Melbourne Record Label's Fight for Non-male Representation

Isobel Buckley and Grace Gibson of Rack Off Records. (Credit: Isobel Buckley)

Musicians Isobel Buckley and Grace Gibson had one goal in the creation of their punk record label: No boys allowed.

Rack Off Records, founded in 2020 by Buckley and Gibson, is a Melbourne-based record label with the mission of promoting the non-male musical talent in the punk and hardcore scene.

“Having female [and] non-binary representation on your line-ups [and] bands should be something to be excited about, not a chore,” Buckley said.

The punk and hardcore scenes have always been male-dominated; only two of the top 20 most popular hardcore bands include gender diverse lineups, according to The Metalverse.

Along with the issue of representation, the scene’s female and non-binary members also face safety risks, facing “epidemic proportions” of sexual violence and harassment, according to a 2023 Monash University survey.

The survey, taken by 126 women and non-binary people, revealed that 60 per cent of respondents felt unsafe in Melbourne music venues.

70 per cent of the incidents occurred in venues that played rock music, and 80 per cent of incidents were never reported.

Rack Off Records has worked to change this by exclusively signing non-male bands, along with advocating for representation and safety within the scene.

“We wanted to carve out a space in our music scene for non-men to be celebrated and supported,” Buckley said.

Both Buckley and Gibson also fill in on radio programs and DJ locally, where they play and promote the music that inspires their commitment to the scene and the values they stand for.

“The wider we carve out the space for our community, the more likely it’ll be that a young girlie and non binary icon thinks ‘I can do this too’,” Buckley said.

The importance of punk as a genre plays a large part in who Rack Off Records are and what they stand for.

“It’s a genre where you see non-men playing every instrument rather than just doing vocals,” Gibson said.

According to Gibson, many femme musicians are forced into being self-taught due to the lack of support and representation in the scene.

While this is a problem, Gibson said it produces “crazy cool music,” through both resilience and the embodiment of the punk value of rejecting conformity.

“They’ve just gone for it with no restrictions of what the “correct” notes are to play or how to play them,” Gibson continued.

Rack Off Records aims to create a space within the community where there is a female and non-binary focus in all aspects, employing non-male people for aspects from sound engineering, to artwork.

According to Gibson, the response to Rack Off Records has been mostly positive from people of all genders.

Buckley said “we are very lucky in Naarm to have a very healthy music community,” stating that community radio, local venues, and other small labels all do their part in promoting safety and inclusion within the scene.

That isn’t to say that problems aren’t present in Melbourne’s punk and hardcore community.

The Antics, a Melbourne punk band signed to Rack Off Records, offered a more in-depth look into the problems facing the scene.

Melbourne-based punk band, The Antics. (Credit: Clara Sewa)

Frontwoman Freya Tanks (second from the right) stated that in a male-dominant scene, it is necessary for all bands to speak up and look out for all members of the audience.

Tanks emphasized the importance of bands being vocal about safety, as right now “it’s just really the fem bands talking about it, which isn’t great.”

Despite problems in the scene, “there’s a lot more representation happening now”, and that the problems aren’t fixed, but are “getting better,” Tanks said.

Some issues within the community still fall through the cracks, with The Antics’ Instagram page posting a story stating that following their album launch, they kicked out a punter for inappropriate behaviour.

The post stated they were “sharing this to show we do still have to put up with this,” and to “open your ears to my lyrics or piss off.”

Tanks along with the rest of The Antics, described the community as a mostly supportive space between bands, audience members, venue owners, and everyone in between.

While Rack Off Records isn’t able to solve all the scene’s problems, they do aim to do their part beyond constantly championing non-male creativity.

Buckley said that Rack Off Records promotes “more inclusive line-ups,” and for “people to be more vocal at shows about looking out for each other and being safe.”

Gibson encourages anyone interested in joining the punk community to just jump in, go to gigs and make friends. 

“The advice I always give to people is that it’s way easier than you think.”