LOUD WOMEN release ‘Reclaim These Streets’
BIMM Institute London lecturer, Cassie Fox, has written a song aiming to support and turn up the volume on discussions surrounding women’s safety, with all proceeds going to Women’s Aid. The song has been released through LOUD WOMEN: a DIY music collective founded by Cassie that champions women in music through live gigs, social media, a festival, and more.
About LOUD WOMEN
LOUD WOMEN hopes to raise money for Women’s Aid in the wake of the deaths of Blessing Olusegun, Sarah Everard and countless other women from all over the globe. Women’s Aid is a grassroots federation working to provide life-saving services in England and build a future where domestic abuse is not tolerated.
“Putting more women on stage and turning up the volume.”
LOUD WOMEN is a not-for-profit organisation headed by founder musician Cassie Fox, with a stated mission of “putting more women on stage, and turning up the volume”. Cassie started the initiative in London in 2015, frustrated at the lack of performance opportunities open to female-driven bands in the grassroots music scene.
LOUD WOMEN has a host of projects, including live music nights and festivals powered by women and non-binary musicians, an active blog, Ezineezine, social media communities, and even a record label! The group has chapters worldwide, including New York City, Los Angeles, Nashville, Canada, Ireland, and Australia.
Reclaim These Streets
Reclaim These Streets was written by LOUD WOMEN’s Cassie. There are 64 contributing vocalists on this track, made up of established artists, BIMM alumni, and many women and non-binary folk from the music scene.
The song features a spoken word/rap section written and performed by Brix Smith and instrumentation provided by a female and non-binary supergroup that includes My Bloody Valentine, Salad, and T-Bitch. Siobhan Fahey, who also contributed, is familiar with the charity supergroup format – she was one of the very few women to have performed on the 1984 Band-Aid single ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’.
We caught up with Cassie to find out more about the track and LOUD WOMEN:
“The song has been a real labour of love. Over 60 musicians came together to give their time and voice to the project, as well as others donating sound working time, a world-class recording studio, photography and design skills, plus the hundreds/thousands of people who shared the news of the song and helped LOUD WOMEN, a DIY music collective, make a social media splash and rise up through the charts! (The song reached No.3 in the iTunes chart and had repeated play on BBC Radio and Radio X.)
“Women’s safety is a global issue, and LOUD WOMEN is an international group.”
“The people power of the DIY music scene won the day. I am so grateful to everyone who’s kept the song being played on the radio and kept these really important conversations about women’s safety being had around the UK. We are not done yet though. Women’s safety is a global issue, and LOUD WOMEN is an international group. Watch this space….”
A live performance is planned at LOUD WOMEN Fest on 18 Sept 2021 at London’s 229 Portland Street venue.
Donate to Women’s Aid here.
Buy the song here.
Buy a festival ticket here.
