LOUD WOMEN- How a DIY Feminist Punk Community Went Global

Any regular reader of my reviews will know, I have been the official Joyzine LOUD WOMEN correspondent/supporter since first attending LOUD WOMEN fest back in 2022, reviewing the festival for the past 4 years (I have already booked a day off from work this year so I can attend in full) and discovering so many new bands through it, that I namecheck LOUD WOMEN often in my reviews. I have also attended a few of their regular gigs, so I think it’s fair to say I am a big fan.

From my personal experience, I can honestly say events by LOUD WOMEN are some of my favourite events to attend. The atmosphere always feels welcoming and friendly, like joining with a group of friends even when I attend alone, and that’s before even the whole discovering new bands part. Some of the bands that I have discovered to name just a few include- Cassie’s own band I, Doris (who I have now seen six times over the years), YAKKIE, Be Nice! and Loose Articles.

For those who have not yet encountered the wonder that is the brilliant LOUD WOMEN organisation- please allow me to introduce you. Reader, meet LOUD WOMEN, a feminist music collective that was the brainchild of Cassie Fox back in 2015. The CIC not only runs a yearly festival in London and regular live music nights, but a radio show, an e-zine and more all with the purpose of giving a platform to celebrate women, trans and non-binary artists.

The collective has grown beyond London and continues to expand. Whilst the London festival is still their biggest event, impressively in 2026 there will be LOUD WOMEN fest in 13 cities across four continents:

Hamburg
London
Bristol
Newport, South Wales
New York
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Toronto
Colorado
Tokyo
Sydney
Melbourne
Brisbane
Berlin

The organisation continues to spread its message of inclusivity and diversity far and wide. The work of LOUD WOMEN is clearly paying off and is truly inspirational to see.

I spoke to Cassie to delve deeper into the growing evolution of LOUD WOMEN:

1. Looking back to those first LOUD WOMEN gigs in London in 2015, did you ever imagine it would grow into an international movement spanning four continents?

Cassie: Absolutely not. I knew there was a need for it immediately, the reaction to those first gigs made that really obvious, but I didn’t have some grand international masterplan.

At the start it was honestly much simpler than that. I’m a musician myself, so I knew the struggle was real. I had loads of non-male friends in brilliant bands who were struggling to get decent gigs unless they were the token “woman band” on a lineup. There was still this attitude that women in punk and alternative music were some kind of novelty, despite the fact there were loads of incredible artists around. Quite frankly, I just wanted to put on the kind of gigs I wanted to play.

So LOUD WOMEN started as basically: what if we put on gigs where women, trans and non-binary artists were the scene, not the diversity hire?

Over the years we had early gigs from bands like Nova Twins, Big Joanie and Lambrini Girls, artists who went on to become hugely important, but who were already incredible from day one.

The international side happened very organically through friendships and DIY networks. Someone would come to a fest in London, go home and think “we need this in our city”. Australia happened first, then New York, then Halifax, then Berlin, then Tokyo, and now suddenly in 2026 we’ve got LOUD WOMEN Fests happening across thirteen cities across four continents, which is honestly still a bit surreal sometimes.

I think that’s why it’s worked internationally actually. It never felt imposed from above. Each city has built its own version of LOUD WOMEN around its own local scene and community.

2. What do you think it is about LOUD WOMEN that has resonated so strongly with people globally?

Cassie: I think people respond to the fact that it feels real. LOUD WOMEN has never been about chasing trends or trying to look industry-approved. It’s artists putting each other on. It’s bands recommending other bands. It’s musicians helping touring bands out with places to stay, spare gear, contacts, emotional support, cat-sitting, all of it.

There’s also no single “LOUD WOMEN sound”. We’ve had artists like Grace Petrie, Shelf Lives, Lilith Ai, Dream Nails and ARXX all existing under the same umbrella, despite sounding completely different musically.

The common thread is more about values than genre. Community, inclusivity, creativity, political awareness, DIY spirit. I think people want spaces where they can fully be themselves without feeling like they have to fit some industry mould. People are tired of gatekeepers. Especially younger artists. They don’t want to sit around waiting to be chosen anymore. They want to build things themselves, and I think LOUD WOMEN gives people permission to do that.

This year’s London fest is your most international lineup yet. Was building those international DIY connections always part of the vision, or did that grow naturally over time?

Cassie: This year’s London fest really reflects how international the LOUD WOMEN community has become, but that definitely grew naturally over time rather than being some big masterplan. What’s lovely is that almost all of these connections came about through real relationships between artists and grassroots scenes.

Bill Ricky and MADELINE from Canada both came onto our radar after I was invited over to speak at Nova Scotia Music Week, which was honestly brilliant and introduced us to loads of incredible artists and organisers over there.

Bullshit Boy played our Hamburg fest and we absolutely loved them, so inviting them over to London was a no-brainer.

Diva Cup originally applied to play our New York fest but couldn’t make it, then immediately turned around and offered to put on a LOUD WOMEN Fest in their hometown of Boulder, Colorado instead, which pretty much sums up the spirit of this whole thing. So we’re delighted they’re joining us in London too.

Last year we made some wonderful connections with the Ukrainian Institute, supported by the British Council, and we’re really keen to continue building relationships with Ukrainian artists, so we’re very excited to welcome Folkulaka over.

Lady Lazarus pioneered our Fests in Australia, ran LOUD WOMEN Fest Berlin this year and help out behind the scenes with LOUD WOMEN internationally all the time, we absolutely adore them.

Second Idol’s Kate organised LOUD WOMEN Fest Sydney this year and is doing so again, so it feels really special to be bringing them over to the UK.

Similarly, Shiv and the Carvers are running our Toronto fest. And a little closer to home, we’ve got The NaNaz from Wales, who are helping build LOUD WOMEN FEST Newport, and are also joining us for LOUD WOMEN Fest NYC next weekend.

So none of it feels random. It genuinely feels like DIY scenes around the world building something together.

LOUD WOMEN has always felt very community-driven rather than industry-driven. How important has it been to keep that DIY ethos as the platform has grown?

Cassie: Completely essential. Without that, it stops being LOUD WOMEN.

As LOUD WOMEN has grown, it’s been really important to me that we don’t drift into becoming some faceless music industry thing. The DIY ethos is the whole foundation of it. Everything we do is nonprofit, the money goes to the artists, and the festivals are organised collaboratively with local scenes and musicians, not imposed from above.

We’re also really careful about who we work with. Rich Mix is a perfect example, it has charitable status, a real community ethos, and it’s one of the only genuinely all-ages venues in London. That feels aligned with what LOUD WOMEN is about.

Similarly with our partners. We work with organisations like Women for Refugee Women, Rainbow Migration, and Alliance for Choice Northern Ireland, who’ve become part of the LOUD WOMEN family over the years. And if we work with bigger brands like Marshall, Fender or Snag Tights, it’s because they genuinely support what we do and share similar values.

I think people can feel when something is community-driven rather than industry-driven. Bands stay and watch each other, artists recommend each other, audiences come to discover new music rather than stand there judging everything. That atmosphere only exists because the DIY ethos has stayed at the centre of it.

You’ve showcased hundreds of artists over the years. Are there any moments where you’ve really stopped and thought “wow, this has become something much bigger than us”?

Cassie: Definitely. There have been moments where I’ve suddenly realised this has become much bigger than just putting on gigs.

It makes me feel quite squishy and emotional sometimes seeing the community that’s grown around LOUD WOMEN. Obviously the bands are a huge part of that, but also behind the scenes we’ve now got hundreds of team members, organisers, photographers, writers, radio hosts, volunteers and promoters all supporting each other and developing genuine friendships. That’s a really beautiful thing.

And backstage at festivals now, you’ll see artists from different countries instantly connecting, sharing contacts, planning tours together and becoming genuine friends. That’s probably when it hits me most strongly how far this has grown beyond what I originally imagined.

The music industry still has huge gender imbalances, especially in punk, rock and alternative spaces. Do you feel things have genuinely improved since LOUD WOMEN first started?

Cassie: There’s been some progress, but the imbalance remains stark. A 2022 BBC report found only 13 percent of UK festival headliners were female. While a 2024 Keychange study found 63 percent of surveyed organizations had gender balance initiatives, festivals like Transmit in Scotland still haven’t had a female headliner in nearly a decade. Plus, reports continue to highlight discrimination and harassment behind the scenes. So yes, there’s been some movement, but the reality is there’s still a long way to go.

A lot of people (myself included!) have discovered some of their favourite bands through LOUD WOMEN. What does it mean to you seeing artists build audiences, friendships and opportunities through the network?

Cassie: Oh wow, that’s so lovely to hear, and it’s exactly what I hope for everyone at a LOUD WOMEN event. Seeing artists grow their audience, yes, but also build genuine friendships and create opportunities is everything. For example, it’s brilliant to see how bands like ARXX and Bang Bang Romeo, after playing LOUD WOMEN Fest, ended up touring together. It’s more than just gigs—it’s fostering a supportive scene where the connections last.

LOUD WOMEN seems to create spaces where people feel safe to be fully themselves, whether as artists or audience members. How intentional is that atmosphere?

Cassie: It’s completely intentional. Team LOUD WOMEN is majority queer and neurodivergent, and that deeply informs both the vibe we create at our gigs and how we work behind the scenes. We choose accessible venues, diverse lineups, and collaborators who share our values. The goal is always to create a space where artists and audience members can be fully themselves, and that’s at the heart of everything we do.

With festivals now happening everywhere from London to Tokyo to Nova Scotia, have there been any surprising similarities between feminist DIY scenes in different countries?

Cassie: I’ve been genuinely struck by how similar DIY scenes are globally. In Sydney and Melbourne, it felt like home, even on the other side of the world. The core is the same: bands pulling together, helping each other, and building something bigger than the sum of its parts. It’s truly a global thing.

What challenges come with expanding internationally while still keeping that grassroots, artist-focused spirit?

Cassie: The biggest challenge is that LOUD WOMEN has become this enormous beast. It’s now an international network with literally hundreds of moving parts, hundreds of collaborators, and so many emails. So many emails!!

Because we’re working across different time zones now, it’s basically 24 hours a day. I’ll wake up to messages from Australia, go to sleep replying to North America, and somewhere in between there’s Germany, Tokyo, Wales, Bristol, London…

And although we have an amazing team, a lot of it still bottlenecks through me at my kitchen table, while I’m also freelancing across several jobs, being a mum of two, a wife, and occasionally trying to spend some time with my own band too.

Financially, it’s a huge challenge as well. We still don’t have regular funding. My neurodivergent brain has a complete block around funding applications, which is something I’m genuinely struggling with at the moment. So right now LOUD WOMEN survives through ticket sales, merch sales, Patreon support, and quite honestly a hefty chunk of my household budget.

Quite frankly, I get very little sleep these days. I’m mostly running on adrenaline and excitement. It feels like every day brings some new adventure or opportunity. I think I’ve basically booked a Dublin festival today by accident, and Southend is looking likely too.

I would absolutely love to be able to delegate more of the workload, but at the moment the structures and resources just aren’t really there yet. That’s probably the next big challenge for LOUD WOMEN as we continue growing.

What can people expect from this year’s LOUD WOMEN Fest London specifically? Are there any artists or moments you’re especially excited about? I had a peek of the line up so far, and honestly I don’t know any of them yet. That’s one of my favourite parts of attending- discovering exciting bands I haven’t heard yet so any recommendations would be amazing 🙂

Cassie: This year’s LOUD WOMEN Fest London lineup is packed with brilliance. Our international artists include Bill Ricky, MADELINE, Bullshit Boy, Diva Cup, Folkulaka, Second Idol, Shiv and the Carvers, and The NaNaz. Then we’ve got amazing UK artists too. French Toast completely blew us away in Brighton from the moment they walked onstage. Hagar the Womb, Hayley, you must know them, they’ve been punk legends forever. And of course I, Doris, menopausecore kitchenpunks at your service.

SheBeat is our Angel of the North, Skint Knees are one of the most exciting bands coming out of Manchester right now, and THWACK! are so good I booked them twice this year. They’re also playing the LOUD WOMEN stage at Rebellion alongside Lady Lazarus. WREX from Brighton are on basically every tastemaker hot list at the moment too.

Honestly, I think this is our strongest lineup yet. I do say that every year, but I think it’s true every year because the whole thing keeps growing and evolving. And the excitement is definitely there already. Tickets have only just gone on sale and we’ve nearly sold out of the earlybird allocation already, so it’s looking very likely that we’re heading for another sellout.

One thing I really love about LOUD WOMEN FEST London is that it’s genuinely all ages as well. Bring the kids, bring teenagers. I honestly can’t think of another festival of this kind in London where younger people can come along and safely discover their new favourite band.

After 11 years of LOUD WOMEN, what keeps you inspired and motivated to keep building it?

Cassie: When I think I’m exhausted beyond repair, something always happens that reminds me why this matters.

Somebody will come up to me after a gig and say they had the best night. A band will be absurdly grateful because they got their first radio play on the LOUD WOMEN radio show. Or an artist will message to say they were really touched that one of our reviewers took the time to write thoughtfully about their album on loudwomen.org.

This work genuinely means something to people, both artists and audiences. And I think that’s what stops me burning out completely. It’s definitely become something much bigger than me and my increasingly questionable energy levels. (Also, as a freelancer, I don’t really have the luxury of burning out. You just keep going, even if that occasionally means working 24 hour days.)

And LOUD WOMEN keeps evolving all the time. We keep getting invited into new projects, new cities, new collaborations. My neurodivergent brain actually really thrives on that. I’m never going to get bored of LOUD WOMEN because there’s always some new adventure landing in my inbox.

Yes, it’s exhausting. But it’s also brought some absolutely extraordinary experiences into my life. In December me and my bandmate were swimming in the sea in Sydney thinking “this is mad, this is where LOUD WOMEN has taken us.” I feel incredibly lucky.

Thank you so much to Cassie for your answers and for creating such an amazing network that brings so many femmes and allies together. I already can’t wait for my next LOUD WOMEN adventure!