“Icon For Hire” was a jab at pop culture, how nearly anyone can be considered an icon with the right body or the right hook-up. This was a huge deal! We needed a band name to throw on the flier. We wrote angst-y songs, practiced in his living room, and tried to keep it down so his neighbors wouldn’t call the cops on our late night rehearsals.Īfter a few months we managed to get on a local show. Shawn and I met in Decatur, Illinois by accident and started collaborating immediately.
I’d been waiting to meet my band mates my whole life, so I had journals full of songs and my first stage outfit practically picked out for years. Tell us about how Icon For Hire came together, and the meaning behind the name?
Whether its the presence of feminism in music, her responsibility as a female artist to ensure her young female fans hear an empowering message, or using her platform to send a message period, Ariel has something to say about it it. Who gave us the idea that “Female Fronted” is a genre anyway? “Female Fronted Band, from Decatur, Illinois”Īnd just once, I’d like to see some other band’s resume go out of their way to say they’re fronted by a male… Our interviews, our bios, – they all make it a point In the fact that females can indeed make music I knew I’d regret it if I tried to blend in and pretendĭidn’t come to downplay it, or to play it up either…īut it feels like everybody’s just a little too interested The scene is so sexist, believe me I get it, we’d probably sell more records if I flaunted my ass and chest but forget it… This is what ‘Now you Now’ seeks to answer, with lyrics like: Why is is that those women who seek to question the status quo or rebel are labelled as “ugly”, “whore” or “too loud”? Where as the men who do the same are the revolutionaries, visionaries and leaders of a movement. The list goes on and on, and has been going on since women started performing. Kelly Clarkson is raked over the coals for putting on weight after having a baby (SHE HAD A BABY PEOPLE!!!) and refusing to adhere to conventional celebrity standards which demand a woman snap back to Victoria’s Secret model size immediately post partum. Miley Cyrus has been slammed for portraying her sexuality the way she wants to. We’ve read about Beyonce being accused of being too political in her music videos. Let’s be honest, we as listeners are ALL familiar with this conundrum.
We had an opportunity to talk to Ariel about this driving force – female empowerment, and the dissection of the politics surrounding female artists. ‘Now You Know’ is one of those songs that will stay in your head for days, not only because of it’s catchy chorus and easily remembered hooks, but because of the driving force behind it. They have been performing together since 2007 and have released two full length albums. Hailing from Decatur, Illinois, Icon For Hire are primarily made up of singer Ariel and guitarist Shawn Jump. The follow up music video has just been released and together with the in-your-face lyrics about the sexist double standards thrust upon female artists today, there is no doubt what the message is. That’s the question Icon For Hire singer Ariel asks in their latest single ‘Now You Know’. “Is a level playing field too much to ask for?”