Oregon female singer-songwriters take the stage to amplify women's voices

Capi Lynn, Salem Statesman Journal
·6 min read
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Three female singer-songwriters connected during the pandemic, triangulating from Salem to Portland to Sisters. They were spurred by inequality in the music industry and inspired by the words of a vice president and a Supreme Court justice.

They called the project She’s Speaking, a nod to Kamala Harris' now-famous "I’m speaking" line from the 2020 vice presidential debate.

They approached the mission like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who said "Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time" in a 2018 biographical documentary.

Only in their case, the change would happen one artist, one song, one show at a time.

An ensemble of eight accomplished female artists, led by Kristen Grainger of Salem, Bre Gregg of Portland and Beth Wood of Sisters, hits the road this month to commemorate Women's History Month.

"She's Speaking-LIVE" has four performances scheduled, including Sunday, March 19, in Louck's Auditorium at Salem Public Library.

Their show celebrates women's voices and stories, featuring songs written by women about women and music for everyone.

Meet the women involved

She's Speaking brings an eclectic mix to the stage, with women representing a variety of genres, including jazz, rhythm and blues, indie, gospel, Americana and folk.

Grainger is the lone member from the Salem area. Locals know her as the voice of the Americana string band Kristen Grainger & True North.

She has won seven national songwriting awards and was named, with Brandi Carlile and Dolly Parton, as one of the "Women Who Wrote Our 2020 Soundtrack" by The Bluegrass Situation.

She shared with Gregg and Wood a frustration with the continued underrepresentation of women in the music industry, so they collaborated to create opportunities and platforms to elevate contributions by women.

Gregg is the vocalist for the Portland-based soul-rock band Red Bird, her music characterized by blues, roots, jazz, soul and Americana. Wood is an award-winning poet who has been writing, performing, recording and teaching full-time for 24 years.

"Really what we're trying to say in an industry clearly not made for women is that we need to make our own way," Grainger said.

They launched the She’s Speaking project by creating a YouTube channel for women songwriters. They used their connections, asking female artists to write and perform an original song about a woman who inspired them and submit a video. Nearly 80 videos have since been curated on the channel.

The trio has surrounded itself with other passionate female artists, hosting live-stream performances during the pandemic shutdown.

The first onstage performance was in November 2021 at Portland's Alberta Rose Theatre, their joy and energy on stage matched by the audience. It confirmed their desire to amplify women's voices was something to be appreciated.

Salem's Kristen Grainger, center, is one of the co-founders of She's Speaking, a group celebrating women's voices and stories.
Salem's Kristen Grainger, center, is one of the co-founders of She's Speaking, a group celebrating women's voices and stories.

Joining Grainger, Gregg and Wood on stage for the March 19 Salem performance will be Liz Chibucos, Naomi LaViolette, Lisa Mann, LaRhonda Steele and Arietta Ward.

Chibucos has been dubbed "Jimi Joplin" by fans for her hard-hitting guitar work. LaViolette has a master's degree in classical piano performance. Mann is an award-winning songwriter known for hard rock to rhythm and blues.

Steele adds gospel to the mix and has been called "The First Lady of Portland Blues." Ward often is referred to as the "1st daughter of funk and R&B" and the "Rip City soul funk diva."

Why their message matters

The USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative continues to show female representation in the recording studio — and subsequently on the charts and at the Grammys — has not significantly increased.

Billboard reported last year on the latest results of the study, examining the gender of artists, songwriters and producers across all 1,100 songs included on Billboard's Hot 100 year-end charts from 2012 to 2022.

In 2022, women represented 30% of the 160 artists on the chart, a noticeable bump from the 11-year average of 22.3%. The numbers were lower for female songwriters and producers.

Roughly 14% of songwriting credits in 2022 included women, a slight increase over the 12.8% average. Producers fared worse, with only 3.4% of producer credits including women, an uptick from the 2.8% average since 2012.

The study also found continued disparity at the Grammy Awards. In 2023, 15.2% of nominees across six major categories were women. Across the 11-year study, 13.9% were women.

The statistics are discouraging for the She's Speaking women, and a reason they are so passionate about their mission. They want to set an example for more than just young girls aspiring to a career in the music business.

"We want to be a visible, joyful, strong and compelling example for anyone, not just young girls," Grainger said. "Young boys need to see important, meaningful contributions to music by women, too."

The American Association of University Women Salem Branch, which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, is sponsoring the Salem concert.

"We have raised voices for women in the Salem community for a long time," said Dolores Mlynarczyk, co-membership vice president for AAUW Salem Branch. "It fits quite nicely with our mission."

She calls herself a groupie of Grainger and her band, having seen them perform several times. She is also well aware of music-industry inequity.

"It's not a new phenomenon," Mlynarczyk said. "It's time that we hear their voices and their stories."

Get involved and learn more

Attend a performance, check out their YouTube channel or follow them on social media.

She's Speaking-LIVE has four concerts scheduled in March:

Tickets for the Salem show are $20 plus fees, available only through Eventbrite. All seats are general admission.

If you can't attend a live show, check out the YouTube channel where She's Speaking has a collection of original songs by women. Playlists are organized based on who inspired each artist.

Grainger's song is in the "Inspired by Public Figures" playlist. She wrote "She Flies With Her Own Wings" about former Gov. Kate Brown, whom she has known for 30 years.

If you are a woman songwriter with an original song about a woman who has inspired you and you are interested in having your song/video featured on the YouTube channel, email info@shesspeakingsongs.com.

Other ways to connect with She's Speaking:

Capi Lynn is the Statesman Journal's news columnist. Send comments, questions and tips to her at clynn@statesmanjournal.com or 503-399-6710. Follow her work on Twitter @CapiLynn and Facebook @CapiLynnSJ.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon band She’s Speaking takes stage to amplify women's voices