US artist Brix Smith has been appointed as the new president of The F-List, a first of its kind music industry directory of female and gender minority musicians, songwriters and composers.
Launched last year, The F-List directory already lists more than 5,000 professional musicians and is designed to make it easy for the likes of festival organisers who want to promote female artists to discover a vast range of talent outside of their own network.
Over the past 12 months, The F-List has been working with numerous festivals and events in a variety of ways, from sourcing female musicians and helping to curate lineups, to supporting and celebrating already female friendly lineups.
Replacing last year’s president, award-winning artist Anoushka Shankar, is songwriter and musician, Brix Smith. Formerly a key member of Manchester post-punk icons The Fall, Smith says she is committed to creating a future where gender equality is celebrated and properly represented throughout the music industry.
"The F-list is an incredible resource and a highly valuable support system for females within the UK music industry,” she said. “At long last there exists a vehicle that collates our talents and skills across multiple facets of the music industry, connecting us, supporting us, and highlighting our assets to the wider world.
“I have been a female in the music industry for 38 years, (since the age of 19) when I joined The Fall as a guitarist and songwriter. If you look at my hands you will see the scars from punching the glass ceiling. Though at times it’s been daunting, I was lucky enough to have a strong mother who told me, 'You can be anything you want in this world, don’t let the fact that you are a woman stop you'.
