With women making waves in various fields and receiving the recognition they deserve in the electronic music industry, there are stories out there that should serve as an inspiration for other women that they can do anything, and do it successfully too. One of them is the story of record label Dirtybird.
While Dirtybird has largely been seen as an independent record label representing some of the most distinguished names in the industry, behind the scenes it is established under the holding company Crenshaw Creative whose CEO and chief marketing officer is Aundy Caldwell Crenshaw. Assisting Crenshaw are Abi Getto, the day-to-day manager for Dirtybird’s top label artist DJ Claude VonStroke; Esther Yoon, Dirtybird’s clothing manager for Dirtybird; and Lauren Lipsay, the label’s content and marketing manager.
This team of women have helped propel the label to success, including having won the No. 1 Label of the Decade from Mixmag and being recognized as one of Billboard’s Five Best Independent Dance Labels of 2017. And in a male-dominated industry such as electronic music (the majority of the label’s artists are men, for example) this is a remarkable achievement in itself.
Crenshaw, who handles all aspects of Dirtybird such as management of the label itself, tours, merchandise and festivals, attributes the success of the label to her team. In an interview with Forbes, Crenshaw said it as plainly as she could:
“The biggest challenge is time and the constant juggling with all the work and personal projects on my brain. Every working mom struggles with this…so it’s all about surrounding yourself with the best team possible.”
As a DJ herself, Getto laments the fact that promoters and agents tend to only choose a female artist if she is “exceptional” and keep male artists as the default option. She thus underscores the significance of their achievement in Dirtybird:
“I think shining the light on successful women both at the top and in the mid-level of their career can inspire younger women to see themselves in the role…That’s why visibility is so important to growing the intersectionality within any industry.”
On the other hand, Getto acknowledges that the push for more women to perform at festivals can be a double-edged sword as it can become an issue of commodifying women first and viewing them as talent second. Crenshaw adds that the industry is guilty of producing “overly sexual content that objectifies women,” but adds that Dirtybird strives to point out and omit such content.
Dirtybird also puts primary importance to artist interaction. Crenshaw says it’s important artists under the label treat fans as friends. “I think breaking down that barrier gives fans a more personal connection to the brand and has really been a driving force in the growth of the label,” she said.
Thus far, Dirtybird is showing no signs of slowing down, providing assurance that it will continue to be a beacon of hope for diversity in the industry.
H/T: Forbes
