CMS Podcast

Sophie Kilbride, a freshman at Washington College, delves into indie rock music and analyzes how current artists are breaking down barriers within the genre. She focuses on Boy Genius, an indie supergroup consisting of CB Richards, Julian Baker, and Lucy Dacus. Despite facing challenges related to their identities as queer women in the music industry, Boy Genius has achieved significant success and is actively empowering the voices of traditionally marginalized communities. They challenge stereotypes and strive for inclusivity and authenticity in their music. By refusing to conform to gender norms, Boy Genius is shifting demographics in the industry and opening doors for a diverse range of musicians. Their activism and visibility as a queer band are important for representation and making marginalized communities feel loved and accepted. Hi everyone, I'm Sophie Kilbride, a freshman at Washington College. In this episode, I will delve into indie rock music to analyze current artists breaking down barriers within the genre. As an avid music lover and concertgoer, I've seen many of these trailblazing artists live, such as Boy Genius, Claude, Arlo Parks, and Girl in Red, providing me with the foundation to understand how their work is actively empowering the voices of traditionally marginalized communities. Focusing mainly on the recent success of Boy Genius and their first full-length studio album The Record, I will analyze the ways this band bends stereotypical gender roles to shatter alternative music traditions. Boy Genius is an indie supergroup consisting of artists CB Richards, Julian Baker, and Lucy Dacus. Despite all of them seeing significant success as solo artists, their recent collaboration has launched them into A-list stardom, winning Best Alternative Music Album at the 2024 Grammy Awards. Boy Genius's sound is greatly inspired by classic rock. Songs like Satanist and $20 echo work from Band of Skulls, Nirvana, and Paramore. As noted by Richard Campbell in his book Me and Culture, rock was the first genre to flirt with issues regarding gender and sexuality. Campbell writes, Rock and roll was the first popular music genre to overtly confuse issues of sexual identity and orientation. During this early period, though, the most sexually outrageous rock and roll performer was Little Richard. He'd learned the lines between masculinity and femininity because he feared the consequences of becoming a sex symbol for white girls. Reminiscent of Little Richard, the members of Boy Genius have also faced challenges related to their identities. As queer women in the music industry, their achievements as a band are often attributed to their status as LGBTQ plus women, rather than their genuine creative talent. Making up only a small portion of women-identifying queer musicians, Boy Genius has sparked awareness about the lack of minority representation in the alternative music scene. Al Jazara's YouTube video on sociologist Stuart Hall looked at this phenomenon, saying, What he did was controversial. He was looking at the power of mainstream media in representing race, gender, class, ethnicity, and religion. Hall said that those discourses are not innocent, that hidden in mass media is ideology. The media theorist's job is to find that ideology, expose it, and critique it, which is what I will do today, along with the help of Lily Stracco, a gender and sexuality studies major at the University of Pittsburgh. I want to start by talking about the power of a name. What's so powerful about an all-girl group calling themselves Boy Genius? Well, I remember reading the Rolling Stones interview, and the journalists actually asked them about this. Phoebe actually said that it was kind of a mockery of a stereotypical indie guy, the kind of guy who commands attention in a crazy way. This kind of guy who's always talking without ever actually saying anything, not anything important at least. Yeah, I've actually heard a similar thing. Boy Genius likes to poke fun at traditional music stereotypes, but do you think there's maybe a more radical element to their name? Oh, definitely, though it might be a bit more understated. Women have always been taught to make themselves small, and when you have a woman trying to make it in this industry, there's always a producer or engineer around them who's a man, and often this dynamic tries to seal them up in a box. Chapel Rowan's a really good example of this, since she's been blowing up recently. She's one of the biggest pop stars in the world right now, despite being dropped by Atlantic Records a few years ago. She's opened up about the many ways the company held her back through legal contracts and emotional suffocation. Chapel has been candid about how hopeless she felt during that time. Putting out music independently has completely changed her life and her career, but this is an ending not many women, especially queer women, receive in the music industry. How do you see artists like Boy Genius shifting demographics in the industry? How are they changing the kinds of faces being represented in music? I honestly think it's their refusal to be anyone but themselves that's shifting demographics. They ended every show on their US tour by making out with each other. They've embraced a lifestyle of queer joy, but in the public eye. This has sparked a new era for alternative music because it's opening the door for a diverse range of musicians. Despite not having asked for a political platform, the band has truly embraced being a visibly queer band in a world that's currently so hostile to the LGBTQ plus community. At their Nashville show, they all dress up in drag to protest Tennessee's anti-drag show legislation. They're not afraid to be different or to say what they believe in, and it's changing young people's lives. Boy Genius makes you feel loved, and this is especially important for queer and trans kids who may not have felt that way in a while. That is why representation matters. Alright, well, thanks for coming on the show. This has been very insightful. Yeah, of course, Sophie. Thank you so much for having me. The Boys, a self-prescribed nickname, have been a shock to the mainstream music scene. Between entering every show to Thin Lizzy's classic rock anthem, The Boys Are Back in Town, and recreating Nirvana's iconic Rolling Stones cover decked out in pinstripe suits, Boy Genius spits in the face of a pop scene that is set on pitting women against each other. Lead singer of indie rock band Beach Bunny, Lili Trefilo, spoke to 14East Magazine about the reality of being a female presenting musician. She said, Being the only femme in my band can be really frustrating sometimes because I don't feel heard or more so I feel powerless despite having the greatest position of power in the band. Trefilo goes on to explain that the media often waters down her success with gossip stories and rumors about her personal life, which leads her to feel underappreciated and not taken seriously as a professional musician. But Boy Genius hasn't let the toxic nature of the industry get to them. Rather, the first track on Boy Genius' record poses a question, sung by three voices in harmony, Who Would I Be Without You? A line that highlights what the record is all about, celebrating our friends and loving them unconditionally. So it's safe to say that Boy Genius is not the girl group of your dreams. The band has rejected time and time again the idea that gender must inform their art, and as a fan it's important to see Phoebe, Julian, and Lucy as more than just figureheads. In the long history of girl groups, Boy Genius represents a refreshing new take on the tired trope of women performing for the sake of male enjoyment. They are a collective of queer women who have come together to make their own art, uplifting and challenging each other in the process. It's inspiring to see their friendship flourish in a world that's so set on comparing female artists to each other. And while it's important to separate a band from its politics, Boy Genius can certainly do both. Chris Willman, a music critic and journalist for Variety, spoke with Boy Genius about activism. In this article, Boy Genius references American folk legend Joan Biaz as a source of inspiration. Phoebe said, Politicians aren't being politicians, they're being TV stars. And Lucy continues, But Joan Biaz set this example of because you're a human, you have to stand for things. So it's not because we're musicians that we care about these causes, it's because we're people and we would be caring about them if we had office jobs. A lot of people are afraid to do that, and she wasn't, and it's a great example for us. We are not very afraid to say what we believe. In conclusion, Boy Genius transcends the traditional expectations placed on girl groups, offering a fresh perspective that challenges gender norms in the music industry. Their refusal to conform to the notion that gender should dictate their art is not only empowering but also emblematic of a broader movement towards inclusivity and authenticity in music. As fans, it is essential to recognize and celebrate the complexities of their work as both artists and activists who are pushing the boundaries of creativity.