Here’s a conversation I had with a male counterpart not too long ago:
Counterpart: "Do you listen to a lot of female artists?"
Me: "I guess I do…"
Counterpart: "Who are your favorites?"
Me: "…I don’t know! Who are yours?"
Counterpart: "I don’t really listen to that many female artists!"
This conversation was vaguely unsettling for me. Yes, there are the usual picks (from Taylor Swift to Meghan Trainor to the wide array of former-Disney-stars-gone-pop-musicians), but besides the quiet indie singers that fade to the back of my memory, I didn’t have a real place in my music repertoire for any female singer-songwriters. I’d made very few visceral, intellectual or emotional connections with any one of them.
Nightmares of when I was younger surfaced in my head. I was much more likely to think male singers were cooler than female singers. All my role models were male. The patron saint name I picked out for my Catholic Education classes was “Paul.”
I decided this was a problem, and to make up for it, I would make a conscious effort to expose myself to more female artists. Although this is the list of a novice, hopefully it will bolster the efforts of other soon-to-be-novices (instead of entirely benighted), too.
PJ Harvey
I actually got into PJ Harvey’s stuff after I took an interest in Courtney Love’s band, Hole. In an interview, Love says something about Harvey’s influence and the relative “purity” of Harvey’s experience compared to her own. While Love’s band satiates (and you should take a look at that, too), PJ Harvey’s has developed a certain maturity and power over time. Her earlier works are engaging in a visceral way; her later stuff, more political but just as engaging. You can listen to her most recent release here. She also has another album, "The Hope Six Demolition Project," scheduled for release on April 15 of this year.
St. Vincent
I have very little off-hand knowledge about St. Vincent. She sounds great though, and one of her most popular songs is called “Birth in Reverse" - hard to say no to that.
Billie Holiday
The first song I heard by Holiday was “Strange Fruit,” followed soon after by her cover of “Gloomy Sunday.” As I started to listen to more of her tracks, it was easy to unfurl to the sound. Whatever she lacks in range, she makes up for with her expressive, unmistakable voice and content.
Daughter
Admittedly, Daughter’s music is sometimes hard to listen to. It’s one of those bands you put on when you’re preparing to slip into a very dark shade of being. The ground around you wears away a little bit. Her albums, however, are not lacking in atmosphere, and her new album, which is less sad and more angry, seems a move in the right direction.
Ani DiFranco
As a singer/songwriter, Ani DiFranco is pretty well known for her activism. At first I was reluctant to listen to her. I think there’s a tendency to shy away from someone who is that aware of what she wants to do with her art. Honestly though, I really enjoy DiFranco’s songs. A lot of her lyrics are potent and meaningful, particularly for young women.
In conclusion, female singer-songwriters have a lot to say. Take a study break this weekend and listen to one or a few off this list, or discover some of your own to listen to. Your musical mélange will thank you.
