Why Grimes wants to do things herself

In a recent interview with The New Yorker, the punk pop star Grimes admitted to refusing to hire established producers and songwriters, especially those who are male. The quixotic artist said: “I can’t use an outside engineer, because, if I use an engineer, then people start being, like, ‘Oh! That guy just did it all.’"

“It’s a mostly male perspective — you’re mostly hearing male voices run through female performers. I think some really good art comes of it, but it’s just, like, half the population is not really being heard,” she added.

It’s not the first time that she’s spoken out about problems within her professional creative environments. In Dazed’s Autumn/Winter 15 issue the artist also spoke out about men being unprofessional in the industry, including producers, saying: “You get good people, but there are just some bad people.”

“I went into a work situation with people being sexually creepy. It was more the engineers at the studio. You might be in there with someone cool, and then an engineer says, ‘Here’s my number,’ and I’m like, ‘Can you not give me your number while I’m at work and you’re supposed to be working for me? For real?’ I’d like to be able to go to work and not be asked on a date. I’d like to go to work and be allowed to touch the computer,” she recalled.

Seems completely fair enough.