Tag Archives: Lesbian Musicians

Tegan and Sara Talk Fans in New Rolling Stone Documentary

In the new short documentary by Rolling Stone, “Dear Tegan and Sara: Inside The Band’s Bond With Fans,” addresses the evolution of their relationship with their fans: from their early days playing for friends in coffee shops, to their recent mega success sharing the stage with Katy Perry, Taylor Swift and Macklemore.

We’d hang out all night talking to people. By the time we actually had real fans, that was how we thought you did a show. We created relationships with these people and they told us their stories.”

For 20 years, Tegan and Sara have been forging a unique relationship with their fans. The short video shows rare footage and photographs from the band’s earliest performances, the film also includes the voices of some of their biggest fans, who attest to the group’s profound influence on their lives.

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As much as we have felt like we never shut up about being gay, we’ve represented hope for a lot of these people because we do get embraced.”

World Pride Ends with Tegan and Sara and Firework Display

Nearly 12,000 people marched in the WorldPride parade in Toronto. With over 350 groups marching, flags from Uganda, Suriname and Jamaica were among those spotted in the crowd.

It’s very important to bring people all over the world together, people who in their country don’t have the opportunity to speak out, to have a voice. I think this platform gave people from around the world a voice in the fight (for) getting acceptance” and battling intolerance back home.”
Kenneth van Emden, Suriname

CityNews reporter Natalie Duddridge was in Yonge-Dundas Square where the WorldPride closing ceremony included a performance by Tegan and Sara.

Watch the footage.

Country Rockers Antigone Rising Release Explosive New Music Vido – Get To You

Groundbreaking lesbian country rock band Antigone Rising premiered their new video ‘Get To You’ this week.

New York-based Antigone Rising made the video with directors Valerie Lasser and Jie Yi while touring New England last March. The infectious “Get To You” features on the band’s recent EP Whiskey & Wine – Volume 1, which came out online on March 25th, 2014.

The “Get To You” video is has a strong theme of sisterly love and bonding that reflects the way all the band members feel about each other when they are on the road. The video offers a rare insight into the Antigone Rising you don’t see on-stage. All four members – Kristin Ellis-Henderson, Cathy Henderson, Nini Camps and Dena Tauriello – are very much like a family.

Since the 1990s Antigone Rising have gone from strength to stregth. After signing to Starbuck’s Hear Music (Lava Records) they moved over 150,000 copies of their debut album and toured with legends such as The Rolling Stones, The Allman Brothers Band, The Bangles and Aerosmith.

In 2013 Kristen Henderson was photographed kissing her wife on the front cover of a special issue of Time Magazine exploring same-sex marriage. The band have also worked in Israel and Palestine as US cultural ambassadors.

The band are currently touring the US in support of Whiskey & Wine – Volume 1 and plan to bring out yet another EP, Whiskey & Wine – Volume 2, on October 28th. Antigone Rising are a very fan-focused band, putting out a huge amount of content such as alternate mixes of their best-loved songs, music videos and all kinds of behind the scenes footage.

Thus Antigone Rising really mean it when they sing ‘Get To You’!

 

For More Information go to: www.AntigoneRising.com
Twitter: @AntigoneRising
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/antigonerising

Tegan and Sara Discuss How Their lives Got better After Coming Out

The “It Gets Better” project is an ongoing campaign to send support to LGBT youth worldwide, a large part of which comes in the form of videos from LGBT people sharing stories of how their lives have improved since they were teens.

In this instalment, duo Tegan And Sara discuss their childhood in conservative Calgary, Alberta.

The siblings recall their tomboy youth and middle school bullying as well as the initial discovery of their sexuality and the ups and downs of their coming out in an environment that wasn’t very welcoming.

Watch there Tegan And Sara’s video…

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The L Project Release LGBT Charity Single ‘We’re All Human’

As the UK’s first wave of same-sex newlyweds settle happily into married life, The L Project gears up to repeat their success of 2012 with a second LGBT charity single – We’re All Human.

And success is here. Only 15 hours after release, and The L Project have hit No1 in the Amazon Movers and Shakers charts, as well as No1 in the folk charts. They have also just entered the iTunes charts.

The new single, released yesterday, has been recorded by a diverse group of LGBT artists, and every penny earned from the song will be donated to LGBT charities who work to promote diversity and equality.

The L Project’s previous song It Does Get Better, released in 2012, made number 11 in the official UK indie charts, despite all the artists being unsigned. The song also topped the iTunes and Amazon charts for over a week, and received coverage in leading international LGBT magazines and local BBC radio, all without any professional promotion. That song continues to raise funds, through download sales, YouTube views, related merchandise, and royalties, to help prevent LGBT bullying in schools.

“Since the first song we’ve built up a massive network of support through social media. This time we hope that the mainstream media will pick up our story, so that even more people will download the song, and be part of changing the lives of LGBT people who need support. Some of that help will be financial, as we give every penny earned to the charities – including royalties – but we also have lots of stories about people all over the world being helped just by hearing the words and knowing there are people like us who care.”

Georgey Payne, The L Project – also the songwriter and producer of  We’re All Human.

The UK might have progressed a lot since 1999, when the country had the a largest number of anti-gay laws in the world, but others aren’t so fortunate, as highlighted during the SOCHI Winter Olympics. As the media outrage fades over Russia’s attitude towards the LGBT community, The L Project steps in to help keep the flame alive.

“It’s easy when you’re part of a majority to take the view that because you don’t experience an issue, there isn’t a problem. But the evidence is undeniable. Media stories focus people’s attention for a while, but when the stories stop, people become complacent, and inadvertently become complicit in allowing things to not only continue, but potentially worsen – not just in Russia, but in India, Uganda and around the world.

Sofia Antonia Milone, The L Project and also collaborated on the lyrics of the new song.

The benefiting charities this time are the Russian LGBT Network which helps LGBT victims of abuse in Russia, Mermaids, the UK’s youth Transgender charity and the Kaleidoscope Trust.

The L Project have released an official video to coincide with the song’s release, as well as some behind the scenes videos on youtube. These videos show some of the less visible contributors to the project: videographers, photographers, hairstylists, and runners, all of whom worked tirelessly and – just like all the artists – for free.

Please help us by sharing this song’s message of hope and warmth to LGBT people who still face a struggle. A struggle which can result in being burnt alive, hung, hunted, raped, and bullied. Some even take their own lives…

You can help change all this…

Links to download “We’re All Human”: 

Behind the scenes…

Antigone Rising | Girl Power Country Rock Style

This year lesbian alt country group Antigone Rising will release two superlative new EPs, Whiskey and Wine Volume 1 and Whiskey and Wine Volume 2. They are currently touring grass roots venues in the US in support of their latest single, ‘That was the Whiskey’, which has already been nominated for an Independent Music Award. The tune was co-written with much-admired country and western songwriter Lori McKenna.

The New York-based all-girl band made the big time in 2005, selling 150,000 copies of their debut album and dominating the Billboard Heatseekers charts for over a year. Soon enough they were supporting rock legends such as the Rolling Stones, Allman Brothers Band and Aerosmith. They play almost 300 concerts annually and have performed on the Today Show and the Tonight Show. Last year’s 23 Red LP was a critical and commercial triumph.

Antigone-Rising-07Antigone Rising are also renowned for their social activism, campaigning for same-sex marriage and LGBT rights around the world. In 2013 bassist Kristen Ellis-Henderson appeared with her wife Sarah Kate Ellis-Henderson in Time Magazine’s special “Gay Marriage Already Won” edition.

‘It was an honour to be chosen as the couple on the cover of Time,’ said Kristen. ‘To be part of the cultural shift is not something my wife and I take lightly. We will continue to show up for our community until there is equality everywhere.’

Her music is very much infused with her politics, as Antigone Rising aim to ‘play better than the boys’ in a genre that has historically been tainted by patriarchy and reactionary attitudes to gender and sexual identity. Kristin’s wife Sarah is the President / CEO of GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) and 5% of the royalties from both volumes of Whiskey and Wine will be donated to GLAAD.

Founded in 1993 by Kristen and her sister Cathy Henderson, Antigone Rising has changed its line-up a good deal over the years. Currently Nini Camps sings lead vocals and plays rhythm guitar and Dena Tauriello is on drums.

Whiskey and Wine Volume 1 was released to iTunes on 25th March 2014 and Whiskey and Wine Volume 2 is released on 28th October 2014. Don’t miss out on the girl power!

Find out more – www.antigonerising.com