In honor of International Women’s Day, I created a music playlist about female pioneers in the indie music industry. In this article, I select three of the female artists that I personally consider to be the most influential, and give them some brief introductions as well as song recommendations. The playlist includes more female indie artists, such as Tori Amos, Fionna Apple, St.Vincent, female vocalists from indie bands (Kim Gordon from Sonic Youth, Beth Gibbons from Portishead, Victoria Legrand from Beach House, etc.), as well as more indie-pop-oriented emerging young artists such as Lana Del Rey, Lorde, Grimes, etc. All of these female artists have contributed greatly to the music industry and have shown the power of women in the art field.
Three of the Most Influencial Female Pioneers of Indie Music
1. Kate Bush (1958 – )
Kate Bush is a singer, songwriter, dancer, choreographer, and producer She is one of the brightest and most distinctive artists from the British indie music industry. She has a three-octave free-jumping voice that gives her songs a unique character. Kate Bush’s music genre combines classical, rock, and folk, while also incorporating a wide range of ethnic characteristics, creating a unique and awe-inspiring musical synthesis. Not only that, she finds inspiration in literature and film to bring a literary and experimental dimension to her music.
Wuthering Heights（1978）made Kate Bush the first female singer-songwriter to top the UK singles charts. She is a female pioneer who represented the self-liberation and self-determination of women in the art industry. As an exemplary role, she eventually inspired a growing trend of female artists. My personal favorite song of Kate Bush is The Sensual World (1989). With a stream-of-consciousness style, the song depicts sex scenes with fascinating lyrics and emotions, blending her musical style and vocals to bring a unique aesthetic.
2. Björk (1965 – )
Björk is a singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, and music producer who comes from Iceland. Beginning to make music at the age of 11, her musical talent and unique voice make her stand out from the industry. Her music is eclectic in style, genres include alternative rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical music and avant-garde music. Björk has experimented with almost every kind of pioneering music in her musical career. As an independent musician, she has a self-contained personality, incorporating her boldness and innovation into her creation.
Not only in music, Björk has also maintained a pioneering aesthetic presence. Her looks are often bold and creative, subverting the rules of beauty. Throughout her career, she has been involved in political activism. Besides advocating the fight against patriarchy and supporting feminism, Björk also contributed much to the cause of liberation, education and the environment.
3. PJ Harvey (1969 – )
PJ Harvey is one of the most personal and influential composers. Her music explores themes of sexuality, love and religion, expressing her views with a realistic yet distorted sound, replete with dark humor. Born as a woman, Harvey doesn’t like to emphasize her gender. Her childhood friends were mostly boys, to the point that she was still fantasizing about being a boy at the age of 14. Despite the tomboy tendencies of her identity, Harvey’s songs draw energy from a resistant attitude toward masculinity. Her music is a savage crossfire of jealousy, envy, anger and resentment against the arrogant posture of the machismo.
Her musical achievements are also not negligible. Q magazine once named her number one on the list of the 100 greatest women in rock history. Like countless other pioneering female artists, she continues the path of her predecessors, using her sensitive musical character to interpret it in her own way. Poignant, sharp and unsettling, her music challenges the audience’s senses. PJ Harvey powerfully leaves a mark on the history of music, makes her voice heard to the world.
Who is your favorite female indie musician? Please leave a comment below to share your thoughts. Don’t forget to stay tuned for new content in the future!
