UK collective LOUD WOMEN have released their collaborative single Reclaim These Streets, in aid of UK charity Women’s Aid.
Siobhan Fahey (Bananarama, Shakespears Sister), Brix Smith (The Fall) and Patsy Stevenson (the face of the Clapham vigil) join more than 60 female vocalists for the charity single.
The song was written by LOUD WOMEN’s founder, musician Cassie Fox, with a spoken word/rap section written and performed by Brix Smith. Instrumentation is provide by a female and non-binary supergroup with members of My Bloody Valentine, Salad and punk band T-Bitch. The contributing vocalists form a who’s who of women in the alternative music scene, including: Estella Adeyeri (Big Joanie), Janey Starling (ex-Dream Nails), Nadia Javed (The Tuts), Ren Aldridge (Petrol Girls), Debbie Smith (Curve/Echobelly), Jo Bevan (Desperate Journalist), Marijne ven der Vlugt (Salad) and many more.
“I wrote this song out of rage and frustration,” explains Fox. “Two women a week are killed by men. Refuge services are having to turn away one in two survivors of violence. And yet refuge funding has been cut by one quarter since 2010. This is a song of feminist solidarity and hope – all women and gender non-conforming people have a right to walk safely on every street, and be safe in their own home.”
“When I was asked to take part I said ‘absolutely!’, because when I thought about it, not a day has gone by when I’ve not felt scared to walk down the street,” says Smith. “And that needs to change, for all of us.”
“I wanted to join this project because I don’t know a single woman who hasn’t been sexually harassed or abused in her lifetime,” adds Stevenson.
Check out the video for Reclaim These Streets below.
You can stream or purchase Reclaim These Streets and donate to the Women’s Aid Appeal HERE.
A live performance of the track is planned at LOUD WOMEN Fest, set to take place on 18th September 2021 at London’s 229 Portland Street venue. Head to the LOUD WOMEN website HERE for more information and tickets.
