On Thursday 13th March, I had the pleasure of attending an event in honour of International Women’s Day, hosted in the ground floor bar of The Bodega, Nottingham. A soft pink light flooded the space, with a glitzy fuchsia fringe backdrop to match. The line up for the night was three wonderful independent female artists: Lara Elise Grant, Emily Alice, and Dorothy Ella. Each singer had a distinctly unique sound and brought an entirely different energy to the room. Shuffling under an array of hanging disco balls, whilst the likes of Chappell Roan and Kate Bush blared from the speakers, I was pleasantly surprised at the diversity of the audience, honestly expecting almost only women. And so the night began.
The first performer was Lara Elise Grant, a Derby-based singer-songwriter. Her voice had this soft raspy quality, and it struck me the pure emotion that poured into the room when she sang. Her own songs were filled with intriguing imagery, mixed with covers including Mitski’s ‘I Bet on Losing Dogs’. After she sang, I pulled her over for a chat about her music and influence.
Hannah (H): Since its International Women’s Day, I wanted to discuss why events like this are so important to showcase women in music?
Lara Elise Grant (L): I think this is a very male dominated industry. Definitely, when I first started out going to open mics it was majority men, so having spaces like this is good to give women a chance too, what with the all female line up.
H: Do you find that intimidating – going to a male dominated event?
L: Yeah it can be, especially going alone when you know no one.
H: You mentioned during your set that you’ve written about the female experience and struggling with heavy expectations of women. What is your message to young women?
L: Be confident in yourself and what you’re capable of, and put yourself out there. It’s one of those industries where if you aren’t putting yourself out there and making yourself heard you wont get anywhere. You don’t need to start massive, just doing smaller open mics and little known venues is just like how I started out.
H: How does Bodega compare to other venues you have played at before?
L: I do enjoy it as a venue, and I’ve played a couple times here before. It’s always really good with amazing acts, like other venues there’s a lot of talent out there.
H: Are there any women in music who inspire you?
L: Billie Eilish is one of the main influences of my music. When I really began getting into music and playing the guitar, she was the main person that I was listening to. Particularly in lockdown! I also love Lana Del Rey, and the way Arlo Parks produces her music.
H: Let’s talk about your new EP, ‘The Fixer’.
L: So, it starts with an acapella song, and end with the title track ‘The Fixer’. It goes through the motions of getting older, learning more about yourself and who you want to be, but also struggling with situations you’re going through at the time. It’s a journey of an EP. I wrote the first song probably two years before the release, which was ‘Blue Stained Glass’. That was probably the first song I ever wrote that I actually liked. Then, over the years I compiled songs to make a cohesive piece of work that explains my life during that time. I think growing up as a teenage girl is very difficult.
H: I find you music very relatable and helps people to reflect on their own experiences. Your music and voice has a lot of emotional depth.
H: You’ve described your music as exploring deeply personal themes such as getting older and self discovery. How do you navigate turning these intimate emotions into art?
L: I treat it like writing in a diary, it’s my version of that. I would say writing music is my way of journalling. My way of saying things that I maybe wouldn’t say out loud but then am able to sing to audiences!
H: What does your creative process look like? Are you perhaps sat at home or do you go somewhere specific to write?
L: I write most of my stuff in my room to be fair, but it honestly depends. If I have a lyric idea, I’ll put it in my Notes but may not go back to it for a whole year, and then find it and think
“you know what this may be good for a song”.
H: So, you can perform something so personal in front of an entire audience, how does that feel when you’re on stage?
L: I think there are some songs that I’m more conscious about singing, but that may just be because I’ve not sang them as much live. I don’t always think about the context of the songs that exist in my head, but others will never hear.
H: Does performing live ever change the meaning of the song for you?
L: Yeah definitely, I could write a song about one person and then a year later I realise it actually relates to a new person I’ve met. I think it’s constantly changing because some songs I’ll write and think its the saddest song explaining my emotions in that moment, but as time passes and I move out of that moment in time, it becomes more of a positive message (although my songs are not too positive) because I’m not in that space any longer and have grown as a person.
H: Are you hoping that certain songs garner certain reactions from the audience, or that your listeners take away a specific message?
L: To be honest I don’t think much about other people’s interpretation. I create for myself and if people like it, they like it. Listening to other artists, sometimes they say things that you want to say but can’t put into words. Perhaps when people listen to my music they can think “that’s exactly how I feel but was never able to describe it before”.
H: I thought ‘Love/ Hate Relationship’, a song about the female experience, was especially poignant in light of International Women’s Day. Could we discuss the story behind that?
L: Since I was little, as I’m sure is the same for other people out there, there’s been this pressure from society to fit into a certain category. To look a certain way, dress a certain way and act a certain way. Especially growing up as a mixed kid in a predominantly white area, that was tenfold. I wrote that song about how I love myself as a person but this can get skewed by other people expecting you to be a certain way. It’s about how that makes me feel. I don’t want to feel that way and don’t believe anyone should be made to feel that way; to be something that they’re not, but instead should love themselves in their bodies. I wanted to express that, again like writing in a diary, and putting my thoughts to paper.
H: What’s going through your head when you’re performing?
L: Sometimes I zone out. Even earlier when I was practising I suddenly realised that my mind had drifted off! I might look at people’s faces trying to guess what they are thinking. Once at an open mic this guy at the bar was proper staring at me and I couldn’t tell if he was loving or hating it. Majority of the time I’m not thinking about the song, or I’m focused on voice cracks, but usually my mind drifts all over the place.
H: I thought ‘The Fixer’ was such a beautiful song. Just listening to the lyrics I was struck your interesting use of imagery. When writing, do you ever have a story in mind, or are you just writing from the heart?
L: I’ll have situations that I look back on and how I was feeling at that time. It changes a lot. I write based on what I’m feeling, but also use my Notes App, sometimes writing half a song at a time, sometimes pouring everything out in one go.
H: I’m obsessed with the cover art for ‘The Fixer’ too- where did that come from?
L: When I was putting together the songs and cover art, I was still at college, doing music alongside other projects. I wanted to draw the cover art for it, and I thought making it blue would fit with the vibe of the album. For example, ‘Blue Stained Glass’ is one of the songs on there. I really like Tim Burton and that eerie, creepy vibe too.
H: How did you make the art?
L: It’s a drawing from a reference photo that I took (which will never ever see the light of day!) From there, I coloured it in and made the eyes bigger.
Next up to sing was Emily Alice, a singer/songwriter and fellow University of Nottingham student, whose upbeat guitar strumming immediately juxtaposed her heartfelt lyricism. We took a seat in The Bodega’s gorgeous beer garden and chatted about her long-time love for music.
Hannah (H): We are here at an IWD event, why do you think events such as these are so important for women in music?
Emily Alice (E): Let’s look at festivals, for example. Most of the headliners are men. Last year for Glastonbury and Reading/Leeds, people were kicking off because there were no female headlining acts. And why not, when there are so many incredible female artists? I don’t want to suggest that whole “men and boys always get more opportunities than women” idea, but it does seem like a lot of the time men are picked first, especially producers. There are so many female producers who are so great but you just don’t hear about them. Events like this
give women that opportunity where its all about them and it offers them a platform which is really nice.
H: I feel like sometimes women need to be spotlighted more. That’s not to remove from the amazing male artists, but just giving female talent the chance to shine.
E: Exactly, if it was equal in the first place, these events wouldn’t happen.
H: Then again, even if it were a perfectly equal playing field in the music industry, it’s still great to specifically celebrate female talent.
H: Do you have a message for women looking to enter the music industry?
E: Do what you want to do. Don’t get swayed. It’s so easy, especially with TikTok, to think you need to write a song that’s going to be a hit. But the truth is that won’t work because you won’t produce what you actually want to produce, something you enjoy, and you’ll always be lusting after something you want to be creating. Also, don’t take shit from anyone. I’ve never experienced it and not many girls I know have either, but 20 years ago and even today (although its lesser spoken about) people were and can be taken advantage of, and that’s really sad. It just shouldn’t be happening, so stand your ground and know what you want. Don’t feel embarrassed for that because if anyone tries to make you feel bad for that and takes advantage of you for it then you instead need to know your worth. Stick to your dream and you will get there.
H: Are there any women in music who have particularly inspired you- growing up or in your
music now?
E: Alanis Morissette. Love her. My mum always used to play her and I feel that my music is not similar but has little traits of her stuff.
H: I hear she’s playing at Glastonbury?
E: Yes, and I’m so excited. Also the 1975, and Lola Young another amazing female artist. She seemingly suddenly appeared, and what winds me up is that she’s been working hard for years and yet is called a “one-hit wonder”. First of all, this is just her first song to blow up, that’s not to say that no others ever will. Second of all, she been doing this since she was around 13 years of age, she’s been grafting and just because you haven’t seen that doesn’t
mean she hasn’t been doing it. But she’s great and she tells everyone exactly what she thinks.
H: Yes, I’d say Lola Young is very individual which is something I love about her. Would you say that this issue of hard work being disregarded until you suddenly blow up is particular to women or does it exist across the music industry?
E: I feel like it can happen to everyone, but I do think that when you see it happen to a guy they don’t get as much crap for it. She’s a girl who’s a little more outspoken, as if to say “I’m gonna do what I’m gonna do and if you disagree then sod you”. And sometimes people don’t like that, but I do feel like if a guy acted like that people wouldn’t care. Benson Boone, for example, just rocketed as Lola young did, but was there ever a comment about him being a one-hit wonder? No. He was working his arse off for years as well.
H: She’s labelled a one-hit wonder while he’s a rising star.
E: Exactly! What is that about?
E: I also love Maisie Peters. I saw her at Rock City last year and it was an incredible gig.
H: Have u played at Bodega before?
E: I did last year, supporting an artist called Will Paige. He’s quite folky and acoustic. My music used to be more acoustic-focused- they’d call it pop/folk acoustic I suppose. Whereas, now there’s still a lot of acoustic guitar but more on the pop side. At the time, though, our sounds worked quite well together. It was a really nice experience. I was just thinking I’d like to return to Bodega, and then suddenly got an email!
H: And, how does it compare to other venues?
E: I love it here, it’s so nice. I love how in-house it is; everyone here has such a big role in events as it’s such a small team. Everyone’s been so welcoming. The venue itself has such a great vibe to it that not everywhere has, what with the different floors and this gorgeous beer garden we’ve just discovered! Also, the technical side of things here, as the musician, is fab. This equipment is top notch. I’d recommend it to everyone!
H: How would you describe your music to new listeners in a few words?
E: A pop/acoustic artist writing lyrics and melodies that work hand in hand to create specific
emotion that you’re looking for.
H: You mentioned the style of your music has changed over your career, can we further
discuss that evolution?
E: I’ve played guitar since I was 7, inspired by a family friend a few years older than me who played. I thought she was so cool. My mum and dad weren’t sure if I really wanted to do it, but encouraged me to give it a go. So, I started having lessons and ended up doing all my classical grades. At grade 3 I thought I can’t be arsed to do this anymore, but my teacher pushed me to finish it because learning more and more about music would be helpful. Then at 10 or 11 years old I started singing a little bit and realised I wasn’t terrible and even found it enjoyable. Then, I took Music at GCSE and wrote my first song at 13 for that course as I took my GCSEs slightly early. When it came to creating the composition, I knew I didn’t want to do something Classical, and thought let’s actually try and write a song. So I did, and thought it was really fun and didn’t find it too difficult. I played it to my Mum and Dad and they said it was actually really good.
Last but not least, we heard from the sequin-donned ray of sunshine that is Dorothy Ella, who brought a great deal of energy to the room and our interview.
Hannah (H): My first question is why do you think events like these are so important for women in
music, to showcase particularly independent female artists?
Dorothy Ella (D): For me, community has been essential to pursue music, not just to get me to gigs and open mics, but just for me to have that passion to want to carry on. I do this because I get to share it with so many amazing people, and to be able to share it here for International Women’s Day, sharing it with two other incredible female artists is incredible. Obviously it’s not just women here but those that are, supporting each other, is invaluable for becoming an artist.
H: Are there any female musicians who have inspired you, either growing up or whom directly inform your work today?
D: Yes, for sure. I could sit here all day and talk about it! Mainly, when I was younger I loved a pop princess. Back in the day, I adored Christina Aguilera, Sophie Ellis Bextor, and of course the Spice Girls. When I got a little bit older, I started listening to more soul music like Aretha Franklin and Etta James. Right now, I’m listening to a lot of Remi Wolf. She’s such an inspiration. I went to see her in Manchester, and she honestly had the entire audience in the
palm of her hand. Another powerful female artist.
H: Do you enjoy performing at the Bodega? How does it compare to other places you’ve played?
D: I love it here. I’ve played quite a few times downstairs for festivals like Beat the Streets
and Hockley Hustle. I played upstairs here as well, once. In fact, a while ago some of my mates played with Kelsey Carter, another amazing female artist, so I came to them to support them. And then I think it was like, a year
or so later, I was actually playing on that stage as well, which is really cool. And then since then, like, I feel like that was kind of a stepping stone to play other venues, like last year playing Rescue Rooms, and then Rock City. And so, Bodega is quite a special place for me in that kind of sense.
H: What would you say to a young woman looking to enter the music industry?
D: I say, be yourself. Try not to compare yourself to other people, because it’s so easy to do, and I’m guilty of it as well. There’s so many people having loads of successes all at once, and it sometimes feels like you’re not getting these opportunities. But just stay in your lane. Focus on what you’re good at. And your time will come, and things that you’re dreaming of will happen if you just focus on you and don’t be afraid to make mistakes, because that’s
how you learn. You’ve got to just go out there. And even if you go out and play the worst gig of your life, you can look back on it and go, wow, that was literally the worst gig in my life, but you will have learned so much from what not to do at gigs and how to play, and your confidence from doing that. You’re like, well, it can’t be as bad as that. So always moving forwards and always enjoy it! It’s a tough industry so if you stop enjoying it stop doing it.
H: I’m so curious about your creative process, as someone who’s yet to attempt songwriting. Can you tell me more about how you go about it?
D: I can! I’ve written songs in very different scenarios. For me, songwriting is a bit of therapy, and when I started writing songs, I never intended to be a songwriter. I went to uni to study music, and I just always wanted to sing. Initially, I just wanted to do session music, during COVID. Just to sing and perform. I loved doing that. But then I went through a breakup. You know, as young girls do. It wasn’t even a very serious one. I was like, “Oh, I’m gonna pour my heart out into a song”. I just started writing, and then, honestly, I got over it in a week. It was a miracle. So obviously, you know, it doesn’t happen that that way for everything in my life, but a lot of the times, if I’m going through a bit of a sad time, or even, a really exciting time, it’s healing for me to express that through words and in a song and just get it out. A lot of the time I have written songs when I’ve just been on my own. Sometimes I go out on a walk, and come up with a little groove to the sound of my steps. I’ve got endless voice notes, as I’m sure every songwriter has. But it’s all part of it. I love writing with people as well. I’ve done a lot of collaboration. I’ve just released a song last year, actually, with my friend Gordon Palmer. It was complete accident how we came up with the songs but we had a good vibe. I used to write with one of my other friends who was into jazz music too. He came up with the music, and then I’d just have a massive rant to him, and then we put it in a song.
H: Does writing with other people ever have its downsides, for example, did your ideas ever clash?
D: I’m very lucky to have worked with the right people. I’ve tried to write songs with some people that, and it just doesn’t flow. But I think the key is with songwriting is any idea is a good idea, because you need to get through all of the ideas that don’t make me sound as good to get to the good ideas. So you’ve got to be really open minded to the other person when you’re writing with them, and don’t shut their ideas down and like, just let it, let it be, don’t be precious about the song. Just let the things flow. It’s difficult to write with certain people who you know are very set on what they want the song to be like, rather than like, letting that in. But most people that I’ve written with have just, you know, even if you write a rubbish song at the end of it, it’s just having fun. It doesn’t matter. Doesn’t matter what the song sounds like. In fact, this happened the other day with my mate, I think we’ve written some really cool songs together before. Honestly, I was there for about three hours, and we sat there coming up with something, going, “No, that’s rubbish. Let me hear some? No, that rubbish.” We finally had to call it a day because
we kept shutting it down, we didn’t give it the chance to breathe and for us to just create. We weren’t in the right headspace.
H: How do you know when it feels right?
D: You just know in the moment that it’s an absolute banger and realise the whole world should hear this. I think songs are never finished. They’re just always evolving. Like the songs that I sung tonight, have been singing for years and years, and I sing them different every time. Sometimes I’ll add some different words in there, because maybe I can’t remember the ones I wrote. Songs are of the moment, a little time capsule.
H: Do your songs act as a sort of diary?
D: Yeah, for sure. Sometimes I look back and think “gosh, that is so dramatic, Dorothy”! But when I’m singing them, I’m in such a different headspace and don’t feel how I felt when I wrote them. Now, I think about if some people are going to relate to it, and the beat of the song. It’s weird because when you first start performing a song you’ve just written it’s still very raw and all this emotion is pouring out, but now it’s just a song I wrote once and I can
have a bit of fun with it.
H: When you are on stage, does that past emotion ever come flooding back, or are you solely focused on your performance?
D: Sometimes it can. Sometimes I flash back right to the moment. However, most of the time, especially when I’m performing with my band, I’m in the moment musically. Playing music with people is something I can’t even describe. It’s like talking another language, where you’re connected on this other dimension. Specifically, when singing harmonies with someone else, as I did tonight, you have to be so locked into one another and really listen to
each other. If the audience are vibing, I’ll be very focused on that too.
H: Do you ever hope that your listeners take away certain messages from certain songs?
D: Occasionally, but usually when I release a song it’s because I’m proud of it, and it’s really helped me. I think the biggest goal is to have people listen to your songs and connect with them. I release music to connect with people. I never feel that everyone necessarily should or will, but when I have had people come up to me after a show and thank me as my music has gotten them through a break up, for example, that is so powerful. Even watching people in the audience who have come to all my gigs singing along to all the words is crazy because I just wrote that in my bedroom. It’s surreal.
H: Could you sum up your music for new listeners in three words?
D: Sparkly musical sunshine. I always want people to feel like they are at their Year 6 disco again – careless and let loose.
H: What is it about Soul influences in your music that draws you in? Was it a natural choice in your career to lean towards those genres?
D: Definitely, I used to sing in the choir at school, and then when I first heard Aretha Franklin I realised she was almost yelling, but had so much power in her vocals. She was getting it all out there. I was then in a musical at school, and my teacher asked me to sing one line a little louder and I suddenly belted it out and even shocked myself. I realised then how much I love that power the raw emotion. You know if you’ve ever been really angry or sad and you just want to scream? Or if you really need to cry and then you do it and feel better? I get that
relief from singing. I started out doing more Rock based stuff. Then I was writing with my friend, Tom, and he suggested funking it up a bit more. So he influenced the disco/funk element to my music now. You can’t not love disco, so I combined that with the power of soul.
H: Is there one song that you are particularly proud of?
D: Yes, but it’s not released yet. It’s called ‘Do You Still Lie (Probably)?’. It was originally just called ‘Do You Still Lie’, but then we started joking around in my band, adding the ‘Probably’, and then we began adding it into the song’s introduction at gigs. I played it at a BBC Introducing gig at the Metronome, and they did a live video of it, and posted it as that full title. That will be released soon along with my new EP.
Over the course of this enchanting evening, I felt immensely proud of the wonderful and diverse female talent that exists out there. I discovered three new artists to listen to, and three iconic women to aspire to. Thank you so much to The Bodega for hosting the night, I hope to see you there next year!