“Remember, ‘feminism’ isn’t a dirty word.” These words rang loud and clear from the Skullcandy stage as War On Women’s set came to a close in the first hour of the Hartford, CT date of this year’s Vans Warped Tour. It was impossible to miss singer Shawna Potter’s powerful voice and the band’s contagious energy, even from across the grounds at Xfinity Theater.
The Baltimore-based thrash punks in War On Women have made their presence known on the tour this year. They ran workshops on making music more welcoming to people of all genders, sexualities, abilities, and other identities. They brought an organization called Safer Scenes to teach concertgoers how to be active bystanders and intervene when they see harassment or assault occur at a show, and partner with bands like Anti-Flag and Bad Cop / Bad Cop to spread their message. All of this on top of Potter’s blogs reflecting on their experience on the tour for VICE’s Noisey.
We sat down with Potter to talk about being a loud and proud feminist band on Warped Tour in a conglomeration of scenes dominated by men, punk’s role in politics, and–of course–pizza. Continue reading ‘I cannot debate human rights’ | Interview with Shawna of War On Women
Based in New York, Manic Kat Records have been helping indie punk artists navigate the music business since 2009. They emphasize collaboration and interpersonal connections in all of their work, and put forth an an artists-first philosophy that ensures the artists and label grow together. Manic Kat have signed acts like Rival Town, Wired for Havoc and Bad Case of Big Mouth in their eight years in operation, and have seen their artists featured in outlets like Alternative Press.
