Half&Half: ISSUE 5 - WOMEN IN MUSIC

“One of the biggest inspirations for me has been my friend Tove Lo, just because she’s very honest about who she is and very comfortable in who she is,” said Nott. “The amount of times that she’s given me a good ol’ pep talk when I feel like shit has been really valuable to me, especially throughout this project. Every single person that I’ve worked with on this particular project has inspired me.”

Like Tove Lo’s honest approach, Nott’s first release through The Venus Project, out today for International Women’s Day, has a candor that can most aptly be described as both emotionally vulnerable and powerful.

Each song from the ten-track listing digs deep, whether it’s about breaking gender roles or overwhelming environmental issues. Tracks like “Need/ Want” delve into feeling like a lonely wallflower while other songs like “Need A Man” deal with the complexities of society telling a woman she needs a man in order to be safe. At first, Nott was a little wary at being so emotionally open on the record. Emotional vulnerability is usually associated with weakness, however, Nott believes it should be the opposite.

“This whole thing of feminism looks a certain way and acts a certain way and it says certain things held me back from knowing who I was as a feminist,” described Nott. “I’ve done this project and released all of these tracks that are so vulnerable and so personal to me and not apologized for those feelings and not let them make me weak or make me any less capable. I honestly believe that too emotional is a mess that people have created to keep themselves from feeling uncomfortable and keep themselves from having to listen to things that are hard to hear.”

Nott wants others to feel like they can be emotional and strong at the same time too, especially young women. In Nott’s words, the different emotional states one goes through shouldn’t been shunned, but celebrated. She views these “dips” in life as something unique, and sees it as a tool that can strengthen someone. That’s why speaking about these issues in her role as both a feminist and someone in the music industry is so significant for her. Finding power in writing about these topics and talking to other women about them is a source of empowerment.

When asked if musicians should use their platform to speak about social issues, Nott explained that every musician has their own choice to do so.

“ I think once you figure out what that is for you and what you believe in and what you want to stand for and what you don’t want to stand for, it’s such a beautiful way to express your opinion through art,” said Nott.

“I think when you use art as a way to address issues that concern you or to speak up about change that you feel needs to be seen that it’s a much more timeless, beautiful way of really documenting the society that you’re in at the time.”

Nott pointed out that this motive is reflected in other time periods, such as the 60s and 70s, when some bands wrote about the politics surrounding their communities. “I feel like right now it’s time for the revival of political music, for artists to feel like they have the opportunity and to feel like they are allowed to express themselves on a political level as well.”

These words seem incredibly applicable to today, with a myriad of artists such as Bethany Cosentino from Best Coast and Claire Boucher (known as Grimes) speaking out about the unfair treatment of women. halfnhalf.co | 31