A Chat with Get In Her Ears (10.07.19)
The Spice Girls had a point when they started screaming “Girl Power” in the ’90s, and about 20 years later it’s more important than ever. Mari Lane, Tash Walker and Kate Crudgington founded female empowerment blog/radio Get In Her Ears, and in this interview, we learn more about inspiration, challenges and how they describe themselves. We’re not attacking males in music, but GIRL POWER damn it!
OSR: Hello ladies, I hope you are well. I don’t want to take up too much of your time, so I’ll keep this short. Firstly, what inspired the creation (for want of a better word) of Get In Her Ears?
TW: We originally started out as a monthly radio show on Hoxton Rado, and now we have three distinctive arms: the radio show (which is now weekly), our music website and our gig nights. I guess we were inspired by what needed and still needs to change – the promotion and support of women and non-binary people in music. Now, we have nothing against the men in music, but we’re all about variety and know that there are so many more people who are out there contributing to music.
OSR: Strong females have been featured in the music industry for decades, but what do you believe was the catalyst that prompted this surge in media for female-fronted artists?
TW: I think it’s difficult to talk about one catalyst when a movement comes out of many people working together in parallel, often over years and years. Music has always been such a strong driving force behind change. Take the underground feminist Riot Grrrl movement which started in the ’90s as an example. It had a huge impact on the music scene and it’s amazing to see all the groups popping up now in the music industry focused on putting women first. The catalyst I suppose for it receiving bigger publicity is the grassroots organisations getting bigger. The more support we have the louder we become and the harder it is for the industry to ignore us.
ML: I definitely think attitudes have improved a lot over the last few years, but there’s still so far to go. Sexism still sadly prevails throughout the industry; whether it’s simply men ‘mansplaining’ to their female peers and treating women in music as a sort of novelty or more disturbing instances of abuse and harassment. However, things do seem to be improving gradually. There seems to be increased recognition of women in the industry and a more inclusive attitude surrounding LGBTQ+ and non-binary artists.
OSR: Do you find it challenging to run both the music blog and radio network?
TW: Mari focuses on the blog with Kate and I doing features now and then. Kate and I focus on the radio with Mari coming onto the show when she can. Outside of GIHE, I run an LGBT+ charity which takes up a lot of my time, especially in the last year.
ML: It does take up a lot of time, keeping the website going with regular daily content, and preparing and hosting the radio show every week. We are all so passionate about Get In Her Ears though that we love keeping it going, and it’s really positive that we’re so busy receiving so many emails every day from amazing new bands and artists! It can be difficult to keep on top of it all, and I feel awful that I don’t have time to reply to every single email I receive. Apologies to anyone that I haven’t replied to!
OSR: You also run a female-fronted music event each month at The Finsbury Pub in London. How important do you think these live performances are?
TW: VERY. Unless we lead by example, how can we expect change to filter out to the rest of the industry?
ML: We started running the gig nights on the second Friday of every month in October 2016, so approaching our three-year anniversary! Organising and promoting these nights is probably my favourite thing to do. It’s so wonderful to be able to host so many fantastic bands filled with awesome women. I think it’s incredibly important to provide a platform for female and non-binary artists to be able to perform in an environment where they feel safe and valued, as well as getting a fair deal from the venue.
OSR: I know you operate as a unit, but what’s the collaboration process like when planning new features?
ML: When planning new features, every decision we make tends to be completely collaborative. We always run all decisions by each other and seek advice drawing on each of our skill sets. Get In Her Ears is incredibly important to all of us, so we ensure each of us is always completely happy with the direction that it’s going.
OSR: Do you see GIHE primarily as a music reviews blog or as something much more?
TW: For me, GIHE is so much more. Starting as a radio show, playing music for others to listen to has been at the core of it for me.
ML: Although the music blog is the most regular output of content for us at Get In Her Ears, I do think of it more as a collective. Without the radio show or gig nights, it wouldn’t be what it is today.
OSR: What do you want people to take from Get In Her Ears?
TW: Inspiration and fucking good music! At Get In Her Ears, we are dedicated to promoting new music from all genders and genres, with a focus on supporting women and non-binary people in the industry.
ML: Just plenty of positive vibes. We’re all in this together and need to unite to go forwards. We’re about spreading love, not negativity, so that’s why you’ll only see/hear us talking about the music we genuinely feel passionately about. Basically, don’t let the bullshit from this male-dominated, and often sexist, industry stop you doing what you’re passionate about.
OSR: If you did not enter the music industry, where do you think you would be career-wise?
ML: Well, Get In Her Ears is still a complete labour of love, so we all have other jobs that pay the bills! For instance, I’m a qualified teacher and now work at the University Of The Creative Arts supporting students with learning difficulties and mental health issues.
OSR: What is the most frustrating aspect of running GIHE?
TW: That we don’t get paid! We have to do it all in our spare time – passion-driven project!
OSR: What’s the most exciting part of running GIHE?
TW: Seeing the platform grow and getting to listen to so much amazing music that people send us. At GIHE we’re about championing the voices of the voiceless, being allies to under-represented groups, and using our words and our ears to engage with and listen to the struggles of girls and women from all walks of life.
OSR: What do you think you have learned from running the music blog and its associated features?
ML: If you want to do something, just do it! I’ve always loved music and writing, and have been passionate about feminism and gender equality my whole adult life. I never thought it was realistic to think that I’d be able to run an organisation with two amazing friends dedicated to just that.
OSR: If you could describe yourself (and this is you as an individual, not the blog) using three words, what would they be?
TW: Queer, outspoken and dedicated.
ML: Feminist, music-lover, introvert.
