FEATURE:
Darkest Days
PHOTO CREDIT: MART PRODUCTION
Sexual Violence and Abuse Against Women in Music, and Bringing Men Into the Conversation
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I have written about this…
IN THIS PHOTO: Something Something
quite recently but, to be honest, it is something that needs to be discussed more. I was going to use this feature to talk about feminism in music and whether enough men identify as such. They might support women and their music, but how active and proactive are they in that regard?! Beyond simply nodding to their music. Taking efforts – if they are an artist – to use their platform and speak about inequalities and why the industry needs to do better. Those who are journalists; do they write about subjects such as equal rights and sexual assault perpetrated against women?! I don’t think there are too many men who, beyond identifying as feminists, actually consistently write about subjects relating to women in the industry. That might be for another feature. The reason why I am compelled to return to the subject of sexual assault and violence against women in music, is because an amazing new collaboration between Georgie Riot, Something Something and Ruth Royall. It has a vital and powerful message that, as I will end with, should activate men in the industry and lead to new campaigns. Before getting to an interview where these amazing women discussed their collaboration, in an interview with UFK, the brilliant Georgie Riot spoke about how the track came together – in addition to her experience in the Drum and Bass scene, how her sound has evolved, and what the scene is like over in New Zealand and Australia:
“Let’s talk about the latest track ‘Dark Days’. An all-female team was behind this. Give us an insight into how it came about.
It started about a year ago. I was trying to make a tune and I asked Ruth Royall if she wanted to sing on it. She wrote the lyrics and recorded the vocals, she sent me the demo and it was great. She came up with the concept and fitted it to the track I’d already made. The song kind of progressed from there, I kept going back to it then leaving it for a bit. I was at the point where I’d made something but couldn’t fully vibe with the track because I felt something was missing. After a lot of uncertainty, I eventually spoke to Steffie (Something Something) who was going through a really hard time and she really liked the concept of the track so was immediately on board. When we were deciding where to release it label-wise we wanted to make sure it was the right one. We decided on my label because we thought it would be nice to release it all as women”.
IN THIS PHOTO: Georgie Riot
I was really struck by an interview that I read yesterday. The incredible 1 More Thing brought together Dark Days’ Georgie Riot, Something Something and Ruth Royall to talk about the track. They also ask about their experiences when it comes to sexual violence and assault against women. Even though things are slightly improving – in the sense that there is a lot more conversation online, coupled with the ability to call out those people (mostly men) who commit violence against women – there is still a way to go. Even if most men in the industry (and those who attend D.J. sets and live music) are respectful and not the main issue, most men do also not speak up against this sort of thing and show their support for women - and disgust and condemnation against those who are guilty. I am going to offer some thoughts at the end. First, I want to drop in a few parts of the interview that particular caught my eye:
“The track in question is Dark Days, a commanding dancefloor missive that reminds us that violence against women, and those who identify as women, is still tragically rife. Urgent and heavyweight, Georgie Riot and Something Something’s beats carry Ruth’s poignant message with clarity.
“The intention of the track was to spark conversations,” says Ruth. “I feel like we’ve done that and I’m proud that three women have been able to put out such a powerful message together.”
How did Dark Days evolve and were there any interesting or unique aspects to its creative process?
Something Something: Georgie and I wanted to collab for ages. A few months ago I reached out to her and just asked when we should finally make that song we’ve been talking about for years… Not even an hour later she sent me Dark Days.
Georgie Riot: The track didn’t feel quite right to me, so I asked my good friend Steffi to join the gang. We were all going through our own “dark days” at the time so it just felt right having the three of us work on this together. Steffi worked on the track at home, sent the stems back to me, then she made the trip up to the Midlands from London and we worked on the track together in my studio.
Something Something: When I listened to it for the first time, I’m not gonna lie, the lyrics hit home. It felt perfect in every way. Fast forward a trip to Coventry and not even a month later – the track was finished and ready for the world to hear. I’m really proud of sending such a strong message.
It’s absolutely gutting you’ve had to address such an awful topic as the message. What was it that led you to deciding this would be the message of the track?
Ruth Royall: The song was a bit of a word vomit. The words just kind of came out, my friend had recently had an awful experience at a club in Bristol so I think it was on my mind. I myself had a pretty horrific experience of sexual assault as a child which has very much shaped my adult experience and sense of fear in certain situations. Myself and most women I know can relate on some level, which sucks and shouldn’t be the case. This song highlights violence against women and also the fact that it’s still there. One very short experience can change your whole life, it did for me.
That’s awful. I worry society is getting worse in many grubby, self-serving ways. The fact you still have to call out any type of predatory or abusive behaviour this day in age backs up this feeling.
Ruth Royall: I disagree. I think it’s getting better in lots of ways, I think it’s easier to call this stuff out and be heard. Yes there are still lots of situations where we feel unsafe but the general sense of having back up is better than it ever used to be.
Georgie Riot: It’s a shame that most women, and those identifying as women, still feel unsafe and often uncomfortable in both the music scene and life in general. I feel there is still a long way to go to make things safer, equal and fairer. It’s not something that one song or one article can change, and it’s not something that will happen overnight, it’s so much bigger than that, and this is why we feel strongly about spreading the message of unity.
Ruth Royall: I think what I wanted to get at in this song is how the fear of violence and the act of violence can stay with you forever. Victims of sexual assault carry trauma with them for the rest of their lives and the highest percent of these people are often women or female identifying. I don’t know a single women who hasn’t walked home with their keys between their fingers because they feel unsafe. It may actually be getting safer but the fear doesn’t go away.
IN THIS PHOTO: Ruth Royall
How can we moved forward?
Ruth Royall: Give space. I had an amazing experience when I was out in New Zealand. I was touring with an all-male touring group (fairly common in D&B), they were the loveliest and most gentle men may I add. We were out for a drink with the promoter of one of the shows and his lovely partner.
We had all had a few beers and got on to the subject of violence against women, intense I know for a few beers down the pub! I started getting quite impassioned and my voice started raising as I spoke on the subject. I realised after a few minutes of gesticulating that the whole table was silent and listening, they were respectful of my lived experience, they didn’t interrupt or give their opinion and I realised I didn’t need to shout. I felt like I was being listened to and this made a massive difference. Stuff like this helps, it gives victims who carry trauma and who often feel like they are being ‘too much’ or ‘dramatic’ when they talk about their experience space.
Is the track raising awareness or funds for a particular charity or can we highlight one as part of your message?
Georgie Riot: The track is to raise awareness for women in the scene, and most importantly the important message of promoting unity. Dark Days can be interpreted and related to in many ways, and I think everyone will interpret this song in a different way. As well as the important message of feeling unsafe or unheard, the track also is relatable in that we all have dark days.
We all have days where we feel sad. Whether that’s in regards to our careers as musicians, our relationships with others, or just life in general – everyone has those days where we don’t feel good, and it’s so important to stick together, to just be as kind as possible, especially in this day-and-age where it is so easy to make others feel bad about themselves now that social media exists! I know that Dark Days has a different meaning for each of us – myself, Steffi and Ruth”.
PHOTO CREDIT: Odin Reyna/Pexels
That is, essentially, most of the interview I know! I am aware of so many issues affecting women in the music scene that are, for the most part, discussed and challenged by women. Whether that is inequality at festivals, unequal pay, sexual harassment or discrimination, I wonder whether we read their words and hear their experiences without men in the industry also speaking up. Even if there are a lot of decent men within the industry and beyond who abhor sexual violence and violence in general against women, a lot of this outrage and sympathy is silent. I will write about allies and proactive male feminism in the industry at a separate juncture. Kudos and massive respect for the bravery and strength it took for Georgie Riot, Something Something and Ruth Royall to discuss their experience and be very open. In researching previous features around sexual violence and assault against women, that song title, Dark Days, seems very apt! If there has been mobilisation of the conversation and some #MeToo-style justice against men in the industry who have been found guilty of sexually assaulting women, then there are still so many out there not brought to justice. Where those seeing live music or men within the industry, the problem very much exists! I read about so many women experiencing sexual assault and acts of violence against them. Many are seen as over-reacting or ‘making a fuss about nothing’ when it comes to them calling for greater safety; bigger spaces so they feel more protected and less vulnerable.
PHOTO CREDIT: Pavel Danilyuk/Pexels
It is clear there is still a long way to go. The brilliant women on Dark Days - Georgie Riot: Facebook > Instagram > Soundcloud; Ruth Royall: Facebook > Instagram > Soundcloud; Something Something: Facebook > Instagram > Soundcloud. Calling All Crows - provides a great resource when it comes to advocating against sexual violence and becoming better informed about the issue. Safe Gigs for Women are essential too, in the sense they go to gigs and festivals. They are a resource that one can approach if they want to know more about how to do their part. Spotting people who might assault a woman and how best to tackle that. Education and tips for men too who want to get involved to ensure they are equipped and also do not step over the line themselves. Safe Gigs Ireland are also determined to make live gigs safe for everyone. There might be people out there who say that they have been at so many gigs and not seen anything like this. Ignorance or a lack of awareness is not an excuse. They have not heard of any women being assaulted and abused. UN Women UK have already written an open letter that asks for music spaces to be safe for everyone – especially women and non-binary people. In 2022, statistics showed that a third of women had been sexually harassed at music festivals. The Conversation wrote earlier this year about, over on Melbourne (Australia), 60% of women and non-binary punters feel unsafe in music spaces there, through fear of sexual violence. Sexual violence and harassment are endemic today. As festival season is in full swing, there are articles such as this which state that big and unwieldy sites can redesign to ensure it is easy to monitor and make women feel safe. In smaller spaces, there does need to be greater surveillance without the atmosphere feeling repressive and over-policed.
PHOTO CREDIT: rawpixel.com via Freepik
There is a lot of great resources out there. Women in music alongside Georgie Riot, Something Something, Ruth Royall have written about sexual violence. RAYE’s Ice Cream Man. tackles and explores this more. It is about her experience of being assaulted by an A-list music producer. The lines really hit hard: “I wish I could say how I feel, how I felt/And explain why I'm silently blaming myself/'Cause I put on these faces pretending I'm fine/Then I go to the bathroom and I press rewind/In my head, always going round and round in my head/Your fingerprints stuck a stain on my skin/You made me frame myself for your sins/You pathetic, dead excuse of a man”. Maybe many men feel that, if they speak out against sexual violence against women, then people think they are guilty of it themselves. Maybe they do not feel qualified to discuss it.
PHOTO CREDIT: Seven 7/Pexels
Even if you have not experienced violence or sexual assault, the statistics and information is out there. Highlighting that and asking the industry to do more is a big step forward. Asking men to do more to educate themselves and realise the severity of the situation. That goes for artists too. I am not sure how many male musicians have written a song that highlights the real and relatively unshrinking issue – sexual violence and harassment against women runs right through every corner of the industry and live music. Ensuring that women (and non-binary people) feel both safe and included is paramount. Women are speaking about their experiences without too much support from men. Many others are not speaking through fear of consequences. Whether that is they feel they would not be believed; feeling like they would be blamed for it somehow. It is a horrible situation! More men definitely need to join the discussion. If they are silent allies at the moment, speaking up and starting a conversation incentivised wider activation. Venues and spaces can only do so much. The impetus is on men to get informed, access these resources and ensure they are not part of the alarming statics coming out (regarding the high number of sexual assault cases reported each year). Sadly, there will always be a degree of sexual violence against women. Harassment too. As things stand, there are far far too many incidents of it happening. We need to get to a place – preferably very soon – where widespread and shocking sexual violence against women is…
A thing of the past.