Songs, then gender

Ponchatoula singer/songwriter Robin Kinchen is packing up her small one-bedroom bomb shelter that is LSU grad student housing and hitting the road.

On tour this summer, Kinchen has put on hold her studies toward a Ph.D. in communications and anthropology. For now she’ll be raising money for the CARE organization, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting poverty.

Kinchen told 225 why female musicians are among the largest untapped resources and are included in the women CARE emphasis as holding the power to unite impoverished communities. For details on the 60-city, 7-nation tour, visit caremusicoutreach.org.

What is it like being a female musician in a male-dominated music world?

As a woman you have to work a lot harder to prove yourself, to prove that you’re strong enough to handle such a cutthroat industry. Unfortunately, that can also be negative press for a woman because women are suppose to be an image of femininity and this girl next door, so you end up shooting yourself in the foot sometimes by being this strong, made-of-steel woman, but you have to because the industry is tough and it will chew you up.

You say that with a sort of sign like it has happened to you. What was the worst “chew up” you’ve gotten?

I’ve actually been lucky enough to never have a ‘chew’ from the industry, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t know the risk is there. It’s a superficial industry where trends trump ethics.

Is that why we’ve seen this wave of ex-Disney stars, and before that, the whole “Lilith Fair” phase of female musicians?

Women are constantly trying to disprove this stereotype. The whole Lilith Fair thing really did a number on us. It was good, too, but it made this all-encompassing bubble that if you’re a singer/songwriter and you’re a woman, then you’re this hippie that doesn’t shave her legs. People lose sight of the fact that some clarifications need to be made about women and what type of music is being delivered by female musicians. The fact that Ani DiFranco, Rilo Kiley and then Jewel can all be put in the same category is just ludicrous to me. It’s crazy because if those were male songwriters that wouldn’t happen. It’s just pooled because they’re girls.

How do you make yourself stand out?

Every woman in the music industry is trying to figure that one out. You just have to stay as authentic to yourself as possible. If you’re a strong enough performer, a strong enough woman as it is, then you are going to help pave the way for a whole new breed of musicians who will be ready to just come in there, be themselves and just play music for the sake of playing music.

Is that what we can expect in the future?

We are starting to see a lot more people coming into who they are and into their own skin. The fact that they have a lot of digital distribution now—MySpace and tools for people to be independent—it’s becoming much easier. People aren’t relying on major labels to tell them who they are as musicians anymore and what they need to be in order to sell records. People are being a lot more authentic with that.

Let’s talk about your music. A lot of your lyrics are about men and heartache. Is it approaching cliché?

Inspiration comes from a lot of different places. Unfortunately, when issues in our interpersonal relationships blaze hot or burn to ash, those times inspire us more than most because our hearts and emotions are heavily invested into them.

Is it hard to get guy listeners to relate to your songs? It seems like it’s easier for everyone to sing something that is written for a man.

I think that what kind of genitals you have has no effect on your musicality. We’re songsmiths. Gender sometimes comes into play, but a good song will stand on its own, regardless of whether it was written by a man or a woman.

Do you think that if you were a man you would be further along in your career?

I don’t believe in accepting that copout for myself. I’m strong enough as a musician to be able to hold my own, and I’m not going to whine and say that if I were a man I would be rocking on some arena stage because there are women rocking on arena stages. There are lots of girls who are opening their big mouths and saying what they want. I can do that, too. I just have to work my ass off and do it—and get over the stigma.

Which is more critical on women?

There is something…something…for example, Bonnie Raitt, one of the best blues guitarists in the past 25 to 30 years. She gets extra kudos because she’s a woman. People say, “Aw man, she’s a chick that plays guitar, that’s so cool.” Or when you see a girl drummer, people think that is so cool, and I don’t really know what that’s about. Why is it that a woman can’t be a drummer? Why is that strange? Why is that unique for someone to have good musicality as a woman?

Is it because the feminist movement is still relatively young?

Female musicians bring up issues of power and power in our society is where it’s at. We are now seeing more women in politics, we’re seeing more women in fields that you wouldn’t normally see and it’s exciting.

One last question, where did you get your inspiration for your song “Sugar and Sheet Metal?”

When I was a little kid, my dad used to say when I was a little kid, ‘Southern women are like no other women in the world. They are made of sugar and sheet metal—sweet and strong.’ I wrote that song after a break-up to basically validate that I’m not broken after being heartbroken. I’m strong and I think there are a lot of women out there who can chorus that. I don’t think that—especially in the South, ironically, where that saying is based—that women are able to voice their strength enough. It’s better to be meek and be a supporting role, which nowadays is really unnecessary.