Please tell us your story! How did you get to where you are today?
Emmy: when I look back on my journey there’s definitely a big element of feeling like I was blindly bumbling around in the dark on my hands and knees for a really long time, trying not to knock over shit but still accidentally doing it anyway. I had no idea where I wanted to be or how the hell to get there. But I guess I trusted myself to figure it out along the way. I made more than my fair share of blunders, but I learned from them, I kept going and found more direction, and I eventually found my way here.
I almost quit music so many times before RedHook released our first song. Years of dealing with band members who don’t share your goals or work ethic or back your creative vision has a way of really burning you out and making you doubt yourself. But I was fortunate that I had at least a few people in my orbit who encouraged me to believe in myself. When RedHook released our first song, the band literally just consisted of myself and my guitarist/songwriting partner Craig. We had no other members, we just decided “fuck it, let’s release this music and see what happens”. Then the music caught fire, everything else fell into place around said fire and we’ve been non-stop ever since.
Monica: For me, I always knew I wanted to be a performer. I played bass in a couple of bands in high school and the dream was to move to L.A. after graduating, but in the end I decided to study music in Sydney instead. I founded what I thought was my dream band towards the end of uni which is actually how I met Emmy – our bands played together all the time! That band didn’t last though and 7 years ago I moved down to Melbourne to start my life again. That’s not only when The Last Martyr was born, but when I started to take my career as a journalist and music industry coach more seriously, worked my ass off 24/7 taking as many opportunities as I could and have had some amazing experiences since!
But like Emmy, I also felt lost on how to turn music into my career and have nearly quit music too many times to count! That’s why events like nEX GEn are so important – I want to help other musicians stay true to their dreams too.
Why did you want to get into the music industry?
Monica: I had a pretty turbulent upbringing and writing songs was such an important outlet for me when I was younger. Creating and performing has always been like therapy and I’ve always wanted to help others get through tough times and be there for them like music has been for me. Touring, travelling, meeting new people, filming music videos, creating art, rock n’ roll…it’s my idea of a great time!
Emmy: I really had no idea what I wanted to do or be, I always just knew that I loved music and that I wanted to fill my life with it. I don’t even think it was a conscious choice, I just kept getting drawn into opportunities that kept me involved in the music industry in some capacity, like a moth to an inferno
Monica: “ultimately you’ve got to be your own biggest cheerleader if you want to be successful. No one will believe in your art more than you, so you have to back yourself”
Do you feel that higher education is a necessary step to enter the music industry?
Monica: Definitely not! When I studied music there were still so many gatekeepers and not a lot of platforms for artists or information available online in terms of how to make a career from music. Of course, now it’s totally different and as long as you’re proactive, you can find everything you need to succeed.
Emmy: Fuck no! No diss on higher education, I got myself a Bachelor’s degree in Media & Comms just because I had no idea wtf else to do with myself after high school, but I reckon I could have easily achieved everything I have today without it (and without the massive and ever-inflating debt that comes along with it!). Like Mon said, educating yourself is important, but depending on which path in the industry you’re keen to pursue, I reckon you’ll probably get just as much, if not more, success simply by surrounding yourself with good mentors, doing your own research, being proactive and motivated and learning by doing.
Let’s talk about the highs vs the lows of your career. What is your greatest achievement?
Monica: It’s hard to pick because I still have so much I want to do! But looking out into the crowd and seeing other women vibe to my band is always very special and rewarding because I didn’t have many female role models growing up.
Emmy: I’ve achieved a lot of big milestones over the past few years that I feel super proud of and grateful for! But I think the biggest one would have to be topping the Australian ARIA album chart back in November with RedHook’s sophomore album. That’s a pretty rare feat for a completely independent, female-fronted heavy band and it’s a big testament to all of our hard work and the amazing, dedicated community of fans we’ve built around us
Who has been your biggest champion in your career?
Monica: Myself! I’ve got a lot of supportive people around me, but ultimately you’ve got to be your own biggest cheerleader if you want to be successful. No one will believe in your art more than you, so you have to back yourself.
Emmy: I have to shout out my producer and good mate Stevie Knight here. He pretty much single-handedly stopped me from quitting music when I was at my lowest, back before RedHook had released any songs. And he continues to be a huge creative force in a lot of the music we create. Also my publicist Rob Carroll, who’s been something of a Mr. Miyagi mentor, helping me navigate this crazy industry since we were both starry eyed little wannabes on the sleepy NSW Cenny Coast.
What is the best piece of life advice you’ve ever received?
Monica: Find what you love and figure out a way to get paid for it – My Dad.
Emmy: Haha I just read Monica’s answer and I’m immediately backing her dad here! Mine would be “lift as you climb” – I can’t remember who told me that but I try to live my life by that mantra.
What would you tell your younger self if you could tell them anything?
Monica: You are good enough. Put yourself out there and stop waiting for outsiders to give you permission.
Emmy: You got this, kid. Don’t let the bastards get you down. You might feel like a fuck-up right now but one day you’re gonna turn that into your superpower.
Monica: “I think it makes it harder for women in heavy music to break through as a lot of the time people don’t know what to do with us and how to position us in the market”
What is your big picture career goal?
Monica: To tour and play festivals overseas!
Emmy: To keep growing to the point where I’m making a sustainable long-term living from writing and playing music 🙂
Who are your top 3 ‘artists to watch’?
Monica: Melbourne’s Nightlight are doing something so fresh, and of course, you can catch them at nEX GEn! Torizon from Brissy are writing some powerful tunes about fertility and a lot of issues that don’t really get talked about. Also, really vibing Tamworth artist, Noctica, whose electro-goth sounds put me in a trance.
Emmy: Definitely backing Monica on Nighlight – their music is so unique and cool and different, it feels like a breath of fresh air in this genre – also their live show kicks ass!! I’m gonna shoutout As December Falls from the UK again too, they’ve got a new album coming out that I’m super excited to hear. Also check out Vana from NZ – she’s huge on TikTok and I love the badass sexually-empowered femininity she’s been injecting into metal!
Emmy: “I should confess that there’s also a sick, twisted part of me that almost enjoys being under-estimated. I’ve always used it as fuel and motivation to reach even higher.”
Who are your role models in the industry be they local or international?
Monica: It’s been really cool to watch the journey of Courtney LaPlante and Spiritbox. I had the privilege of interviewing Courtney and Mike Stringer on my podcast a couple of years ago shortly before they really started to break through with ‘Blessed Be’ and get insights into their vision and the work they were putting in to get off the ground – it was such as valuable insight because pretty sure Courtney was still working her cafe job at the time. I’d followed their career since the start so to see where they are now is incredible. Finally we might have a female-fronted band headline a festival and that’s a win for us all that’s been a long time coming.
Emmy: We’re touring with a femme-fronted band called As December Falls across the UK and Europe this October – they’re good mates of ours and their journey has been so inspiring. Like RedHook, they’ve built themselves up completely independently, they own all their masters and they’re just getting bigger and better and just plain ruling. It’s really cool to see!
As an artist what is important for you to see at your shows when it comes to audience engagement, what message would you love for them to take away?
Monica: I think it’s important everyone expresses themselves in a way that feels good to them. For some, that’s jumping in the mosh. For others it may look like standing at the back but dressed in an outfit that makes them feel utterly unstoppable. Of course as a band we just want to see the crowd engaging whether that’s moving, singing along or just being in the moment.
Emmy: The most important thing for me is to create a strong environment of safety, community and catharsis. We want everyone to leave our shows with a full heart, feeling like they were a part of something special. Feeling seen, connected, invigorated.
As a woman in heavy music, what have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced—and how have you navigated them?
Emmy: I think the ageism and this idea that your value as an artist is tied intrinsically to your looks is still a lot worse for women in music generally – I hate that mindset so much and I really hope we see it die a quick and painful death as the gatekeepers continue to fall amid the rise of social media and self-made artists. But I’ve definitely felt that “ticking clock” panic – it was instilled into me in my early 20’s by some old white male industry veterans (ofc) – and it’s almost caused me to make some terrible career decisions more than once – “Soon I’ll be too old to succeed! This could be my last shot so I’d better sign this shitty record deal!” Luckily, I’ve been fortunate enough to have smart, good people around me who helped me stay the course.
When it comes to heavy music specifically, I think shaking the pressure to be “heavier” musically / more masculine aesthetically in the hope that your peers will respect you and take you more seriously was also a big challenge I’ve had to grapple with. These days I’m feeling a lot more comfortable embracing my femininity in my art, and that’s thanks in part to the incredible and accepting community of fans we’ve built and also in part to all of the other amazing femme artists in the scene right now who constantly inspire me.
But I think ultimately, these kinds of challenges exist because women taking up space in heavy music is still a relatively new thing. The paradigms don’t exist yet. Which makes it harder at first, but it’s also kind of cool because it means we get to be the ones to create them!
Monica: FULLY backed on the ageism thing! I’ve been loving Shirley Manson’s commentary on this since they’ve reformed. Additionally, I think people hear a female voice and automatically want to associate the sound with ‘pop’ music. Men can somehow get away with writing melodic tunes and not have to be labeled that way. I think it makes it harder for women in heavy music to break through as a lot of the time people don’t know what to do with us and how to position us in the market. But I think taking the time to understand what you’re doing and how to position and promote yourselves – which is really hard to do and can take time to figure out – will help inform people what you’re about.
Monica: “My message is to promoters – we need you to implement “Michael’s Law”
Is there a message you would like to give to others in the industry that doesn’t work in your line of work? Eg. Bookers, label leaders, producers etc.
Monica: My message is to promoters – we need you to implement “Michael’s Law” again – an unspoken rule that there must be at least one Australian act supporting overseas the artists they bring out. There are now incentives in place to encourage this in NSW, but no other state. Compared to other markets, there are far fewer opportunities here in Australia so we need to do the right thing and not limit the opportunities our emerging artists have any further. At the point where The Last Martyr are, it’s so fucking imperative to grow and you can’t help but be affected business-wise and emotionally when you see tour after tour in your own country without an Australian act.
Emmy: Fully back Monica on this! I hate seeing big international tour packages with no local representation in an economic climate where meaningful live opportunities have already become more scarce than ever. I’d also really love to see the rest of the Australian music industry stop turning its nose up at heavy music. A lot of the time it feels like we’re the Harry-Potter-banished-to-live-under-the-stairs of this industry. But if you look at the Zeitgeist over the past few years, heavy music festivals have been thriving while many mainstream festivals have collapsed or gone on hiatus. Splendour’s just taken another year off while the Parkway Drive-headlined Hellfest sold out in 7 minutes. Heavy music is increasingly topping the album charts and countless heavy tours are selling out. I’d love to see more support and representation for local heavy artists on the radio, on mainstream festival lineups and at big flashy industry events.
When I grow up I want to be or I want to see?
Monica: I want to see adventure!
Emmy: I want to see the whole damn world!
What advice would you give to a young girl picking up a guitar, screaming into a mic, or stepping into the pit for the first time?
Monica: Take up space. You deserve to be there!
Emmy: 1000% what she said!
Have you ever felt underestimated or boxed in because of your gender? How do you push back against those limitations?
Monica: Yeah, from time to time. Like just last week we played a support show and the house sound engineer introduced himself to everyone in the band except me – and I was standing on the fucking stage right next to them! Super annoying and a younger version of me would have let him get away with it – not anymore!
Also, especially, when it comes to opening up for bigger artists, the audience doesn’t really know you or what to expect – supports are always on trial, but I feel like as a woman we’re even further under the microscope. But we just do what we do and it’s cool to see people’s facial expressions change within the first few songs and visibly see they’re enjoying it. Often we’ll get the cringey line, “I don’t usually like female singers, but I really liked your band,” which is such a weird thing to say out loud and just highlights biases still out there . But at the end of the day, we just need to write the best songs and give the best performance we can. Whether people like us or not is none of our business.
Emmy: Less so these days, but definitelyyyyyy a lot when I was first starting out. I think we’ve all experienced the horrors of being mistaken for a girlfriend and being asked to vacate the band-only space. I really hope that happens less to new female artists these days. And tbh nobody should be treating girlfriends that way, either!
I should confess that there’s also a sick, twisted part of me that almost enjoys being under-estimated. I’ve always used it as fuel and motivation to reach even higher. You can blow people’s minds that much harder when they’ve made the mistake of underestimating you 😛
Emmy: “What we’re seeing right now is this beautiful explosion of diverse talent at the grassroots – the very top – festival headliner status – the diversity of the acts at those levels drops off exponentially.”
Do you feel a responsibility to represent or mentor the next generation of women in heavy music? How do you approach that?
Monica: The older I get the more I realise how important representation is. For years I mentored bands and artists all over the globe – many of them femme – so it felt good to give back to the community that way. I’m now focusing all my time and energy into The Last Martyr so now, I think the most important thing is for me to be the most authentic version of myself and I can be so I can be the representation I didn’t have much growing up.
Emmy: Definitely! I haven’t done any formal mentoring like Monica has, but I’m hoping this nEX GEn panel will be a great way to inspire, educate and uplift a lot of aspiring women in heavy music and help them learn to scream, both literally and figuratively!
What are some of the most meaningful ways you’ve seen the heavy music scene becoming more inclusive—or what work still needs to be done?
Monica: Work can always be done but I think now is the most exciting time for diverse artists in the heavy space! There’s been a big push to include more women on festival line-ups in Australia, for example. The majority of tours I see still do not have any acts with female or non-binary representation which really stings. But it’s getting better.
Emmy: What we’re seeing right now is this beautiful explosion of diverse talent at the grassroots. It’s so cool and inspiring. The big issue we’re facing is that once you start to climb higher up the industry food chain, to artists that can sell-out 300 cap rooms, 500 cap rooms, command a slot at the bottom of a big festival lineup, the middle of a big festival lineup and then finally the very top – festival headliner status – the diversity of the acts at those levels drops off exponentially. That’s what UsFest is all about – championing that grassroots talent in the hope of elevating it up the food chain and impacting positive systemic changes higher-up.
What role does community play in your experience as a heavy artist? Have you found support networks among other women or marginalized musicians?
Monica: The women in my network are so important to me. I have a roster of girlfriends I know I can go to if I’m struggling or want to bounce ideas, and they know they can always come to me as well – it’s absolutely essential to survive this industry! We toured with Future Static and Aurateque in January and it’s been my favourite run so far – the comradery on the road was so special. Not to be dramatic but I’d die for them.
Emmy: The sisterhood vibes are strong! Everyone supports and uplifts each other and I think that’s so beautiful!
What can we all look forward to for 2025, any big projects you can let us in on?
Monica: We’re back in the studio! I’m so excited about the demos we’re working on so stay tuned for new music!
Emmy: Same here! RedHook have started writing again and we’ve got a pretty stacked live itinerary overseas with tours in Japan/Europe/UK as well. Currently working on something very special for when we get back home in November too, watch this space
What is your go-to Karaoke song?
Monica: ‘Lose Yourself’ by Eminem, though Emmy and I did a horrifying/heartfelt version of ‘Livin’ On A Prayer’ at a Fitzroy bar once. Thankfully we were the only patrons that night!
Emmy: Anything by Creed but you HAVE to sing it in your best Scott Stapp voice!