Q&A: CARLA DESANTIS (ROCKRGRL MAGAZINE)

posted in: Features

Carla DeSantis is the nation’s leading advocate for women in rock, notably coming to Courtney Love’s defense after the death of husband Kurt Cobain. A former musician and industry vet, DeSantis founded the award-winning ROCKRGRL magazine, the only national publication for female musicians. She has appeared on VH1’s Behind The Music, E!’s True Hollywood Story, MuchMusic and We: The Women‘s Network as well as been published in Rolling Stone, Spin, Bitch and others. ROCKRGRL was in print ’94“’05 but Carla still remains a beacon for female musicians. Starting next month she will author Fine Tunings, a weekly column for the OurStage blog. KB sat down with Carla DeSantis, to ask her if female musicians still need an advocate. This is what she had to say…

KB: You started out your notable career as a musician yourself. How and why did you transition from performer to journalistic advocate?

CD: When I was in a band, back in the dark ages of the early ˜80s, I was very influenced by the great women musicians of the day: The Go-Go’s, The Bangles, Heart, Joan Jett, The Motels, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Patti Smith, Bonnie Raitt, Joni Mitchell, etc. There were so many cool women playing so many different styles of music that I was completely inspired to play music myself. As time went on, however, I saw fewer and fewer women that were role models for me and it seemed that über-success for female players and songwriters went away. In fact, the singer/songwriter thing really didn’t open up for women until Lilith Fair happened [over] a decade ago.

The rock magazines were pretty convinced they had a 99% male readership, and addressed their audience as such but I knew that wasn’t true. So I wanted to create a forum to spotlight women, both mainstream and indie, who were breaking barriers and doing cool things as musicians as well as behind the scenes.

KB: Why was it important for you to create a magazine that illuminated female musicians versus both sexes?

CD: When I saw that Riot Grrrl was becoming a brief but important force I was elated. Although most of those bands, including Sleater-Kinney, who grew out of that, never broke through the mainstream (which I still believe is critical to have lasting influence and impact) it was clear to me that Riot Grrrl was about women reclaiming their creative voice. It was a total inspiration and also cemented the idea for me that women’s voices need to be a part of the fabric of music as a whole.

I believe that the more diversity of opinion and style we have in music, the better for the culture as a whole. But so many women I have met over the years have recounted stories of being told by record label execs, “We already have a woman on our label.” It is very disturbing to hear stories about the blatant sexism that goes on behind the scenes and inhibits creative expression. I could see by so many scantily-clothed women on Rolling Stone that mainstream music culture did not care about that, but I did “ deeply “ and still do. ROCKRGRL was meant to be a place where women who wanted to play rock or metal or whatever could be inspired, find like-minds and have “a room of their own.”

KB: How did the notable scene of your hometown of Seattle impact you creatively and professionally?

CD: Seattle is a big “small town,” and the music community here is unlike any other. People are truly supportive and the idea of bombastic success over creative expression doesn’t exist in our mind-set. People are very accessible and make it a point to be that way. You really can do whatever you want here and you can find support. I actually started the magazine when I was living in Northern California but at the ripe, old age of 36, could not find anyone my age still active in music. The people in Seattle value all form of the arts and make attendance and support a priority.

KB: What inspired you to turn ROCKRGRL magazine into a music conference before your decision to end the publication in 2005?

CD: That’s not really how it worked. I’ve done two ROCKRGRL Music Conferences “ 2000 and 2005 “ and am planning another one for 2010, contingent on securing sponsorship dollars to support it. The conferences were “ and are “ ROCKRGRL live, an opportunity for women to talk about issues that are specific to us: how do you tour if you’re a mom, how do you resist pressure to “sex it up” if you don’t want to, ageism, etc. I see ROCKRGRL as in incubator to support women in their efforts to create their music on their own terms. Some of the women who have participated in past conferences are Courtney Love, Ronnie Spector, Ann Wilson, Johnette Napolitano, Patti Smith, The Gossip, Theresa Andersson, Wanda Jackson, Moe Tucker, Exene Cervenka, Amy Ray, Bonnie Raitt, Eliza Gilkyson, Jill Sobule and hundreds more. The 2010 conference will take it up a few more notches.

KB: Has the music industry improved, in terms of the number of women having careers and the manner in which they are portrayed to the public, post-ROCKRGRL? Do we still need advocates?

CD: I think the music industry is so broken and confused that everyone is just doing whatever it is they want regardless, and not chasing down the “record deal” like they once were. But massive success is even harder to achieve than ever (sales are down, the number of new bands that can fill an arena has plummeted). And in my opinion, massive success is really critical. Sure, you can have a nice career and tour and record. But when an 11-year-old girl sees Meg White behind a drum kit, suddenly she thinks, “Hey, that would be fun,” and considers drumming as a thing she could actually do, whether for fun or more seriously. Without those role models, the girls in Peoria never consider playing music. And what better antidote when the rest of the world is telling you that your biggest and only asset is the way you look. (Be thin, be pretty, be quiet.)

KB: What is one piece of wisdom you’d want to share with girls and women who aspire to or are making a career in music?

CD: Seek out musicians in your town who you can talk to. Start your own band with another girl/woman so you have a partner in crime. With the Internet, it’s easy to find community and like-minded people. Sometimes it takes awhile to track down someone or something you really like, but it’s worth it. People are much more accessible through the Internet.

KB: What is one thing you wished the consumers of music understood?

CD: The degree of self-expression that is lost when so much emphasis is put on “image” over lyrical content.

KB: In the wake of ROCKRGRL who are your media counterparts that are dedicated to illuminating music made by women?

CD: Honestly, there aren’t. If you really want inspiration, get a few ROCKRGRL remaining back-issues at www.rockrgrl.com and check out some of the artists inside. You’ll learn about a lot of artists you probably never heard of before “ and get the message LOUD and clear that there’s nothing wrong with being fearless and fierce.

Look for Carla’s weekly OurStage blog, “Fine Tunings”, starting Wednesdays in August.