In the past century, women have redefined the musical space and opened countless doors for aspiring artists. We’ve all heard of Stevie Nicks’ incredible songwriting that changed rock music forever and Aretha Franklin’s timeless blend of soul and pop that coined her the "Queen of Soul", but what about the lesser-known women that are changing music today?
Women’s History Month honors the historical successes and sacrifices of women. And while it’s important to look at historical contributions of women, it’s also important to look at current figures who are actively transforming music. So, this is my list of eight rising female artists to listen to during Women’s History Month.
1. Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers
As an Australian alt-rock band, this quartet has broken into the international underground rock scene. The band takes pride in redefining such a male-dominated genre, reflected heavily in their first EP, Pretty Good For a Girl Band. Taking inspiration from '90s rock bands like Nirvana and the typical 2010s electro-pop sound, they create this perfect balance that shines in their earlier records. Over time, their sound has evolved, leaning more into the '90s rock era with strong American rock influences, especially in their sophomore album, Glory.
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2. Snail Mail
With her third album, Ricochet, set to release later this month, Snail Mail will continue to develop her dreamy, shoegaze vibe. While each track’s genre may fluctuate, Snail Mail still delivers a consistent sound that sets her apart. Her unique vocals are often accompanied by flowy or aggressive string instrumentals that uplift her voice rather than bury it in the texture. Her music feels like a new take on the paths laid by bands like Pavement or Alvvays.
My favorites:
3. Julia Jacklin
All of Julia Jacklin’s discography feels timeless and deeply personal. Jacklin uses her music as a platform to explore religion, loss and love with very direct lyricism. Instrumentally, her music has the same sort of vibe as Haley Blais or Indigo De Souza. Starting off leaning into bedroom pop, her sound has slowly taken a more indie folk or indie rock direction, especially in her latest album, Pre Pleasure.
My favorites:
4. Haley Blais
Being coined, "Canada's nostalgic pop queen” with her first album, Below the Salt, Haley Blais’ music directly correlates with significant moments in her life. From themes of nostalgia to morality and superego, Blais creates these hard-hitting messages wrapped in a sort of indie-pop-rock sound. Her earlier tracks feel very reminiscent, exploring moving through early stages of life but still feeling stuck to your younger self. This era feels very similar to Sling by Clairo or Inside Every Fig is a Dead Wasp by LunarVacation. More recent parts of her discography, like her album Wisecrack (Deluxe), feel very Boygenius-esque as she delves into reflection, relationships and identity.
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5. Ley Soul
After going viral on Tiktok in 2023 with her debut single, Intergalactic Janet, Ley Soul has fallen out of the public eye but still continues to release unique, genre-bending tracks. Her earlier works feel other-worldly with her combination of soulful vocals and electronic R&B instrumentals. Her newer tracks, first released on her EP, Panda, lean away from the electronic elements and dive heavily into a classic soul/jazz sound, similar to Erykah Badu.
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6. Bess Atwell
Bess Atwell brings so much emotion into her entire discography. Similarly to Florence + The Machine, Atwell creates these incredibly composed, slow-building tracks that give life to her poetic songwriting. Each of her four albums are intentional, each song similar to a chapter of a novel. And when these tracks are rearranged, they can tell a completely different story as shown in her albums Already, Always and Already, Rearranged.
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7. Rocco!
While touring as a drummer with a variety of artists like Shallow Alcove, Frances Forever and Mikayla Geier, Rocco! leans heavily into the indie folk genre for her personal discography. Taking inspiration from artists like Big Thief, James Taylor and Pinegrove, Rocco! uses her EP, Big Man, as an opportunity to combine the folk and country aspects of these artists through the lens of indie music. Similarly to Julien Baker, Rocco!’s take on these traditional sounds give new life to the genre, creating a fresh take on what defines country music.
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8. Michele Leigh
With only a few singles and EPs, Michele Leigh maintains this bright yet nostalgic late 2010’s indie sound. As most of her discography was released during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, Leigh’s music contains lots of influence from other rising indie artists of the time like Clairo, Frances Forever and beabadoobee. Leigh is able to blend the upbeat guitar/ukulele sound of the time with her own unique lyricism that directly contradicts the blindly optimistic tone the genre usually takes. This creates a sort of angst that balances out the optimism in a really refreshing way.
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