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foxtails

Foxtails is from Connecticut, with their first release in 2015. Blue Luno Solaz, is non-binary, and is the bassist and vocalist. In an interview with Jellybones, Solaz said they were "harassed/fetishized at shows for being this 'alternative' afab [assigned-female-at-birth] person, and people sort of felt they had the right to make comments on how I'm cute and tiny." Unfortunately, a lot of the emo community is known for sexism and harassment towards female-presenting people. Foxtails aim to fight against this culture within the scene. Solaz had a Facebook group but had to be shutdown due to people bullying for no reason. Solaz mentions that as of recently there have been a lot of POC in the scene, and they are not afraid to make themselves known, allowing for more POC to join the scene, which also inspires them. Solaz being of Colombian-Argentinan ethnicity, find themselves white-washing themself to feel more included and be taken more seriously. However, Querida, fights against this as the entire song is sung in Spanish, allowing for Solaz to represent their identity.

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awakebutstillinbed

Shanon Taylor started awakebutstillinbed as a solo project in January 2018. Growing up, Taylor tried to teach herself how to sing but her dad and brothers would make fun of her, which caused her to internalize that you were either good or not. However, she never received criticism when she would play the guitar. Additionally, when she released her album What people call low self-esteem is really just seeing yourself the way that other people see you, people were saying they hated her vocals but were waiting for her screams. The song, Fathers, has the lyrics "I felt locked in a stigma beyond my control, and in my vulnerability I am fed their words and I swallow them whole" and "I try to reconstruct myself to fit into this life. You might want to be someone else but what good would that do you if all this weight falls on your shoulders?" The lyrics talk about stigmatization and instead of standing up against it, they accept it, but in the end, won't do them any good.

The album has been in production for years, “absorbing every demoralizing condescension and missed opportunity from her early days as an alt-grunge teen." What is really impressive is that Taylor produced everything herself. She did consider reaching out to labels, but decided against it and released the album herself. Awakebutstillinbed's first album was a successful hit and is still active to this day!

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cerce

Cerce was active from 2011-2018. Becca Cadalzo is a vocalist from Long Island, New York. She was influenced by the band Glassjaw. She was questioned about feminism, and if it has changed. Cadalzo said she feels like things haven't changed, even though people are listening more now, they are not acting upon it and changing their actions. At the beginning of Cerce, she was trying to express how she was being treated. Cadalzo said being the only woman in the band, she's been treated as an inferior and lets it happen due to her quiet nature. One of Cerce's songs, Weary, seems to be about being used by someone as the lyric, "don't you dare fucking tell me I'm too pretty, tell me about your fear of loss, right before walking out." Throughout the song, she sings about being disposable, as in the person who used her and left her.

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gouge away

Gouge Away started in 2012, which started in Florida. Christina Michelle is the vocalist. She would go to a lot of underground shows growing up and in turn host bake sales to raise awareness for social problems like homelessness. However, people mocked her and wouldn't give support. She felt out of place in the scene and regarding her concern on social issues until she found out about Paint it Black. Their songs lyrics were thought-provoking, just like how Michelle wanted, and was inspired to start her own band. One of Gouge Away's songs, No White Flag, is about police brutality. Another song, Subtract and Divide, is about the education system and how it is a "sweatshop," and shows the perspective of both the teachers and children.

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Seeyouspacecowboy...

One of the most influential hardcore bands is Seeyouspacecowboy... They started in 2016 and still are active to this day. The vocalist, Connie Sgarbossa, is a trans-woman who learned to accept that one can be both feminine and masculine. In an interview with Revolver Mag, she said, “Being a trans woman, it’s just really rewarding. I do it as this in-your-face form of feminity in hardcore… a fuck-you attitude that comes with being a marginalized person." A song, Atrocities From a Story Book Perspective, is about not letting others shut you down, and not hiding your identity. Sgarbossa makes it known that she is not afraid to stand her ground.

When asked about the scene, Sgarbossa said that in more recent years, people have been more accepting. When she came out as trans, people were very supportive. Additionally, there has been an influx of diversity which allows for more experiences to be shared among each other.

About not hiding identity and not letting others shut them down.

looks very violent, but very careful

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Women in the Hardcore Scene

The Hardcore music scene has many subgenres such as emo, post-hardcore, skramz, screamo, metalcore, and many more. Much of the lyrics refer to pain, romance, and human rights. The musical characteristics of hardcore vary from speed, chaos, and aggressiveness to twinkly and melodic sounding. The primary demographic of this scene are white males, with a few POC or women in the mix. This blog will discuss women and non-binary experiences in this hardcore scene.