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In Conversation with Hen Hoose: Voices Amplified - Equal & Empowered

Chair: Tamara Schlesinger [Founder - Hen Hoose]

Speakers: Carla J. Easton [Artist/Singer-Songwriter] & Lou Rowland [Artist - Mokulsa]

Tamara Schlesinger (founder of Hen Hoose), Carla J. Easton (artist) and Lou Rowland (artist – Mokulsa) will join together for an insightful conversation on gender inequality in the music industry, the power of creative collaboration, and the critical role mentorship plays in supporting women and non-binary artists.

Hen Hoose, a groundbreaking Scottish collective, was created to challenge and dismantle the barriers that have kept women and non-binary musicians underrepresented in technical and creative roles for far too long.

This conversation will explore the origins of Hen Hoose and how it provides an empowering space for collaboration across genres, sparking innovation and encouraging artists to push beyond their comfort zones. They will share personal stories of how collaboration within the collective has driven their creative growth, from songwriting to production.

They will also address the stark realities of gender inequality in the music industry, where women represent just a small percentage of songwriters, producers, and engineers. The panelists will explain how Hen Hoose is tackling these issues by fostering a supportive, inclusive environment and providing mentorship that gives artists the skills and confidence to thrive.

Finally, the conversation will look ahead to the broader impact Hen Hoose is making on the Scottish music scene and beyond, outlining their vision for future projects and how collectives like Hen Hoose can be a catalyst for industry-wide change. This session is a must for anyone interested in how gender equality and collaboration can reshape the future of music.

Speaker Information:

Tamara Schlesinger (Founder - Hen Hoose) - Bio 

As director of Tantrum Records, solo artist MALKA and former lead singer/songwriter of 6 Day Riot, Tamara Schlesinger has written and released 7 albums in 14 years. She has enjoyed chart success, extensively toured the UK and North America, played at numerous festivals such as Glastonbury and Bestival and has achieved acclaim from major press. Her music has amassed a vast amount of play on national radio and she regularly syncs her music to domestic TV shows (Skins) US TV shows (Awkward, Finding Carter) and Hollywood films and trailers (Scream 4, 127 Hours).

Tamara started in the industry over 20 years ago and has built her career from the ground up, creating her own record label and releasing her own music. She has managed and booked all tours for her various releases and draws from her degree in fashion from Central St Martin's to create all aspects of the visual identity for her projects.

Having learnt her trade as a practitioner Tamara now mentors various artists that are releasing their own music, and has 9 years experience as a lecturer and writing courses in Music Business. Tamara is a regular panelist and guest lecturer at industry events, is a member of the SMIA advisory board and is still creating her own music and regularly touring and playing live.

Tamara recently launched an all female/non binary songwriting Collective called Hen Hoose, which wrote the music for the recent ScotGov Vaccine advert. The project looks at trying to level the playing field with gender representation in the music industry along with showcasing some of the finest songwriting talent in Scotland.

https://www.malkamusic.co.uk/

https://www.henhoose.com/

https://twitter.com/malkamakesmusic

Carla J. Easton (Artist) - Bio 

Carla J. Easton is an award nominated singer-songwriter, releasing 3 critically acclaimed albums, writing for TeenCanteen, Belle & Sebastian, BMX Bandits, Hen Hoose & National Theatre Scotland. Championed by BBC6 Music, she has performed at festivals across the UK and internationally (SXSW, Pop Montreal, The Great Escape, Celtic Connections, Indiefjord and Pop Cologne) touring the UK with Camera Obscura, The Vaselines and Kim Richey.

In 2018, she released the SAY Award Shortlisted 'Impossible Stuff’, produced by Howard Bilerman (Arcade Fire/British Sea Power/Leonard Cohen) which featured singles that achieved Record of the DayGuardian Track of the Week and BBC Scotland Single of the Week.

Her third album 'WEIRDO' was released in 2020 via Olive Grove Records - a record that Bandcamp Daily described as “all volume needles buried in the red, glitter bursting from every chorus.” The Line of Best Fit praised its “maximalist” tendencies while hinting that Scotland has found its own answer to the pop titans Carly Rae Jepsen and Taylor Swift and Pitchfork called it “bubblegum pop [with] the scrappy glamour of a homemade theatrical production”.

Her latest project Poster Paints was formed with Simon Liddell (Frightened Rabbit) during 2020. Their critically acclaimed self titled debut album was released by Ernest Jennings October 2022. 

Her fourth studio album ‘SUGAR HONEY’ will be released 20th October via Olive Grove Records and features the singles ‘One Week’, ‘Blooming 4U’ and the album title track ‘Sugar Honey’.

Carla is a member of the Hen Hoose Collective and Co-Director of the forthcoming feature-length documentary Since Yesterday: The Unsung Pioneers of Scottish Pop’.

Lou Rowland (Artist - Mokusla) - Bio 

mokusla is the musical alter ego of the Donegal-born visual artist Lou Rowland. Inspired by the Gaelic Mo Chuisle (my darling), the Glasgow-based singer and producer invites you into her ethereal and haunting world, blending ambient dream-pop, electronic and traditional folk. mokusla's debut EP ‘you don't know what you're missing’ released in October 2022 led to significant radio airplay,  the Hen Hoose x PRS Mentorship and opening for artists such as MALKA, Lemoncello, Alas de Liona.

Supported by Help Musicians, mokusla returned in 2024 with her second EP ‘lovely people here, but it’s just not the same’, exploring the ebb and flow of long distance friendships, craving old connections and a deep sense of nostalgia.  

The 4-track EP was released on October 23rd, after it’s first single ‘ghost’  became BBC Radio 6 Introducing Mixtape Track of the Week and being picked up by The Line of Best Fit, District Magazine and Tenement TV, while also gaining airplay across BBC Radio 6 New Music Fix, BBC Scotland, BBC Radio nan Gàidheal & BBC Ulster. mokusla’s second single ‘the metal man’ and EP opening track ‘enjoy tomorrow’ were picked up by the likes of The Skinny, SNACK Magazine, Nialler9, RTE 2fm's Dan Hegarty, NME's New Bangers, Golden Plec & Widedays. mokusla has since opened for John Maus on the Scottish leg of his 2024 tour and will open for Xiu Xiu in November.