Women in the music industry have been standing up, whether it’s via their music or their notions in society. Stockholm-based artist Felin is one of them. Her music, which she describes as “good pop melody with an edge and lyrics that makes a statement’,” represents a progressive shift in gendered power dynamics. She is aware that “Society keeps telling us we don’t have a choice but we can’t make too much noise” and her recently released latest single "Heroes and Villains" is making some feminist noises. The song is about women’s rights, gun violence, and social injustices. She also wrote a song called "C19" during the pandemic to deal with all certain feelings of loneliness and uncertainty. She is a vocal feminist and activist and has previously campaigned for women’s abortion rights and promotes women’s rights with The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation in over 20 conflict-affected countries. We talked with Felin about her career and the representation of women in the music industry. Please read our exclusive interview below to learn more about her.

Where are you based?
I grew up in a small village in Finland but moved to Stockholm when I was 16 and that’s where I’m based now.

What inspired you to get into music?
I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember — I was always putting on shows with my friends in my parents’ basement growing up, inviting all our relatives to watch haha. When I was eight years old I started playing the piano and writing my own songs, and by the time I was eleven, I started my first band with three girls from my school. I don’t know exactly where my passion for music started… it has just always been there and I’ve never even considered doing anything else with my life.

How would you describe the music that you typically create?
I love a good pop melody with an edge and lyrics that makes a statement. I would describe my music as distorted/alternative pop with feminist lyrics. I want to create music that really gets the energy going live.

Your newest song Heroes and Villains is super fun. Can you tell us the backstory of this song?
The song touches on topics like women’s rights, gun violence, social injustices, and the good and bad forces in the world. The song was written a while ago, but it felt important to release it leading up to the US election because I really felt like this was an election that was about the choice between democracy or dictatorship; it was really about voting the villains out. I’m so happy decency and humanity won.

Jejune loves your other new song C19, which you wrote during the pandemic. Can you tell us a little bit about what inspired this song?
I and many others at the beginning of the pandemic were feeling very lonely and uncertain about the future. I think many of us (still including myself) are still feeling that. I wrote and produced C19 to deal with all these feelings and it was a way for me to find some meaning and hope for the future during these strange times. I hope it can give that feeling to the listener as well. Even if we’re alone right now, we’re alone together.

The music video for C19 is absolutely beautiful. You used a couple of dancers who actually are a couple who were separated due to COVID. The longing was perfectly portrayed in the video. Can you tell us a little bit about why you choose these dancers and the choreography?
Thank you so much. One of the directors on the video, Fredrik Etoall, worked with David Lagerqvist, one of the dancers and choreographers before, and knew he and his girlfriend Sophie Flannery Prune Vergères could create an emotionally strong performance that would really elevate the meaning of the song.

Did you imagine this music video while producing this song? How was the filming process?
I knew I wanted the video to capture the feeling of longing and loneliness that the song has, so we wanted to find a location that had that feeling.

As soon as we found the abandoned cement factory that the video is shot in it felt so right. It is both beautiful and rough with hard man-made concrete walls that have been left to its fate and now nature is taking over more and more. It captures the emptiness and feeling of abandonment perfectly and helps portray the state of the world right now. The choice of portraying the message of the song through dance in the video felt natural as the expression is so direct and physical in its form.

The pandemic has been very hard for many reasons, but I feel like we, as a whole, haven’t been speaking about the impact it has on relationships or trying to find a relationship. Can you talk about this a little?
The pandemic has definitely taken its toll on people and relationships in so many ways. Both mentally and physically.

It’s heartbreaking to see the rise of domestic violence during the pandemic. Domestic violence is an important issue to address, and it’s horrible that for some people, and women in particular, it’s more dangerous to stay home than to go out.

I’m lucky to have an amazing supporting partner that I live with and we get to share the ups and downs this year has brought on us, but it’s hard to not take out the frustration about lost jobs (or really anything) on each other when you hang out 24/7. You really get to see each other at your worst. But I feel like if we can get through this, we can get through anything.

We also really enjoy your song Woman With a Knife. Can you tell us a little bit about this song and why inspired it?
This song is from my debut album Reckless Dreamers which is basically built as if the whole album was a Tarantino movie that starts with mad love and ends in tears, revenge, and death. Woman with a knife is a revenge song — it’s about taking back what’s yours.

We are in a place where women musicians have been defined less by their musical skills than by their looks, their relationships. What do you think about the representation of women in the music industry?
It’s definitely a problem, and I feel like as a woman you have to work twice as hard to get respected, especially as a producer. As a woman it also feels like you have to be young to succeed, I know it’s a product of society, but I sometimes feel the stress myself, like if you haven’t made it before 30 your time is up. I think this is so fucked up and needs to change.

Can you talk about your journey as a woman musician? Have you ever experienced gender discrimination?
I definitely have. I don’t think I’ve met any woman in the industry that hasn’t experienced it. But I feel like it’s gotten much better recently although we’re far away from there yet. The #Metoo movement was really an eye-opener for so many people.

Destroying the sexist structures of the mainstream music industry is difficult. However, you struggle with this and produce many feminist songs. Is it a part of your activism? How do you see the effect of music on society?
I feel like there is something going on in the business right now and that the feminist movement is growing each day. I’ve always wanted my songs to feel empowering to listen to and if my songs can play even a small part in the fight for equality I’m so proud.

As well as a musician, you are a vocal feminist and activist, having previously campaigned for women’s abortion rights. You produced ‘’No More Sweet Home Alabama’’ which is a song about The Alabama abortion ban. Is this a way to raise your voice and fight together for freedom? Why is this important to you?
To me, equality shouldn’t even be a debate. Of course everyone should have the same rights. So standing up for that is a no-brainer to me. The day after the abortion ban was voted on in Alabama I was furious when I got to the studio and knew I had to say something about it. I wrote the song in like 30 mins and recorded the video the day after and released it two days after that. To me, the message was more important than spending too much time on the creative process.

You also work with The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation which promotes women’s rights in over 20 conflict-affected countries in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and the South Caucasus. Jejune loves that a percentage of ticket sales from certain shows have been donated to that organization as well as the royalties from the No More Sweet Home Alabama song. Can you tell us a little bit about this organization and what inspired you to work with them?
I want to do my part for equality in any way I can. Speaking up about issues is one thing, and giving to charities that work on the ground with these issues is another. I chose Kvinna till Kvinna since it’s based in Sweden and is an organization I know and trust. Nobody can do it all but if we all pitch in in whatever way we can, we can keep the good fight going.

Losing Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a huge blow for pro-choice activists. What was your response?
I was so sad the day of her passing and many days after. She stood for so many good things and was really a role model who paved the way for so many women after her. She was a fighter and I’m so sorry she didn’t outlive the Trump presidency so that the judge taking her place could have been someone who would have kept her legacy alive.

How are you staying positive during a shelter in place?
It’s hard. Some days are better and some are worse, you know. I’ve started writing more, not only songs but short novels, which is something I’ve always wanted to do but haven’t really had the time for before.

What is your motto in life?
Keep pushing forward. It doesn’t matter if you’re not on the right track now, as long as you’re moving and searching you will find it eventually.

To learn more about Felin, please follow her via the below platforms:
thisisfelin.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/thisisfelin
Instagram: @thisisfelin

Photo Credit: Fredrik Etoall

Felin Destroys The Sexist Structures Of The Music Industry