‘I have no time to be a muse’ declared Lou Andreas-Salomé. This inspiring quote sowed the seeds for the title of Laura Marling’s latest project, a series of podcasts in which she boldly examines female creativity and subjugates the idea of women in music operating solely as the Muse.
On her website Marling states that: ‘It occurred to [her] that in 10 years of making records [she] had only come across two female engineers working in studios.’ In fact, she has never even experienced working with a female producer. This is, sadly, reflective of the disparity of opportunity between male and female producers. Less than 5% of music producers are women, whilst in the 40 years of the Grammy Awards there has been no female winner in the Producer of the Year category. In 2016, one would have hoped that the music industry was more progressive. This suggests that music is equipped with a gendered experience, as arguably those women who make it into the studio are discounted or overlooked when it comes to receiving appropriate recognition.
Marling is now playing a part in the global conversation about artistry as she questions what impact the presence of women in the studio has on music. The series opens with the enthusiastic, witty band ‘Haim’ who provide humorous accounts of guitar shop culture and touring, whilst in the second episode Vanessa Parr explores how she, as a female producer, successfully broke into such a male-dominated field. Marling presents herself as intelligent, thoughtful and genuinely engaging in her podcasts and thus her musings and conversations on the position and roles of women in the music industry are truly worth listening to.
Reversal of the Muse Series One has now come to an end, but with 10 episodes online there is plenty to get your teeth stuck into. Make sure to check it out, as it is definitively one of the most exciting and informative music related podcasts out there.
http://www.reversalofthemuse.com/