Rolling Stone Australia

Gallery: Females In Focus by Michelle Pitiris

TIA GOSTELOW

I envision a future music industry where gender is irrelevant and ceases to be a barrier, and where artistry is at the forefront. Being booked for festivals, played on radio stations or being added to playlists should be based on the quality of the art, not how many followers we have or what we look like, fitting into a mould. I’ve always been adamant that if I'm offered an opportunity, I want it to be because I have made good music, not because I’m a woman or a First Nations artist to meet the diversity quota. I hope that opportunities are abundant, recognition is deserved and creativity knows no bounds. As for the legacy I hope to leave for the next generation of female artists, I aim to be a catalyst for supporting and encouraging emerging artists, especially from regional areas. I think remaining authentic to who you are and what you want to do is something I’ve held close to me throughout my career. I always tell people to follow their gut and trust what feels right to you, because it’s there to protect and guide you. I aspire to let people know that no matter their gender, age or where they come from, it’s entirely possible to make a career for yourself in the music industry.

Michelle Pitiris (@sheisaphrodite)

GEORGIA NOTT

More than anything I hope the industry can become a safe place for women and all marginalised people to exist in and create. Music should reflect the diversity of people as a whole. For that to be the case, the industry needs to be a place that fosters and nurtures vulnerability rather than exploits it.

Michelle Pitiris (@sheisaphrodite)

TORI FORSYTH

My vision is that we continue on the excellent path and trajectory that the women before us have paved so we can be here, speaking our truths in the spotlight. I'd like to continue the walk and hopefully hold the torch with grace, doing justice to my own position in the story and passing it on to the next generation. Living in a world where women know their rightful place on the podium. When people think of me and my legacy, I hope that they will see someone who always lived authentically, at whatever the cost, and inspired others to do the same.

Michelle Pitiris (@sheisaphrodite)

GEORGE ALICE

I hope in years to come the presence of women in such a diverse and exciting industry is higher than before. Most importantly, I want to see women welcomed in all spaces, including behind the scenes. I’d like to hear our voices without fear of being too loud, too bossy, too outspoken, too difficult. It is such an exciting time to be a woman in music so I hope this excitement and the space created by those before us and the women around me will only expand. It is one of the greatest honours and privileges of my life being a woman in music and I can only hope the path I pave is worthy of the incredible women next to come.

Michelle Pitiris (@sheisaphrodite)

CHARLIE COLLINS

My vision is that there will be more women headlining festivals, particularly women of colour, and we will continue to have a voice that doesn’t get overthrown. The legacy I hope to leave behind is that it’s okay to be completely raw and real. Life can look so glamorous on the outside, especially on social media, but sometimes it’s even more rock ’n’ roll to also reveal what goes on behind the curtains. Use your platform to inspire others on a deeper level and encourage other women to reach and stand up for what they believe in.

Michelle Pitiris (@sheisaphrodite)

BLUSHER

Our vision is that women can be both soft and strong in the music industry, not needing to put a brave face on or change themselves to fit into a box, but instead existing in an industry that welcomes and empowers them for who they are and what they’re great at. The next generation of female artists and producers will have more people to look up to and a clearer path ahead of them because of the women paving the way today. Our dream is to be the band we would have wanted to see when we were younger. We hope we can inspire women to start bands with their friends, to take creative control over their work and their vision and feel empowered to get their hands into every aspect of the music industry.

Michelle Pitiris (@sheisaphrodite)

ALICE SKYE

I want women to feel able to just be themselves — whatever that is — and not only be accepted but, receive their flowers! I don’t often think about being a woman until I’m made to. Maybe because I'm avoiding thinking about the extra barriers and the damage to my confidence over the years that mightn’t have happened if I wasn’t a short, quiet, eager to please “young woman”. I want less fear, less judgement, less forced competition, less singling out, less expectations. To make room for more nurturing, natural growth, more accessibility, more storytelling, more listening. I yearn for a cultural shift that goes beyond tokenism and performance. If I’m to leave a legacy, I hope it contributes to the communities that have cared for me — for First Nations, queer, sick, disabled, insane or mentally ill women to be seen in the sun of all their strength, beauty and knowledge. Recent events, I think or I hope, emphasise how important it is to recognise and address different struggles — for a society and music culture where community, stories and safety can thrive.

Michelle Pitiris (@sheisaphrodite)

TKAY MAIDZA

I just really hope there is a space where all the different types of women of different genres and backgrounds can exist in any way that they want without feeling like outcasts. The legacy I want to leave is one of an African Australian who had all odds against them and was a part of the first generation to break out of the solid boundaries of genres. I think it’s also important to show that the African diaspora can successfully move to a new country and fulfil their dreams from absolutely nothing.

Michelle Pitiris (@sheisaphrodite)

Amy Taylor (Amyl and The Sniffers)

For women to make as much shit music as men do.

Michelle Pitiris (@sheisaphrodite)

Moreton

All songs win. Your expression is precious. You are a dancing skeleton on a planet covered in flowers hurtling through an infinity of stars on a pale blue dot. Play, stick your neck out, make the thing. It’s always beautiful. Imagine taking the pressure off. No more debut culture, no obsession with youth, perfection, comparison, metrics. Imagine fostering patience, risk-taking and experimentation. Nuanced, long-standing careers. Imagine the people we’d hear from if that’s how it was. I want to hear those albums, those voices.

Michelle Pitiris (@sheisaphrodite)

MIA WRAY

I'd love to see more women in the ‘behind the scenes’ world of putting a live show together. From a touring point of view, there is so much demand, both emotionally and physically, and women have a natural understanding of the ebb and flow. I'd feel so much more supported as a performer, and might even do a better job on stage, if there were more women around because I would feel understood. It's that female energy that I can lean on that I can't really do with an all-male crew and I end up craving it a lot. So if you're reading this and you're thinking about a non-performing or performing role in the music industry, I encourage you to go for it. Even if you can't see someone like you doing it, just find a good mentor and work hard to get where you want to go. The legacy I hope to leave is to inspire others to 'be real', like cut the bullshit and be bold, look silly, be modest or not, speak up at the risk of being 'too emotional' or 'bossy’.

Michelle Pitiris (@sheisaphrodite)

JOY.

I ultimately wish for women to succeed in a safe environment. To be recognised and appreciated for their genuine talent, work ethic, skills and contributions. I hope women can feel confident in themselves, and not succumb to any pressure to change who they are. I also want equal pay and opportunities. My wish is that the industry will arrive at a place in which women can trust their intuition, to go after what they want, push the boundaries and not be fearful to achieve their goals. I’ve not thought much of a legacy; sometimes it feels I am stabbing in the dark. I’m grateful to those women who have walked so I could run. In all honesty, I hope my contribution to the music industry and to the next generation of female artists is much the same, in that one day I can look back and see that I have ignited a path or a dream for someone else as well. I’d like to lead by the example of staying persistent whilst navigating a difficult industry, without much guidance along the way. I hope to leave a legacy of determination, because in the end nothing in life really comes easily, and most of my life is still ahead of me.

Michelle Pitiris (@sheisaphrodite)

To celebrate Women’s History Month, Amy Taylor of Amyl and The Sniffers, Tkay Maidza, Tori Forsyth and nine other local artists were photographed for Rolling Stone AU/NZ.

They brought their daring, strong, vulnerable and unflappable composure to the following pages for a photo essay which celebrates women leading the way in Australian music.

In their own words, they each detail their vision for the future of women in the music industry, and what legacy they hope to leave for the next generation of female artists.

Photography and styling were conducted by the award-winning Michelle Pitiris.