By Melissa Hellmann
Photo courtesy of Kendra McKinley
San Francisco’s 1960s rock scene helped put the city on the music map and was associated with a decade-long counterculture era that shook the nation. But while musicians sang songs about free love and equality, many familiar paradigms stayed in place. With the exception of a few bands that featured female vocals, like Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead, the industry mostly remained male dominated. Over the past 50 years, much has changed in the Bay Area’s music scene, and now female musicians are just as common as their male counterparts.
In the spirit of #yasqueen, The Bold Italic compiled a list of a few female Bay Area musicians who released EPs and albums this year. And while gender discrimination in the musical sphere isn’t as prevalent as it once was, we still salute these artists for being badass musicians who also happen to be ladies.
Kendra McKinley, a San Francisco-based singer/songwriter/guitarist, recently released a new single called “Fine as Vine.” Her 1960s chamber-pop sound and strong, undulating vocals — which slightly resembles St. Vincent (Annie Clark) — will make you feel like ditching work to skip through a field of sunflowers with your new lover.
Although she’s played throughout the Bay Area, she says that her favorite show was at the Fillmore this January, when she played with the string quartet Amaranth as part of the venue’s first all-female lineup. She might have torn it up on the all-female stage, but she hopes that her audience views her as a talented musician, regardless of her gender. “I’ve met so many interesting and talented people here in the Bay Area and appreciate them simply as creative people,” she said. “I look forward to the day when we just start referring to music makers as musicians.”
Don’t miss this badass chick perform at the Rickshaw Stop on August 22.
Photo courtesy of Sarah Bethe Nelson
Sarah Bethe Nelson is a Bay Area native whose debut album, Fast-Moving Clouds, was released in March 2015 on Burger Records. Her lo-fi sound and smooth guitar melodies are reminiscent of Red House Painters and Courtney Barnett. Her song “Paying” will remind you of an epic road trip down the Pacific Coast Highway to Big Sur.
Like McKinley, Nelson says that she’s always felt a sense of belonging in the local scene because there are many “amazing women kicking ass in music,” so she’s never felt marginalized. “The musical community is really supportive and cool in the Bay Area. It has a small-town feel to it,” she explained.
Catch Nelson’s next show at Brick & Mortar Music Hall on September 18.
Photo Courtesy of Kristina Esfandiari
Kristina Esfandiari’s music features rich vocals and heavy instrumentation. She’s currently the lead singer of the moody and dark band King Woman and retains her solo project, Miserable. However, she’s most well known for previously fronting the shoegaze band Whirr. King Woman released their first EP, Doubt, in early 2015.
Esfandiari says that the Bay Area music scene is “killer” because she’s surrounded by other talented musicians who root for each other. “Celebrate the success of other females,” she advises up-and-coming artists. “It’s important to have a sense of sisterhood; we have to stick together no matter what.”
Photo courtesy of Lila Rose
Oakland-based Lila Rose’s dreamy, dark, and mysterious sound is like a combination of Björk and Joanna Newsom, yet her soulful and distinctive voice sets her apart from most electro-pop musicians. On her Bandcamp page, Rose describes her music as “cinematic indie rock.”
Rose says that although the music industry is saturated with males, she is still surrounded by many talented women who inspire her to break down barriers. “I adore being a female musician in the bay. I feel supported and empowered to be myself fully, which enables me to empower and support other females to do the same thing.”
Rose’s performances are just as magical as her sound. Her most memorable show was at the Independent in May, when she performed using a multimedia contraption replete with a cage that she sung in and a projection of 3-D images and videos She’ll be playing songs from her new album, We.Animals, on September 29 at Leo’s in Oakland and on October 16 at the Chapel.
Photo courtesy of Emily Whitehurst
Emily Whitehurst, who got her start in the punk rock band Tsunami Bomb, released a new album called “Way to Go” with her indie pop rock band Survival Guide. Her strong and sassy vocals merge with staccato guitar riffs into pure euphony.
Coming from a punk rock background, Whitehurst was often the only woman to take the stage during a show. But for the most part, she says that the local scene is friendly to people of all genders. “In Bay Area indie rock, we’ve got Doe Eye, Tune-Yards, K.Flay, Cathedrals, Heartwatch, the Y Axes, Beautiful Machines, Happy Fangs, the Family Crest, and so many more bands with female musicians,” she explained. “I also haven’t encountered a lot of competition, which is awesome, because there is enough success for everyone, and helping each other only makes our scene better.”
Be sure to bring your dancing shoes to this badass lady’s next performances on October 2 at 924 Gilman and October 21 at Leo’s!
Hero Image Courtesy of Allan Wan
