Female Voices You Need to Hear Right Now
Rachel Bobbitt, Sarah Kinsley, Gigi Perez and Victoria Canal are female voices you should be paying attention to in the indie world.
Women are so obviously dominating modern music. Look to the Billboard charts, streaming numbers, the sold-out stadiums — the numbers are all there and the data is undeniable. In the broader music landscape, legendary icons have paved the way for women who don’t just want a seat at the table, a record deal with no real backing, or a spot on the roster with no visibility. These indispensable voices are modern visionaries who are claiming their own stake in the industry and becoming the architects for the future of music. Here are six female voices you need to hear right now.
Double Standard
Mckenzie Blasi, Senior Writer
The band Double Standard serves as a powerful mirror for the shared frustrations and triumphs of women navigating a traditionally male-dominated industry. By reclaiming a term often used to critique women’s behavior, they transform a systemic barrier into a badge of defiant creative agency. Their presence on stage challenges the “boys’ club” mentality, proving that technical proficiency and raw emotional vulnerability are not mutually exclusive.
For many female artists, the band represents the importance of visibility and the right to occupy sonic spaces without constant comparison or condescension. They foster a sense of community that prioritizes authentic storytelling over the industry’s narrow, often aesthetic-driven expectations. Ultimately, Double Standard embodies the resilience required to turn professional marginalization into a loud, unapologetic, and necessary musical movement.
Sarah Kinsley
Maria Murphy, Contributor
Finding your sound is always a difficult process for artists. Figuring out who you are through words is a daunting task, and many struggle to create something that accurately represents themselves as people, leaving a disconnect between fan and artist. Though many artists have learned how to strike this important balance, no one is doing it quite like Sarah Kinsley.
She refuses to stay in a pre-existing, rigid lane of sound, and instead dares to create her own emotional landscape in the indie-pop space. On her new EP, Fleeting, she’s fostered a place to experience the tide of human feeling and the messy, stunning process of becoming who you are, while melting into a distinctive style of cathartic synth-pop. She thrives in the beautifully chaotic intersections of emotion, creating a space in music that she is owning better than anyone else.
Victoria Canal
Jackie Fortis, Music Review Editor
Victoria Canal is as talented as they come. Obtaining high praise from legendary artists like Jacob Collier, Joni Mitchell, and Coldplay, Canal has made herself a name to know. Though it does not define her, she has reached all of this success with one hand, but that never stopped her. Her multifaceted musicianship allows her to release beautiful work like 2025’s Slowly, It Drains or a favorite of mine, the single “Chamomile.”
She also never shies away from using her voice and platform for all those who need it and has been so open about the many challenges of being a woman in this world, posting songs that ring true for so many. She has been an outflow of activist resources, fearlessly speaks up on what she believes in, and has been a top-tier artist to know since her 2015 debut.
Gigi Perez
Brady Jager, Marketing
Indie-folk powerhouse Gigi Perez shows what it means to take up space in an industry that doesn’t always make it easy. Seeing a raw, soul-stirring queer anthem like “Sailor Song” top charts across the globe opens doors beyond representation; rather, it acts as a reclaiming of truth. Her music doesn’t attempt to fit any mold — it speaks to the inner children, the familial bonds, struggles of religion, and more. She harnesses a type of honesty that reaches audiences at a deeper level.
Perez proves through her star quality as she opens massive stadium tours, rocks through festivals, and headlines her own sold-out shows that vulnerability is powerful and LGBTQ+ stories deserve to be told. She paved a new lane for a whole community to create and be heard, exactly as they are.
Rachel Bobbitt
Brooke Shapiro, Music Extras Co-Editor
Rachel Bobbitt may be Toronto’s silky-voiced indie darling, but the warm truths of her prose-like songwriting can be felt universally. At just 16-years-old, Bobbitt gained traction posting covers and original songs on Vine (rest in peace) before bringing her musical pedagogy from university to streaming platforms in 2018. After releasing a string of EPs and a collaborative LP with guitarist Justice Der, she’s finally getting her flowers following the release of her 2025 debut album, Swimming Towards The Sand.
Throughout her discography, the singer-songwriter has exposed her soul with as much aching beauty as she has sewn herself back up with, especially on standout tracks like “Ask Again” and “Sweetest Heart.” Before Bobbitt’s May and June co-headlining tour with Lia Pappas-Kemps, take a swim in the sonic sea of her discography and get lost in her ethereal ballads and indie rock anthems alike.
Ava Brennan
Syd Copeland, Interviews Co-Editor
You’re not a true Chicago local music lover until you’ve heard the magnetic tunes of Ava Brennan. Watching them perform live feels like they are plucking the room’s air with each ring of their guitar. Brennan’s voice glides alongside their instrument — both melodies neither competing nor overshadowing the other. Brennan is the first one to come to mind when asked to share about women in the music industry we look up to. Community-driven, their art and activism are intimately tied together. In addition to performing live multiple times a month, Brennan also supports other musicians by writing for The Pub, teaching music lessons, and booking other shows and festivals like The Great Gathering and Third Space Showcase. Listen to her music on Bandcamp.