Last year, a new festival held their first event in the Bay Area in California. Doll Fest describes itself as “a celebration of the feminine energy, friendship, and community gathering together in support of one another.” This year, Doll Fest is back! Volume II will be held THIS WEEKEND in Oakland, CA on March 28th and 29th with a pre-party on the 27th. And the lineup this year is just as jaw dropping and inspiring as the last.
We wanted to get in on the action, so we’ve asked the amazing bands a handful of questions about the festival including who they’re stoked to be playing with and what they think a festival of this caliber means to our scene.
We spoke with Shawna Potter of War on Women about the rare relief of being in a space that prioritizes non-cis-men, the power of not shrinking yourself for anyone else’s comfort, and why Doll Fest feels like both release and resistance. She reflects on feminist rage, collective joy, and the kind of community that reminds younger versions of ourselves we were never alone to begin with. Check out the interview below and grab your tickets to Doll Fest today!
Interview
What does playing a femme-only festival like Doll Fest mean to you personally?
It’s awesome to create a space that prioritizes and celebrates all us non-cis-men. It’s a rare treat to not feel outnumbered in music spaces, so I’m anticipating an almost imperceptible amount of relaxation and ease that doesn’t always exist.
How does playing a festival like this shift the energy—on stage or in the crowd?
I feel like women have more fun? More joy? Less stoicism and ego shit? That’s all learned of course, not an innate judgement of any gender, and pretty generalized, but I just feel like it will just be fucking fun.
What would you want a younger version of yourself to feel seeing this lineup?
That she’s not alone. I was lucky enough to get to play things like this when I was in my first band at 15/16 years old and it was always very liberating and fun to find community.
What does “taking up space” look like for you as a femme musician?
Not shrinking yourself for the benefit of others comfort.
Who are some femme artists—past or present—who have inspired you or paved the way?
The Slits, Babes in Toyland, Bikini Kill, Hole, Etta James, Erykah Badu, Beyoncé and and and
How does your identity influence your music, performance style, or the stories you tell?
I’m sure it influences it ways I’ll never know, it’s just who I am. My experiences are just different, and I can only create from my perspective.
How does your lived experience show up in your lyrics or live performance?
Ha, well, half the first batch of songs I ever wrote were about street harassment, so that was clearly something that was pissing me off! But what I write varies from things I personally experience to my takes on injustices that affect others.
What is one local or regional band near you that you want the whole world to know about and want them to play Doll Fest?
Multicult, Manners Manners, Quatracentra, Anocean, just a couple off the top of my head.
Have you experienced moments where being a femme artist shaped how you were received in the music scene?
Sure, I’ve been taken less seriously and more seriously depending on the other person’s perspective. That’s why it’s so important to be secure in what I do regardless of other people’s opinions.
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