SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW : GOLD HAND GIRLS ON WOMEN AND MUSIC PODCAST ,PASSION AND ACCEPTANCE

Founded by music entrepreneur and CEO Alexa Ace in 2016, and managed with business partner and Director of Operations Micayla Chandler, Gold Hand Girls is a multimedia music platform dedicated to empowering and connecting women in the music industry, by breaking industry norms, conquering patriarchal statistics and elevating universal inspiration for women, men and members of the non-binary community.  In an interview with Womxn Crush Music, they delve into their new podcast Women and Music, the inspiration behind it, their plans for the future,  passion for everything they do and much more.

​Listen to the podcast here.  Read the interview below! 

• How did the idea for the Women and Music podcast take root? What inspired it?
  • After four successful years, we knew it was time to expand Gold Hand Girls, and what we envisioned was creating a space where we could showcase the badass work of women, men and non-binary individuals in the music industry! Naturally, we felt a podcast was the right route to amplify these voices while also sharing unique stories of inspiration for those pursuing a path in music. 
• The first episode launched last week, what was the general reaction to it? How did you feel it went?
  • The support and love from our audience across the world has been incredible. We crushed our personal goal for the first episode with nearly 400 downloads in just the first six days. We are so grateful to have an incredible community across our social channels who continue to show us love by helping us spread the word about the podcast and Gold Hand Girls.
• What would you like this podcast to achieve? How would you personally like for it to evolve over time?
  • With Women and Music, our goal is to provide a space for people to share their stories navigating the music business while addressing some of the issues we’ve seen in our own experiences, including the lack of women in positions of power. We also want to celebrate the different paths individuals took to get to where they are, shining a light on women leaders and ultimately, we hope to inspire younger generations to follow their dreams.
• Are there any bucket list guests you’d love to have on board?
  • We would love to be able to host incredible individuals working on and off the stage, including Julie Greenwald, Arthur Fogel, Lady Gaga, Ester Dean and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
• What are some topics you think podcasts in this niche don’t cover that you’d love to shine a light on?
  • We are 100% real on the podcast so we dive into issues that we’re not always comfortable talking about and that can sometimes hinder us from reaching our dreams. We talk about depression, anxiety, sexuality and so many other relevant topics that we all experience throughout our lives. 
• If you could envision three things that this podcast will do for women, men, and non-confirming people in the music industry, what would they be and why?
  • No matter at what stage someone is in their career, we hope to be a platform that people can turn to for support, creativity and a place where everyone can feel comfortable being authentic while building each other up. 
• Moving on, tell us a bit more about Gold Hand Girls. What’s the origin story, the journey and where do you see it going?
  • Alexa Ace: The idea for Gold Hand Girls was born almost five years ago when I was living in London pursuing a career in music business. Through my experience managing artists, shadowing major labels and photographing musicians for top companies like Live Nation, Rough Trade and others, I quickly realized truly how few women were in positions in power. I really wanted to do something in response to that and in 2016 I founded Gold Hand Girls. We’ve learned a lot of valuable lessons, but most of all we’ve seen an incredible support and need for a platform like Gold Hand Girls. 
• Through everything you’ve done with Gold Hand Girls, what’s been the biggest takeaway or most member moment?
  • It’s been such a great ride and we have so many great memories to share but one of the most exciting things that’s happened was getting invited to attend a Grammy party! That’s when we knew we were doing something right.
• Finally, you’re doing such great things, so in connection with Gold Hand Girls, what’s something that made you smile recently and why?
  • Micayla Payne: The reflection of passion. The overwhelming feeling of acceptance, understanding and grit from our followers to chase their dreams in music. Recently, someone DM'd us and said following GHG helped her realize she could take a creative approach to music and now manages an art-based Instagram page featuring music that's inspired her. To me, that's what it's all about, creating inspiration and reassurance for others that their passions are possible. 

 
For more information on Gold Hand Girls  :  Website | Instagram | Facebook


Written by Malvika Padin : 
 
Malvika is a freelance music journalist and publicist based in London and born in India. Currently the Editorial Coordinator at #WCM, she is also the Online Editor for alternative music magazine Discovered and one of the admins of Facebook journalism community 'The Journalist', founded by German-Indian journalist Johannes Koch. Malvika is most passionate about giving rising artists a chance to shine, and is also keen to focus on diversity and people of colour in the creative space. Email : malvikapadin@gmail.com: Twitter/Instagram : @malvika_padin26