It’s 2021 and somehow music festivals are still announcing all-male headliners, equal pay is a far-off fantasy and women and people of marginalised genders are having to work twice as hard to break into the music industry. Enter: Ladies Music Pub, a grassroots record label and collective created by and for women, gender minorities and non-binary people in the music industry.

Two of its four founding members, Hannah TW and Tyson Mcvey, dreamed up the idea of a supportive network for those marginalised within the music industry in 2015, which initially took the form of a Facebook group. After four years of gaining traction within London’s music scene, Nellie Owusu and Marina Garvey Birch also joined the crew and in February 2021, Ladies Music Pub was officially launched.

Although the label is only a few months old, Ladies Music Pub has already released RnB artist TYSON’s (AKA their very own Tyson Mcvey) debut EP, commissioned a music video and programmed a series of events for women and people of marginalised genders in music. From working with sound engineers and festival programmers to front of house staff and musicians, Ladies Music Pub is taking a refreshingly holistic approach to tackling sexism within the industry.

Text Katie Goh