Musician-Made Music Library Highlights Midwest Women, Non-Binary Musicians
playlist aims to spotlight diverse Midwestern musicians
Live music and those bringing it to life are woven into the very fabric of the Chippewa Valley – and the Midwest as a whole – and one band is striving to get more women and non-binary musicians on stage. Long Mama, a Milwaukee-based indie folk band, has launched a resource for music lovers and event organizers alike as a compilation of bands and artists in the Midwest that fit the bill.
The playlist, titled “Book More Women & Non-Binary Musicians: A Midwest Resource & Collaborative Playlist,” is available on Spotify and was shared on Long Mama’s Facebook and other social media accounts on Dec. 18.
Kat Wodtke, Long Mama’s lead vocalist, says they got the idea to start this playlist after discovering an Instagram page titled “Book More Women” dedicated to tracking large music festivals and their booking of bands with women or non-binary band members. “(The page) is an outstanding undertaking and worth a deep dive,” Wodtke said. “The numbers are pretty appalling. Many festivals have made progress, but they still have a long way to go! I recently noticed some festivals that were improving from year to year but their percentage is now dropping, which is concerning.”
Wodtke is very vocal about this issue, which has prompted promoters in the Americana/bluegrass/folk scene to reach out and ask about diversifying their lineups and band recommendations. Instead of just creating a playlist of bands they knew, Wodtke said it was important to make the list participatory to allow for other voices and perspectives. Musicians and bands with a permanent member (or members) who are non-binary or women were encouraged to add their music to the list, which largely focuses on Americana and alt-country.
You may catch a few familiar names as several Chippewa Valley-rooted musicians appear on the list, including The Nunnery, Hemma, Savannah Smith, Naalia, We Are The Willows, and more. All artists on the list are based throughout the Midwest.
The list is meant to be ever-expanding and includes more than 15 hours of music and 136 artists to expand your musical horizons. Wodtke hopes to keep the list circulating for years so that new artists can be added as they come into the Midwest music scene. They are also hoping the list will eventually move away from Spotify and onto a free digital public library so that everyone may have access to it.
If you are an artist who wants to be included on the list, you can simply add your song – Long Mama requested that only artists add their own songs so as not to run the risk of accidental outings or misgendering of participating musicians. The collaborative playlist link expires every seven days, so keep up with new links through Long Mama to add your music.
“I can already see our music community building some new connections across genres and geography with this resource,” Wodtke said. “It’s a helpful tool for planning a Midwest tour and thinking through who you can potentially collaborate with in different cities! I also hope that people with hiring power visit the playlist when they’re considering who to reach out to with an opportunity.”
Listen and view the full list on Spotify, the collaborative playlist link expires in seven days, so keep up with Long Mama on Facebook for future collaborative playlist links.
