FEATURE:
Who Are the Girls?
IN THIS PHOTO: Nova Twins/PHOTO CREDIT: Tamiym Cader
Nova Twins and the Misogyny and Discrimination That Exists in Rock and Alternative
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THERE was a recent interview…
PHOTO CREDIT: Edward Eyer/Pexels
in The Guardian with Nova Twins. It takes me back to a subject I have covered before. The misogyny and misogynoir that exists in genres like Rock, Alternative and Metal. If the mosh pits and crowds are more welcoming and embracing of women of colour and women in general, can we say the same about the industry? Even if there are more female-fronted Rock, Alternative and Metal bands coming through, it is still very much male-dominated. The work women have to do to be noticed and be on the same footing. Even though racism and misogyny has largely faded from crowds compared to years ago, look around scenes like Alternative and there is still a real absence of people like Nova Twins. It is clear that changes need to happen. A real lack of Black artists in these genres. Women still under-represented. It does seem appalling that, in 2025, there is so little representation when it comes to women and women of colour in certain genres. If some genres have improved and are more inclusive and spotlight a more diverse scene, things are still dragging on the heavier side of the music spectrum:
“The Twins made a conscious decision not to use any synths on the album – all the sounds are made using guitars (Love) and bass (South) with vast boards of effects pedals to manipulate their output. “We’ve always pushed ourselves to do things really manually live,” South says. “And I think being women in music … people don’t question men. So they can have everything on the track and they can still be ‘the greatest’ – people won’t question if they’re playing live, they won’t question if they wrote their riffs, or if they’re miming, or anything. Because we were women going into it – and Black women – we were like: we need to play everything, do everything.”
It might have started as a reaction to the misogynoir that dogs heavy rock genres but it turned out to be an integral part of a Nova Twins show, with South in particular marshalling two vast planks of pedals at her feet, stomping on them periodically to take her bass from a muscular strut to a thundering dubstep fuzz.
Growing up in Essex and south London respectively, Love and South dealt with varying degrees of racism (Love is of Iranian and Nigerian descent, and South is of Jamaican and Australian). When they were playing endless toilet venues and open mic nights around the capital, they soon felt like outsiders in the notoriously white, male world of heavy music. “We couldn’t really see where we fit in,” Love says. “We’re like the only women on the bill, definitely the only Black people on the bill, or were at the time when we first started. And it would be like, well, we don’t quite belong here but the audience are really receptive to us. And then we’d be like, we didn’t really fit in the R&B hip-hop world, either.”
In 2021, they campaigned for the Mobos to add an alternative music genre to acknowledge the influence of Black rock’n’roll pioneers such as Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Little Richard. The committee listened and in 2022 added the best alternative music act award (the Nova Twins were nominated) and at this year’s show they took to the stage with a blistering performance of Monsters that felt pointedly like a victory lap.
Where communities don’t exist for the Nova Twins, they are not afraid to stride in and demand space. As well as the Mobo campaign, they recently launched a scholarship for music education at London’s ICMP (Institute of Contemporary Music Performance) – and get Love on the topic, she will speak passionately for hours about making room for rock in the mainstream. “There’s a huge audience [for rock] and so much love for it but for some reason, some gatekeepers feel like: ‘Oh, that can’t be on daytime TV,’ like it’s a swear word or something? Like, who said? And why? Instead, they’d rather put something they found on TikTok than a band that’s spent like 10 fucking years honing their craft and musicianship on stage”.
PHOTO CREDIT: Yan Krukau/Pexels
It is clear that there is still an issue. Rock, Alternative and Metal. Even if there have been slight improvements, things still look pretty bleak. It is largely male-dominated sector. White too. Far less representation of women. If Nova Twins are making a space and calling for change, there needs to be more done from the industry. Looking out, there is an issue with gender and race. Is there an easy solution? Change cannot happen overnight or even in the next year or two. Progress will take time, though you can see things slowly shifting. In terms of audiences, whereas one might think it would largely be white men, that is not necessarily the case. There are many bands coming through that are not all-male and white. However, there does still seem to be an issue breaking down obstacles that have existed for decades. The fact an award show like the MOBOs does not have a category for Alternative to acknowledge bands like Nova Twins and pioneers like Little Richard. If Nova Twins have won over the mosh pit then there does need to be greater activism and action from the industry. I do love Metal, Rock and Alternative though there is still this look that has remained for a long time. Women more visible then ever but still having to face discrimination and misogyny. Women playing guitars still made to feel inferior or not taken seriously. Even if Thrash and other genes are trying to confront sexism, there are still cases of women speaking about their experiences. Radio stations that specialise in heavier music playing mostly male bands. Kerrang! are among those whose daily playlist is male-focused. When it comes to women then the story is even worst. A real lack of diversity will make it so hard for women and men of colour to break through. It is bad enough that artists like Matty Healy, in 2018, claimed that misogyny and sexism does not exist in Rock anymore. That interview with Nova Twins caught my eye and needs to create debate. Such slow progress and inclusion, it is clear that things…
NEEDS to shift.