In honor of Women’s History Month, Atwood Magazine has invited artists to participate in a series of essays reflecting on identity, music, culture, inclusion, and more.
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Today, British singer/songwriter Elles Bailey reflects on her journey as an independent artist to highlight the persistent gender imbalance in the music industry, emphasizing that behind the statistics are real artists and missed opportunities. Through firsthand experiences and industry involvement, she underscores the importance of gatekeepers in creating meaningful change by actively supporting and amplifying women’s voices. Ultimately, she advocates for greater visibility and representation, noting that a more inclusive music scene benefits both artists and audiences alike.
Elles Bailey is a fiercely independent artist whose gritty, unmistakable voice has defined a decade-long rise in the Americana and blues scenes. Her latest album, ‘Can’t Take My Story Away,’ is a deeply personal and empowering work, shaped over three years and rooted in nearly a decade of songwriting. The record traces her journey from self-doubt and burnout to confidence and self-acceptance, weaving themes of resilience, love, and personal freedom throughout.
Known for her authenticity and emotional depth, Bailey transforms life’s challenges into songs that feel both intimate and universally resonant. With multiple awards and chart success behind her, she continues to stand out as one of the UK’s most compelling and evolving artists.
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BEYOND THE NUMBERS
Visibility, Gatekeepers, and the Future of Women in Music
by Elles Bailey
When we talk about International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, it’s easy to fall into the habit of listing statistics.
The numbers are well known: Despite years of conversations and initiatives, there is still a clear disparity in gender balance across festival line-ups, touring circuits and venue programming.
But behind those statistics are real artists, real careers, and real moments of change.
Before I get started, I should probably introduce myself. I’m Elles Bailey, a singer/songwriter and a presenter on Planet Rock Radio. I’ve been a full-time solo artist for around ten years now, touring across the UK, heading into Europe, and recording 5 studio albums both at home and stateside in Nashville.
I’m a lover of all kinds of roots music and a passionate supporter of emerging artists, especially women in music. I’m also incredibly driven, which is an important trait as an independent artist. In the first few years of my career I was very focused on building my own path, working hard, touring constantly, and simply trying to make a living from music. Because of that, I didn’t always stop to look closely at the wider scene around me or notice the disparities between men and women within it.
I feel incredibly lucky in my career to have been supported by several grassroots music communities in the UK.
The UK blues scene were the first to really take notice and champion me early on. I began by playing opening slots on festival stages and, over time, worked my way up to headlining many of those same festivals. The UK Americana community has also been a huge supporter of my journey. In 2020 I was honoured to win UK Song of the Year at the UK Americana Awards for my song “Little Piece of Heaven,” which I wrote with Dan Auerbach and Bobby Wood.
It was actually at that awards ceremony, held at Troxy in London, that something really struck me. At the end of the evening, the then-CEO of Americana Music Association UK, Stevie Smith, addressed the room and pointed out something remarkable: all seven of the voted-for award categories that night had been won by women.
It was a wonderful moment – a room full of artists and industry figures celebrating that fact. But the following day brought a very different perspective. When the nominations for the UK Blues Awards were announced, there were around fifty-five nominees in total. Only three, if I remember correctly, were women.
Having those two experiences back-to-back really jolted me.
One scene had just celebrated an evening dominated by female winners, while another revealed how few women were even making it onto the nominations list. It made me step outside my own career for a moment and look more closely at the bigger picture.
That year I was lucky enough to win two awards at the UK Blues Awards, and I decided to use my acceptance speech to highlight the issue. I spoke about the lack of female nominees and said that while it might appear to be a blues-scene issue, it was really a reflection of a much wider challenge across the music industry. It wasn’t about blame – it was about opening up a conversation.
Shortly afterwards I was invited to join the board of the UK Blues Federation, and I’ve been part of it ever since. It’s given me the chance to do what I can to help highlight and support female artists within the scene.
Another important step in my journey came in 2022 when I joined Planet Rock Radio as a presenter.
Being behind the microphone on a national rock station is a real privilege, and it’s something I take seriously. Rock music has historically been a very male-dominated space, so whenever I’m putting together playlists or talking about new artists, I try to make sure that brilliant women in rock and roots are properly represented and heard.
Awards are often where the conversation begins because they act as a snapshot of a year in music. But the reality is that the real change happens much earlier in the chain. It sits with the gatekeepers of the industry – presenters, venue bookers, promoters, festival programmers, radio producers – the people deciding who gets those early opportunities, who gets the support slots, who gets played, and ultimately who gets seen.
Gender balance doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when people consciously widen the net and make space for a broader range of voices.
It’s exceedingly important to remember that artists like me are building on foundations laid by remarkable inspiration females who lead the way before us, carving their own paths in the industry. Trailblazers like Janis Joplin, Etta James, Mavis Staples and Bonnie Raitt who not only have made incredible music – but have challenged expectations about what women could sound like, sing about and stand for. Bringing soul, grit, authenticity, vulnerability and strength to so many stages so often dominated by men, and in doing so they expanded the possibilities for everyone who followed.
And moving forward to now – there are so many incredible women making music right now across blues, Americana, rock and roots.
They’re writing powerful songs, leading bands, producing amazing records and building audiences. The talent is there in abundance – sometimes it just needs the platform.
That’s why conversations around Women’s History Month matter. Not because we want special treatment, but because visibility matters. When young artists see women on stage, on line-ups, on radio shows and winning awards, it quietly tells them: there is a place for you here too.
And the more we keep that door open, the more beautiful the tapestry will be and the richer the music scene becomes for everyone! – Elles Bailey
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