By Myki Angeline
For the past two decades, we have seen a steady increase of women artists and musicians in mainstream music. Artists like Adele, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Joss Stone, Esperanza Spalding, Haley Williams (Paramore), Shakira, and Demi Levato have shattered billboard records and stereotypes.
Artists such as Amy Lee (Evanescence), Lizzy Hale (Halestorm) and Tarja Turunen (Nightwish), took over the torch from legends like Lita Ford and Joan Jett with their incredible vocals and monstrous onstage presence in the genre of hard rock and metal. In the beginning of its inception, hardcore rock genres were predominantly male – in both the bands and the fans. But that has changed in the past decade.
Meet Carla Harvey and Heidi Sheperd of Butcher Babies.
Lead singers for the heavy metal band Butcher Babies, Carla Harvey and Heidi Sheperd have been impressing audiences for over a decade with their aggressive stage appeal. They are joined by members Henry Flury (guitarist), Jason Klein (bassist) and Chase Brickenden (drums). They are huge fans of Wendy O. Williams of the legendary punk metal band Plasmatics who inspired their name (from the song “Butcher Baby”).
Butcher Babies were a part of the sold out Monster Energy Aftershock Festival that took place in Sacramento, California October 2017. In its sixth year, this metal mayhem held performances by legendary and national acts such as Ozzy Osbourne, Nine Inch Nails, Halestorm, In This Moment, Deap Vally, A Perfect Circle, Five Finger Death Punch, Stone Sour, and Mastodon with over 50,000 in attendance at this two day festival.
WiMN Team Member Myki Angeline was on hand to interview 3 of the five female-fronted bands on the Aftershock line up. Harvey and Sheperd share what drew them to this particular music genre and talk about their experience as women in the music industry. Of the changes they have seen in the last decade, seeing so many women in the front row during their concerts is at the top of their list.
Butcher Babies released their 3rd full length album Lilith October 2017 and continue to tour through December. To purchase their music and check out concert dates, visit their website: butcherbabiesofficial.com
