Unleash The Archers’ Brittney Slayes joins Beyond the Boys Club, the latest addition to the Consequence Podcast Network. Beyond the Boys Club is hosted by journalist, musician, and radio host Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio and the music outfit Upon Wings, spinning off from the interview column of the same name. The series highlights women and non-binary musicians as they offer their perspectives on the industry and discuss their personal experiences. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Canadian power metal band Unleash the Archers are back with a new album, Phantoma, a concept record that combines massive melodies with thunderous rhythms and guitars.
Vocalist Brittney Slayes has been a fan of metal music since she was a child. She’s fronted Unleash the Archers since 2007, and has seen it all when it comes to women in metal.
“It was a fight for a while there,” she says. “People were kind of like, ‘Oh cool, a novelty, having a chick in the band.’ It still feels like that sometimes…I’m not saying any bands in particular, but a band playing a kind of uninspired, been there, done that, death metal or something goes for years with a guy fronting the band. Then, they think, well, let’s put a girl in here. Then all of a sudden, they blow up or whatever. So, it’s too bad that it’s this thing that people can use as a tool, to have a girl in their band. But, it’s getting better, for sure.”
She adds, “But for a long time, it was just like in interviews and stuff, really dumb questions. Like, what’s it like to be a female on tour?’ It’s like, what’s it like to be a guy on tour? What do you mean? Or, why do you play heavy metal? And it’s like, because I love heavy metal. What’s so weird about that? So, it was kind of a tough time. But, it’s awesome out there now. I love that there are all aspects, too, because for a long time, they were just vocalists.”
During this episode of the Beyond the Boys Club podcast, Slayes discusses this ambitious new album, as well as her journey in the music industry, and more.
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