Rock and metal music have always largely been considered as male-orientated genres. However, female-fronted bands have been around for years, and are helping to change that stereotypical view. Women in rock have a special place in the music industry as they have the chance to use their voice to express female empowerment and inspire girls around the world to simply be themselves.
Lzzy Hale (Halestorm)
Lzzy Hale and her younger brother Arejay started the band Halestorm when she was only 13 years old. They quickly gained global recognition due to their exhausting tour schedule which consists of up to 250 shows a year. Lzzy’s songwriting style often includes lyrical themes such as sexual and female empowerment with personal songs such as ‘Do Not Disturb’ and ‘I Am The Fire’. Her powerful vocals on the single ‘Love Bites (So Do I)’ led to the band receiving their first Grammy award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance in 2013.
Amy Lee (Evanescence)
Amy Lee is one of the most popular voices in mainstream rock music. She’s the founding member of the band Evanescence which received global success after the release of their single ‘Bring Me To Life’ in 2003. Her recognisable vocals include three octaves and bring an ethereal and dramatic feel to the band’s music. Amy’s fashion style often includes clothes she made herself to preserve the atmosphere of her songs while performing on stage. Evanescence will perform in Glasgow’s SSE Hydro on April 28th 2020.
Taylor Momsen (The Pretty Reckless)
Taylor Momsen started her career as a model and actress, best known for her role in the TV drama series Gossip Girl. However, she wanted to pursue her passion for music and founded the band The Pretty Reckless in 2009 when she was just 16 years old. Taylor brought a new younger voice to the rock genre and even broke records becoming the only female-fronted band to have their first four singles climb to number 1 on the mainstream rock charts. Their new highly anticipated album titled ‘Death by Rock and Roll’ is set to be released later this year.
Maria Brink (In This Moment)
Maria Brink rose to fame as the lead singer of the American metal band In This Moment. Her tough childhood inspired her to become an artist as she began songwriting at a young age to express her emotions and struggles. Maria’s signature screaming and raspy vocals help her portray lyrics about her positive and negative life experiences and turning her weaknesses into strengths. The band’s latest work includes religious themes and imagery with their new album ‘Mother’ set to be released on March 27th 2020.
Tarja Turunen (ex-Nightwish)
Tarja Turunen is a Finnish heavy metal singer-songwriter who became famous as a member of the band Nightwish. She is a professional classical singer with an impressive vocal range of three octaves. The combination of her dramatic opera-style lead vocals and the sound of hard and fast guitar riffs led to the band Nightwish achieving critical and commercial success worldwide. Even though she left the band in 2005, Tarja started working on her solo career releasing seven studio albums to date and continuously touring the world. She will be performing at the Garage in Glasgow on March 20th 2020.
