you want to read more info and find out the Ts and Cs and how to apply, then go to this LINK and register your interest.
You can also listen to Loose Articles’ explosive debut album ‘Scream If You Wanna Go Faster’ HERE.
*Check out resources such as ‘Counting the Music Industry‘ full report for a breakdown of stats
**Feature pic by Andrew Benge
