Breaking bands, booking festivals and why you should join The Collective

There’s no denying it, women and non-binary musicians are finally getting their well deserved time in the sun. However, for every one that’s absolutely rocking it there’s a think piece on the validity of lineup quotas, detracting from the real issue at hand –  just bloody good music.

Enter Beehive PR and 1-2 Entertainment’s Sammie Anschau and The Collective, a brand new showcase that is set to knock the socks off The Landsdowne in Sydney this December.

“I didn’t wanna be one of these people that’s like ‘Oh, it’s a hot topic right now and so we have to do a female thing.’ It was more than that,” Anschau tells TMN.

“There are so many good female bands out there, I just wanted to do a show because it was that easy to get great talent. It wasn’t a hard thing to put together, they’re there, they’re amazing!”

Featuring a lineup headed by Sydney duo Clews, as well as Totty, The Buoys, Cry Club and Spit Chewy it’s a veritable smorgasbord of the hottest talent coming out of Australia at the moment.

“We want to have that vibe in the room on the night of a collective of women and non-binary bands, who are local and are sick musicians, all just together at once,” says Anschau.

Despite Anschau ease at finding acts to fill her lineup, she expresses empathy towards bookers and festival directors doing their best to get a gender even lineup.

“Booking festivals is really hard. There are so many things that have to come together with availabilities and lineups and release schedules,” says Anschau.

“I think a lot of promoters out there are really trying to do the right thing but bands have to say yes, and budgets have to be met, all of that has to happen as well.

“There’s really good intention out there in the industry and people are definitely moving forward with it, it’s really good to see.

The industry wiz is keen to see The Collective continue, not just to keep the inclusivity-fire burning but to help those artists break through into the mainstream.

“I think these are the shows that are just really organic. I think there’s a lot of bands that have naturally broken out, and may not have got radio or things on the back, but because they have such an organic following and their live sets are great that’s how a lot of these bands build their own following. And then they take it to radio and they’re like ‘We’re selling this many tickets, we have an audience,'” says Anschau.

“So they definitely build their own audience just by being themselves and doing their own thing, and it just grows organically, and I think that’s a really great way for music to break through.”

The Collective kicks off on December 8 at The Landsdown Hotel in Sydney, head here for more information.