Girls Twiddling Knobs

Send us Fan Mail What does it mean to keep making, caring and staying human when everything feels like it’s falling apart? In this final episode of the Girls Twiddling Knobs podcast, Isobel Anderson speaks directly and unfiltered to you, the listeners, with honesty, clarity and care. This is not a neat goodbye or a highlight reel. It is a reckoning. A permission slip. And a series of parting truths offered to women in music, male allies, music organisations and colleagues in higher education....

Send us Fan Mail In this deeply honest and reflective conversation, Isobel Anderson is joined by musician, educator and Radical Songwriting founder Rosie Bans to talk openly about the full journey of Girls Twiddling Knobs, from its beginnings as The Female DIY Musician to the decision to close the project after five years. This episode exists because this story was too complex, emotional and important to unpack alone. Rosie has been part of Girls Twiddling Knobs as a student, collaborator, te...

Send us Fan Mail n this Ask Me Anything episode of the Girls Twiddling Knobs podcast, Isobel Anderson answers listener questions spanning music careers, collaboration, production, business sustainability, sound art, and gender equity in the music industry. Recorded as one of the final episodes before Girls Twiddling Knobs comes to a close, this conversation is candid, thoughtful, and deeply reflective. Isobel shares hard-won insights from five years of running a feminist music tech platform, ...

Send us Fan Mail The room glowed with warm orange light, a full house gathered to celebrate five years of Girls Twiddling Knobs and to witness a bold closing chapter. We brought a live panel to the stage to ask a deceptively simple question: are music technology skills truly crucial for women and gender-diverse artists? What followed was honest, funny, and disarmingly practical—stories about safety in studios, DIY learning, pricing your worth, and the power of choosing collaborators who actua...

Send us Fan Mail 🎧 Listen on headphones 🎧 Some of this episode is recording in binaural audio. What does it really take to compose a work for a 12-piece post-minimalist ensemble—using vintage synths, robotic bells, and tape echoes? In this immersive episode of Girls Twiddling Knobs, we go behind the scenes of Time Loops, a bold and experimental project for Science Museum Group. Follow Isobel as she documents Shiva Feshareki and Sarah Angliss' compositional journey writing new commission...

Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ What if classical music wasn’t meant to stay in its box? In this episode of Girls Twiddling Knobs, we meet violinist, composer and loop pedal artist Rebekah Reid, who’s pushing the boundaries of what classical performance can be. Blending classical, jazz and electronic music, Rebekah uses live looping and improvisation to create layered, genre-defying performances that feel both ancient and futuristic. 🎻 We explore how she carved out her own artistic identity, the joy and ...

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by music PR, you’re not alone! In this episode of Girls Twiddling Knobs, Isobel chats with Rachel White, music PR expert and founder of BRIC and House of DIY, to break down the real, actionable steps independent artists can take to promote their music effectively—without the stress. 🌟 Inside You’ll Learn: ✔️ What PR actually is and why it’s different from advertising ✔️ The biggest mistakes DIY artists make when pitching their music ✔️ A ste...

Send us Fan Mail What happened to jungle music? How did a genre born from Black British culture, reggae sound systems, and 90s rave scenes become dominated by white, male audiences—and where are the women who helped shape it? In this episode of Girls Twiddling Knobs, Isobel explores these questions with Julia Toppin, a lecturer, music entrepreneur, and self-proclaimed “Junglist Historian.” Julia takes us through jungle’s vibrant origins, its evolution into drum and bass, and the systemic chal...

Send us Fan Mail What does it really mean to be a producer, and why do so many women hesitate to claim the title? In this episode of Girls Twiddling Knobs, we sit down with Fran & Flora—an innovative violin and cello duo blending Yiddish, Romanian, and Transylvanian folk music with improvisation, electronics, and sound experimentation. We dive into their co-production journey on Precious Collection, navigating self-perception as producers, and the evolving landscape for independent artist...

Send us Fan Mail Are you an artist or music producer dreaming of releasing your music on vinyl? In this episode of Girls Twiddling Knobs, Isobel Anderson sits down with Jenn D'Eugenio, founder of Women in Vinyl, to uncover the fascinating process behind pressing music onto records. Jenn shares expert insights on preparing your audio and artwork for vinyl, tips for selecting the right pressing plant, and how to make your vinyl release more sustainable. Whether you’re an independent artist exp...

Send us Fan Mail Celebrating 100 episodes of empowering women in music, Girls Twiddling Knobs host Isobel Anderson takes listeners on a reflective journey through the evolution of the podcast, revisiting its top five most popular episodes, including conversations with Kate Nash, Orla Gartland and Victoria Witjeratne. Featuring listener Q&A, insights into key challenges for women in music technology, and plans for the future, this milestone episode highlights how the Girls Twiddling...

Send us Fan Mail What do sound and knitting have in common? You’d be forgiven for thinking not much, but both have been constant companions across the life and career of sound artist and knitter, Felicity Ford also know as Felix. Join sobel as she visits Felix in her St Leonard’s home to talk about her journey into field recording, soundscape composition and using this skillset to document the process of wool production. Felix also shares her perspective on why celebrating domestic sounds i...

Send us Fan Mail Feeling stuck in your music production journey? Struggling with self-doubt or tempted to buy more gear in the hopes it will transform your sound? This episode is for you. In today’s episode of Girls Twiddling Knobs, we’re exploring how visualisation—a powerful mental tool used by top performers—can help you: ✨ Unlock your creative confidence. 🎛️ Overcome the pressure to rely on expensive gear or others. 🎶 Take your production skills to the next level. What You’ll Learn: ✔️ Th...

Send us Fan Mail Luckily, there’s far more conversations happening about musicians’ mental health these days. But how might gender impact our experience of things like depression and anxiety? And how might this differ in a music technology setting, specifically? Because, while this is something that’s often touched upon in wider conversations around gender and music technology, it’s rarely fully explored in its own right. Inside this conversation, Isobel chats with musicians’ therapist and c...

Send us Fan Mail In a world that’s always online, how do we stay true to ourselves as artists? This week on Girls Twiddling Knobs, we tackle this question with the fiercely original electronic music producer Maria Uzor. Growing up as a Black artist in a predominantly White area of the UK, Maria often felt like an outsider. But she turned that feeling into a sound that’s bold, raw, and unmistakably hers. Join us as we explore how Maria channels her unique experiences into a blend of basement g...

Send us Fan Mail What unique facets of our existence and identity does sound allow us to explore as women and gender diverse artists? This is one of the big questions that emerges inside this conversation with three of the five 2024 Oram Award winners. Whether it be through choreography, performance art, hacking or design, Lola De La Mata, xname and The Silver Field are all artists who have come to sound through alternative pathways. Inside this episode, you’ll learn about the role that soun...

Send us Fan Mail Join Isobel for all the juicy details on what you can expect to find inside of Season 06 of the podcast, dropping on October 24th. Listen and subscribe to the podcast: https://femalediymusician.com/podcast And share the podcast with a friend so we can spread the word, and making music technology a better place for women and gender diverse people. --------------------------------------------------- Girls Twiddling Knobs has ended, but you can stay connected to Isobel'...

Send us Fan Mail Join us for the first ever Live Girls Twiddling Knobs episode, recorded at Towner Gallery on August 2nd, 2024. inside, Isobel talks with sound and lino artist, Daisy Stewart-Darling about her new project Lino Waves: Soundscapes of the Living Coast, which documents the changing East Sussex coastline through field recordings and large scale lino works. We touch on critical acoustic ecology, recording non-human voices, combining sound with visual mediums and how to present th...

Send us Fan Mail Following last week’s epic binaural finale episode, Isobel is back for one last music tech chat to bring Season 05 of Girls Twiddling Knobs to a close. This final wrap up episode is the perfect way to get a whistle stop tour of any episodes you might have missed and glean any final little golden nuggets from the last few weeks. This season, we've had some of the most amazing guests including NYX, DJ Paulette, Cathy Lane, Josephine Zwaan and many more, and they've all shared...

Send us Fan Mail Ready for a binaural sound adventure? We’re wrapping up S05 of Girls Twiddling Knobs with an extra-special episode where, together, we take an immersive binaural deep dive into the ecosystem that is NYX. NYX are often described as an electronic drone choir and are a group of women and non-binary vocalists and non-vocalists who use music technology to create dense, musical creations and performance experiences with artists such as GTK alumni Gazelle Twin, amongst many others...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever questioned the way that music technology software is designed? And how the tech tools and gear we use might look and feel completely different if they were designed by different humans (i.e. not just predominantly white, cis, heterosexual men living in the West). Well, this question didn’t just bother today’s guest, producer and researcher, Josephine Zwaan. It led her to write a masters thesis that totally reimagines how a DAW could behave through the lens of Af...

Send us Fan Mail Feeling overwhelmed by all the recording software choices? Been using the same DAW for a while and feel like it’s time to switch it up? Haven’t started recording your music because you don’t have the right gear? If so, this episode is a MUST LISTEN because we’re breaking down the pros and cons of a variety of recording softwares and demystifying this often overwhelming decision. If you’re curious what software Isobel uses, you also won’t be disappointed because inside you’ll ...

Send us Fan Mail It’s not easy growing a career in the arts but it’s down right tough if you’re living with a disability too. In this episode, Isobel is joined by journalist, digital producer and disabled rights activist Meg Fozzard to discuss the challenges disabled artists can face, the things the industry can do better and strategies Meg has developed over the years to grow her career whilst having a disability. Inside, you’ll gain some really practical knowledge on things like access ride...

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever wondered what music mastering is, how to get your music mastered or even get into mastering yourself, this podcast episode is for you because Isobel is joined by Weird Jungle mastering engineers Katie Tavini and Izzy McPhee. Between them, they’ve racked up credits with We Are Scientists, Bloc Party, Frankie Morrow, Ash, Waverly, Arlo Parks and so many more. But what’s also interesting about Katie and Izzy is that they met through the amazing Saffron studi...

Send us Fan Mail It’s common to hear people make the case for initiatives and spaces that help women become more confident with music tech. And many women will say they wished they had more confidence when it comes to music production, mixing and the whole recording process. But what if this pursuit for more confidence was actually further sabotaging the progress of women with music technology? What if, instead, we need to be questioning the whole focus on confidence itself? In this solo epis...

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever felt stumped as to what to do with all those field recordings you’ve been making… Or like experimental music sometimes lacks a human touch… this episode is a must listen because Isobel is joined by Cathy Lane, an artist, composer and academic inspired by everyday experiences and, in particular, how ‘hidden histories’ can be investigated from a feminist perspective. Inside, Cathy shares so many gems from her vast experience and knowledge as one of the most highl...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever recorded in a studio and felt like time just slipped away? Or maybe you wished you’d felt more comfortable or like you were using the time better? If so, this episode is not to be missed because Isobel is joined by Brighton based producer and engineer, Phoebe Bentham, who’s sharing her top tips on preparing like a pro for your next recording studio session. Inside, Phoebe also discusses her route into production and engineering, her love of microtonal musi...

Send us Fan Mail Do you struggle with perfectionism? We totally get it - it can be easy to put off recording your music out of the belief that every single element of it needs to be perfect. It can also be tricky to find time to dedicate solely to making music; so perfectionism combined with limited time can make it really difficult to actually sit down and get the music made. Inside this episode Isobel discusses the importance of taking ‘imperfect action’ when making music, and explain...

Send us Fan Mail DJing is still a pretty white, male industry, but when this week’s guest, DJ Paulette, first began spinning vinyl in Manchester’s nightclubs in the 90s, black women DJs were few and far between. Winner of the DJ Mag’s Top 100 Lifetime Achievement Award, DJ Paulette's career has spanned over two decades and multiple locations. But inside this candid conversation, Paulette also shares the personal path she’s trodden along the way. Paulette shares the real sense of threat she ...

Send us Fan Mail With Season 05 of Girls Twiddling Knobs dropping on August 17th, Inside this trailer Isobel gives you a teaser of what you can expect inside each episode over the next few weeks. Remember to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode and don't forget to enter our Season 05 competition where you could win an audio interface and some of our exclusive Girls Twiddling Knobs merch line too. Full details on how to enter >> https://femalediymusician.com/s05-compe...

Send us Fan Mail What if fame and commercial success weren't as great as the industry leads many artists to believe? This weeks guest, Kate Nash, had to face this question from an early age after her debut album found overnight success during the naughties. Because, even though there were good times and a few great people, burn out, industry sharks and misogyny were in abundance too. Kate was dropped from her label and, while many artists might understandably call it a day, Kate picked hers...

Send us Fan Mail [Headphones Advised] Listen to the shifting, singing Antarctic sea ice in mesmerising binaural audio to mark the end of another incredible season of Girls Twiddling Knobs. For this Season Finale, Isobel travels to University College London’s Bartlett Sch. of Architecture to meet composer and lecturer Emma-Kate Matthews. Follow Emma and Isobel on a binaural tour of this incredible hive of architectural and engineering exploration and deep into The Sound Lab. There, Emma shar...

Send us Fan Mail Orla Gartland’s career started out as a DIY artist on Youtube and has since seen her music rise in success and synced on both the hit TV shows Normal People and Heart Stopper. Inside this episode, she shares why recording and production has become integral to her creative process, especially in the creation of her debut album, Woman On The Internet. Over the last 5-10 years, recording and production gear has become affordable and intuitive enough that many musicians and song...

Send us Fan Mail Whether you’re in a band, have a team or are a totally DIY, solo musician, you’ll likely need to work with other people from time-to-time to get your music out into the world. But it doesn’t always feel easy or rewarding and, even worse, sometimes – especially if you’re a woman in music – collaborative relationships can be disrespectful. So, inside this episode, Isobel shares three steps you can take to ensure your collaborative relationships are respectful, rewarding ...

Send us Fan Mail There have never been so many initiatives fostering marginalised talent in electronic music and sound, and one such platform is the UK’s Oram Awards. Established in 2017, the Oram Awards is a partnership between The Radiophonic Institute, PRS Foundation & The Daphne Oram Trust, and elevates the work and voices of women, Trans and Non-Binary music creators working in sound innovation, music and related technologies. Inside this episode, Isobel gets the chance to chat with...

Send us Fan Mail Now, you might have heard about this production technique in the context of compression. You may already be using this technique in your own projects but even if you’re not just yet, you might have heard someone talk about adding sidechain compression either in a studio or on a YouTube video. But, if you’re totally new to sidechaining, today’s episode will break it down so you’re no longer in the dark. And if you’re already using sidechaining in your music, perhaps we’ll jus...

Send us Fan Mail It’s easy to feel tied down or boxed in as a woman in the music industry, and many artists use a pseudonym to create separation between their personal and creative lives. But today’s guest, Riz Maslen, has been releasing electronic music under multiple musical identities for the past three decades. Inside this episode, Riz shares how she’s used different monikers to play with different genres, contexts and identities, what it was like getting into production during the ‘90s ...

Send us Fan Mail What culture would enable women to learn and thrive with music technology? And how might this be fostered in music tech learning spaces? Inside this BONUS podcast episode Isobel shares the unique teaching approach she’s developed over the past five years, and why it's set over 400 women (and counting) up to win with music technology. This practical discussion continues on from last week’s BONUS episode all about how music technology education has (so far) been failing women....

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever struggled to own the title of ‘Musician’ this episode’s for you. Every single person has a slightly different definition of what actually makes a musician, but the reality of how and why we *feel* like one is often complex and even pretty misunderstood. Inside this episode, Isobel sits down with pianist and Home Recording Academy alumni student, Lois Lelland, about why she struggled to feel like a ‘proper’ musician in the past and why that’s now totally change...

Send us Fan Mail “Surely if women *really* wanted to record and produce music, they’d just get on with it like their male peers, right?” Well… Sadly it’s not that simple. Today in 2023, women still are considerably outnumbered on music production programmes and in recording studios and are less likely to learn through free online resources, like YouTube, compared to their male contemporaries. It’s true that women, in theory, aren’t banned from taking part in these spaces. So, inside this BON...

Send us Fan Mail If your first few attempts at self-producing your music have left you feeling like throwing in the towel, this episode is for you. Jess Magoch is an award winning Philadelphia based Hip Hop/Jazz artist who decided it was time to become more independent through developing her skills in recording and production. But as Jess shares in her chat with Isobel, it wasn’t a straightforward process. It took patience, practice and self-compassion for Jess to gradually build up her pro...

Send us Fan Mail Most musicians will have to make a big, bold, scary decision at some point in their career if they’re going to keep growing and developing as an artist. But how do you know when it’s time to take a risk, take the plunge and get out of your comfort zone? Inside this special BONUS episode, Isobel unpacks the types of big decisions you might face as a woman in music and when to know if it’s time to be brave and just go for it! LINKS Listen to EP#56: Being Assertive in Mu...

Send us Fan Mail Have the last few months of financial insecurity made you question if you can keep investing in your music? Many musicians are having to make some tough decisions when it comes to basic living costs, let alone their music careers. But inside this episode, Isobel shares how having the ability to record and produce yourself will not only save you money but can make you money too. No, this isn’t some pie in the sky, “Let’s make a hit record, baby!” stuff. Making an income from ...

Send us Fan Mail There’s nothing more frustrating than being creatively restricted by the skills and tools at your disposal, and oftentimes this leads to musicians being overly-reliant on others to get our music out into the world. But this week’s podcast guest, VOLTA HYMN (AKA Delali Zevon-Aniakwah), decided to develop her music tech know-how in order to forge her own artist project and become fully independent. Inside this conversation, Delali shares how attending one of Isobel’s 5 day rec...

Send us Fan Mail If you want to make 2023 the year you finally have amazing recordings of your music without breaking the bank, this episode is for you. Inside, Isobel shares 5 Key Strategies to Home Record Your Music Like a Pro! Even if you’ve worried that recording your music at home will automatically make it sound amateur in comparison to paying for commercial studio time, this episode will show you how amazing sounding tracks are in fact, well within your grasp. All you need is a little...

Send us Fan Mail Adversity can be one of the most creativity-enhancing experiences for many musicians, but when you’re faced with chronic illness that may dictate your energy and ability to work, it’s a whole different story. Inside this episode Isobel chats to musician and producer April Rose Gabrielli about her experience developing epilepsy, totally out of nowhere, and how it informed her debut album, I Woke Up Alive. April also shares her journey into recording and production and the BTS...

Send us Fan Mail How many times have you been given advice on your music, recording or production, even though you didn't ask for it? Or perhaps you’re always looking for advice rather than trusting your own internal resources and instincts? For many women in music, getting advice can feel like a tricky terrain to traverse without getting mansplained at, stereotyped or thrown a unhelpful red herring. So, inside this episode, Isobel examines the types of advice we might receive as musicians, ...

Send us Fan Mail It’s not uncommon for musicians to feel disheartened by recording and releasing their music when they don’t receive the recognition or respect they’d like. But inside this episode, Penny White (AKA Jenny Welch) shares how this all changed once she became more involved in the process of recording and production. This is a journey that has resulted in Jenny recording and releasing two EPs, being made track of the week on BBC Introducing: Midlands and feeling more fulfilled tha...

Send us Fan Mail Recording and producing as a woman in music is still pretty nonconformist, but in the context of the Middle East, it’s a down-right act of resistance, as this week’s guest Blu Fiefer explains. The Lebanese based artist has had to face many of the familiar challenges regarding accessing safe-spaces in which to record, being taken seriously as a female artist and forging a career in a competitive industry. But she’s also had to do this in a time of conflict, revolution and col...

Send us Fan Mail Nowadays, pretty much everyone feels busy, but for musicians this can really start to eat into vital music making time. Urgent tasks can seem to dominate your schedule, and before you know it, the day’s gone and your music’s been left to the bottom of your to-do list. Inside this episode, Isobel shares how she’s managed to make time for her music, even though her diary seems busier than ever. Between running a business, holding space for (literally) thousands of other women...