There is one month out of the entire year dedicated to women, and while I think we should have more months dedicated, or, you know, the whole year, I’ll instead take to the internet to showcase how much I love being a woman running a sick ass music/art/skate magazine.
For all of those artists who respond “thanks dude” and “thanks man” in Submithub, this is your warning. Stop assuming that something that is dark, edgy, cerebral, and dope is run by men. In fact, the majority of staff at Left Bank are women.
Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, let’s celebrate the self-identifying women who are making kickass music around the world. I present to you a feature that will be updated daily and can serve as an anthology of sorts of the badass women who have graced our stage.
Have a kickass self-identifying woman you think should be on this list? Email editor@leftbankmag.com
[March 1] Ocean Pleasant – “Premonition”
Ocean Pleasant is like that mermaid best friend you wish you had. With her bright red hair, thoughtful lyrics, and vocals that are soft yet soulful, the Los Angeles artist makes tracks that you can groove to. I first discovered her through the track “Party Trick,” which sounds as wild and joyful as you think; “Premonition” follows similar vibes with a mellowness that soothes my own restless soul.
[March 2] Jaguar Jonze – “Rabbit Hole”
Witness the primal emotion that Brisbane’s Jaguar Jonze (Deena Lynch) unleashes in her new music video for the track “Rabbit Hole.” With only a catalog of three songs (“You Got Left Behind,” “Beijing Baby,” and “Kill Me With Your Love”), Jonze has already established herself as a unique artist, who is both ever-evolving and unpredictable.
She got her stage name after watching a guy emulate Iggy Pop at a tribute night, where she then downed two tequila shots and let out everything that was within her. “Everything I ever suppressed came spilling out. My shame and inhibitions broke down. I wasn’t afraid.” The music video for “Rabbit Hole” breathes life into those fearless words, as she writhes on a doctor’s chair in a bright yellow, monochromatic scene. FLAUNT Magazine called her “nothing short of a manifold visionary” (we agree) and SXSW invited Jonze to make her US live debut at this year’s music festival.
Jonze is also a prolific visual artist, under the name Spectator Jonze, and her gender-subverting photography project Dusky Jonze. Just looking at all of her artwork and ambition makes me need a nap so, Jaguar Jonze if you’re reading this, please tell us your secrets. You’re a downright goddess of a human.
“Everything I do stems from the need for dialogue – Jaguar being an internal dialogue with my subconscious, Spectator being an external dialogue with others on mental health and the mind and Dusky being a dialogue with the body.”