Amy Lee on the Lack of Women on Rock Radio, Partnering With HeadCount
Amy Lee let her feelings be known in a recent Facebook post about the lack of women on rock radio.
Lee opened her post with, “I was asked in an interview yesterday what I think about the lack of women historically on rock radio and in the mainstream rock world. I couldn’t think of anything good to say in the moment, but I thought about it for a long time after we hung up and here’s what I wish I’d said.”
“Honestly, women DO get skipped over,” wrote Lee. “We DO get left out of the recap when it all boils down. It IS harder to make it onto the cover or the radio. Because our face is not the classic, quintessential face of rock…if you’re thinking of it as a literal face. I think it’s embedded subconsciously in our brains that women in rock are less authentic somehow, like we’re next gen. We’re part 2. Not the original. A niche little off-brand thing.”
Lee continued, “But here’s the deal: The true heart of rock music is the spirit of REBELLION. Going against the grain. Challenging views, breaking society’s rules, and unapologetically being who you are. We’re supposed to be the moms, the girlfriends, the fans. But then there are those rogue dissenters who don’t fit the mold and don’t let that stop them from doing what they dream- and THAT is rock n roll!”
Lee concluded, “So all you women out there making your mark in the rock world and changing the game, you are the real thing. 1000 times more legit than any tatted up riff meisters who merely look the part! (Btw congrats to The Pretty Reckless – holding down the #1 spot in active rock right now!)”
In other Amy Lee-related news: The Evanescence vocalist discussed the band’s latest single “Use My Voice” in a new interview with Rolling Stone.
The track — which features an all-star lineup of female guests including Lzzy Hale, Taylor Momsen and Sharon den Adel — is the third offering from Evanescence’s upcoming studio album, The Bitter Truth. The song is also being used in a campaign by non-partisan voter registration non-profit HeadCount, which recently launched the site UseMyVoice.org to allow people to find important voting information in their state.
Lee said, “Every state has different rules for registering and voting, and things will be different because of the pandemic…Our hope is to empower people with this information.”
She adds, “It’s always been a personal rule for me not to talk politics, because I want our music to be a place where we come together, where we put our differences aside and connect as one big unified spirit through music. But the state of our nation right now weighs very heavily on my heart, like never before.”
Lee continued, “I feel too much to keep it in this time and a responsibility to do something with my platform to try and help — to empower the people. To shine a light. To fight for freedom because it’s not free, it takes work. We can’t just expect things to go as they should and for people to be honest and fair, we have to keep them in check. I believe it’s time for us to take our country back.”
“Use My Voice” is available for streaming and download here.
