Julie Riley gives it LOUD

Julie Riley of the band I am HER is also the organiser of LOUD WOMEN events in Hastings. On Tuesday 6 June, she opens for a Dimple Discs showcase night at The Piper. On the bill are Keeley, Dragon Welding (aka Andy Golding from The Wolfhounds) and Montague Armstrong. Jude Montague of Montague Armstrong interviews Julie Riley about her life in music.

Jude: I’m excited about the Dimple Discs gig where we’re both playing and seemed a great time to ask you some pop questions about your band I am HER – and LOUD WOMEN ON SEA of which you are the primary force. I also adore your duo which walks the line between uplifting and melancholia.

Tell me about your music duo – how would you describe it and as a songwriter, what do you write about?

Julie: I started out solo with a string of songs. I met up with Jeff again (our separate bands toured together in the 90s). He came to see me play and when he heard that my next steps were to record he offered to help. I jumped at the chance. Describing your own music is always very difficult but clearly my influences are late 80s early 90s so I have defaulted to calling it alt punk folk-pop with notes of grunge.

The songs themselves come out of whatever I am feeling or experiencing at the time and are articulated with a degree of abstraction, turning them into stories. So often about demons internal and external and rising to overcome.  Love is a universal theme, though rarely the romantic kind – more generally love in terms of humanity. Having 3 daughters is pretty much the most important element of my life so themes of maternal love, struggle and dedication are unavoidable and very strong throughout.

Jude: Have you been involved with LOUD WOMEN long? Where did the initiative come from and what do you do here in Hastings / St Leonards-on-Sea?

Julie: I first started going to LOUD WOMEN gigs in 2018. I loved it instantly as a community and as a route for discovering new DIY music. In my first band, Rosa Mota in the 90s, I always preferred female powered music – the band could always tell when my choice of music came on in the tour bus, so to find a platform dedicated to women in music was gift. LOUD WOMEN was founded by Cassie Fox in 2015. She was in an all female band and was finding that her band were often the only token females in any line up. She decided to change that and run gigs that put more women on stage in safe spaces. Before long bands were contacting her to ask about more women powered gigs. In 2019 I went to my first LOUD WOMEN fest (the first fest was in 2017. For me it was like being in the many lands at the top of the Faraway Tree!

Following LOUD WOMEN online I was aware of chapters in other countries and that there had even been a LOUD WOMEN gig in New York. I assumed people all over the world were running LOUD WOMEN shows so I approached the Piper to see if I could run one. The answer was YES. So I had Arxx, Lambrini Girls, Gulls and I am HER all set to play in April 2020 but of course we all know what happened next. Through the pandemic I turned to writing reviews for the LOUD WOMEN site. In the absence of playing and attending gigs it was a great way to still feel active in the music scene. As soon as covid restrictions lifted enough I started again and the first LOUD WOMEN on Sea show finally happened in February of 2022 with Fraulein, Lambrini Girls, I Doris (LOUD WOMEN house band)and I am HER. It was a great success despite clashing with the Hastings Fat Tuesday Ball (which we all know is a big event in this town). So I decided to continue and happily the Piper agreed. The LOUD WOMEN shows are now a monthly event, mostly on first Thursdays. There has been just one LOUD WOMEN open mic so far but may be more ahead. We have started running shows in Brighton too now and inspired by our work with A Town Explores a Book festival this year we are also looking to partner with other organisations to create gig opportunities for new local musicians. Anyone interested to be involved in any aspect of the shows (playing, shadowing sound, helping to promote etc.) please get in touch with me at: julie@loudwomen.org.

Jude: The Piper is a partner venue in Loud Women? Is it a good place for women to play? What do you think of the vibe?

Julie: The Piper is a great venue and the team there are very supportive of LOUD WOMEN. Bands arriving for the first time are always pleasantly surprised by what a great space it is to play. It was a natural choice because of how it positions itself as a venue on the tour circuit for DIY/grassroots bands. The vibe is always good – it is all part of LOUD WOMEN shows to create an atmosphere that is welcoming, safe and supportive of all the bands and audience alike. This always comes through and makes for a great night every time.

Jude: Tell me about the radio show for LOUD WOMEN?

Julie: Founder, Cassie also writes for Louder Than War which is a music and culture website and magazine focusing on mainly alternative arts news, reviews, and features. It was started by journalist, John Robb in 2010.It now has a radio channel which offered Cassie a slot for LOUD WOMEN to have a weekly show. Cassie as ever is the main driver and has made it the mission of the show to play as much female powered new music as possible every week. Tune in each Sunday from 5–7pm.It is great but a lot of work – all of Team LOUD WOMEN are volunteers, fitting shows, radio and reviews around day-to-day life and work.

Jude: Can men be part of LOUD WOMEN – what is its approach to gender inclusivity?

Julie: Men can and definitely are part of LOUD WOMEN. All genders are welcome. Like any activist movement you need to bring everyone along with you. The platform is inclusive not EXCLUSIVE. Just as Pride and Black Lives Matters needs the wider community to be allies to affect change for good so does feminism and a mission to put more people that identify as women on stage. We are not anti-male; we are pro-female. The mission is not to stop men from making music or performing but to amplify those who identify as women who are doing the same. It is simply a fact that more male than female musicians are heard and put on the stage. It may well be an unconscious bias and not all women will have a bad experience, but more women than not will have had bad experiences or exclusions within the music industry at some point. Until there is equity between all genders we must remain proactive.

Jude: You are opening for a Piper gig organised by the Dimple Discs label on Tuesday 6 June. What do you think you’ll share with everyone?

Julie: You can expect some old songs from our first album, Herstory as well as some from our new album coming this autumn. A mix of light and dark, peaks and troughs, grunge and pop.

Jude: Dimple Discs is an Irish-London label set up by a former NME journalist and a member of the Undertones. Have you any thoughts or favourites in the Irish pop canon? Who else is either an influence or a favourite?

Julie: My Bloody Valentine were a turning point for me and they were formed in Dublin. The Jesus and Mary Chain opened me up to a new world of sound and then MBV came along and took everything up a gear. One of my favourite bands right now are Vernon Jane – they are also from Dublin. LOUD WOMEN put them on at the Piper in February this year. All who attended loved them. So much so that they hope to be back at the Piper in July (watch this space). Influences would be P J Harvey and Sonic Youth. Current faves: Fraulein, Lambrini Girls, Ms Mohammed.

Jude: Hastings is a great place for bands and musicians, always and right now. Who would you recommend going to see if we got the chance?

Julie: Where to begin? This town is a hotbed of talent. I probably don’t need to mention, but will, HotWax (another fave actually) and Kid Kapichi. Others would be Maid of Ace, Comeback Clit, Message from the Ravens, Charlie Austen, Aircooled, Paris Blue, Kinsella, Big Reference – as well of course  Montague Armstrong and I am HER!

You can buy advance tickets for the Dimple Discs showcase starting at 7pm on Tuesday 5 June for £5.50 by following this link. There are also two LOUD WOMEN shows coming up at the Piper. The first is at 7.30pm on Thursday 1 June with Pink Suits, Playing Alice and Joanna and the Dropouts and the next is on Thursday 13 July with Bugeye, Porcelain Doll and Phat Problem. Advance tickets for LOUD WOMEN are £6, or £8 on the door.
All shows are at The Piper on the corner of Norman Road and Western Road in St Leonards.

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