Interview by Josephine Sillars
In continuation with our showcasing of woman working within the music industry, our very own Josephine Sillars sat down with NikNak (Nicole Raymond) to talk equality, DJ showcases and whats next on the horizon.
Q:Hello! For someone unfamiliar with your music and what you do, how would you describe yourself?
A:The best way for me to describe myself would be Music Creative as I do a lot of different things within the industry - DJ/Turntablist, sound artist and composer, producer, resident turntablist in the Belgrave House Band and TC & The Groove Family, BBC Radio Presenter, events organizer, and tutor/lecturer :) The kinds of music I make and play are very varied so it’s way easier to say that I don’t play or make mainstream pop haha! My stuff is more weird and niche I guess, especially the stuff I’m making at the moment. I’ve supported people from MJ Cole and Grandmaster Flash to Princess Nokia and Seed Ensemble so I’m very versatile in what I do… Keeps me on my toes!
Q:You have performed at an impressive number of festivals including We Out Here, Leeds International Festival and Wilderness Festival. Do you have a favourite live performance and why?
A:In all honesty, I legit don’t have a favourite because there’s been something special about each and every performance I’ve done, festival, supporting someone, club set or otherwise, that’s stuck with me. I’m grateful for getting recognised for my work and it’s only going to increase :)
Q:This month you are starting a series of DJ workshops suitable for all abilities for women and gender minorities. It sounds like it's going to be fantastic and we would love to hear how this idea came together and what your hopes are for the project?
A:Basically through a few workshops I’ve done in the past, there’s been a need for women and other gender minorities to come through on the decks and play the music they want to play without any apology. Collectives like Slut Drop, Girl Gang and Equaliser are also doing them which is amazing to see too… I wanted to open it up to people who not only want to get some tips on playing music but make it a social event too where people can teach and learn from each other, get introduced to other types of music, learn ways of transitioning between tracks and genres that aren’t super strict, and also gain confidence in their own ability as selectors too. Each DJ is different and unique; it’s something that needs to be celebrated more and more. I’ve been wanting to teach for a while and have been given the opportunity a few times to do so, but I’ve been wanting to do something that’s a bit more bespoke...and the team behind Hyde Park Book Club had asked me to do some workshops before at their sister venue Eiger Studios. We kept in touch and finally worked out how to do these workshops too. What’s also grand is that the participants will be able to have a little party as well at the end of these workshops to play the music they want to play without apology, which is the whole point of being a DJ in the first place I think.
Q:With International Women’s Day having just past, and with festivals world wide coming under scrutiny for gender equal line ups, how do you feel women are represented within the music industry today?
A:It frustrates me that so many festivals and events are failing to step up and include more women and gender minorities in their lineups. It’s fucking achieveable for christ-sake! A lot of us are doing it ourselves and creating more inclusive/diverse events to challenge this dumb perception that there apparently isn’t enough women out there making music. Sorry, that’s bullshit. WE ARE AND THERE’S LOADS OF US, JUST OPEN YOUR EYES AND EARS FOOLS. Granted more festivals have been successful in making their lineups diversely represented - Marsden Jazz Festival for example achieved having their lineup be 50% female last year through the Keychange initiative… but more needs to be done. “All female” lineups do also sting a bit for me. You never see the words “an all penis lineup” so why do we have to do the same with female lineups? Yes the visibility is important but it also hurts the cause I think. I want to see more events (big and international and local ones) where the line up is mega diverse and varied in all genres without anyone being pigeonholed in any way (by genre, gender, sexuality etc), and without any kind of backhanded spotlight.
Q:And finally, anything to plug? What’s on the horizon?
A:Got the workshops coming up in March (they’re running throughout March april and May), playing Sunday Joint and Sounds Like This Festival in Leeds on the 15th and 16th of March, Gateshead Jazz Festival on the 20th and 21st, in Brighton on March 28th for Fortune Sessions 2, supporting Dizraeli at Hyde Park Book Club in Leeds and playing in Liverpool with TC & The Groove Family in April…. And writing stuff that’s going to come out later on in the year as well… Just follow me on social media and you’ll see what I’m up to :)