Women in Music: Woman’s Hour at the 6 Music Festival

We’re celebrating women in music with this special collaboration between Woman’s Hour and BBC 6 Music, recorded at the 6 Music Festival in Camden, North London. Presenter Georgie Rogers goes backstage at the historic Roundhouse venue to speak to some of the brilliant female artists on the line-up about the women that inspire them and their experiences of the music industry. Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes tells Georgie how it feels to call the shots as a solo artist and shares the women that have inspired her in music and in life. Singer Nadine Shah discusses the gender pay gap in music, why there aren’t more women on festival line-ups and why the ticking of her generation’s biological clocks inspired new album Kitchen Sink. We speak to Jehnny Beth of Savages about starting out in the industry and how both David Bowie and her friend PJ Harvey inspired her first solo album. We also hear from composer Anna Meredith and 6 Music presenter and DJ legend Mary Anne Hobbs - who tells us why an event like the 6 Music Festival’s all-female line-up for International Women’s Day is so vital. Sunday’s bill at the Roundhouse saw Nadine, Jehnny and Anna perform alongside Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon and poet, playwright and rapper Kate Tempest. The BBC 6 Music Festival took over Camden for three days of live music, DJ sets and talks with artists from Bombay Bicycle Club to Paul Weller, Hot 8 Brass Band to Roisin Murphy. You can hear highlights on BBC Sounds and watch some of the best performances on the BBC iPlayer and the 6 Music website.

All music featured in this podcast was recorded live at the 6 Music Festival and broadcast on BBC 6 Music.

Presenter: Georgie Rogers Guest: Brittany Howard Guest: Jehnny Beth Guest: Nadine Shah Guest: Anna Meredith Guest: Mary Anne Hobbs Producer: Sarah Jane Griffiths Editor: Karen Dalziel