international women's day 2023

Posted: 8th March 2023

When you think of the music industry, chances are the first artists that come to your mind will be men. It’s no secret that the guitar scene is male dominated, but despite this there’s a wealth of incredible women in the music industry who have and continue to redefine the guitar game.

This International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating women who plug in and play loud, paving the way for the future generations of musicians and changing the face of the music industry every time they pick up their guitar. At the heart of what we do, Marshall is dedicated to uplifting these artists and providing them with the support and tools necessary for them to leave their mark on the music industry.

These women are making exciting moves and taking guitar playing to a whole new level. We can’t wait to see what they do next.

skin

Deborah Anne Dyer, also known by her stage name of Skin and often mistakenly as the name of her band Skunk Anansie, is a British singer, songwriter and electronic music DJ.

She is the lead vocalist of British rock band Skunk Anansie, a band formed in 1994, have sold over 6 million records worldwide and toured with Aerosmith, U2, Muse and many more iconic acts. If that wasn't enough of an achievement, Skunk Anansie performed at Nelson Mandela’s 80th birthday party and duetted with Pavarotti for the Dalai Lama.

nova twins

Amy and Georgia, of Nova Twins, have always had a shared passion for music.

Amy recalls always having a love for the electric guitar, despite not being able to play when she first started to make music. Amy would always find guitarists to accompany her on songs, although, she explains she found it frustrating, not being able to express her own vision musically and having to wait on others which would often slow down her creativity. It wasn’t until her teens that Georgia’s father suggested that she learnt to play herself. Georgia, however, first started learning the bass guitar when she went to band school over a summer holiday at 13 years old.

Since the two came together to form Nova Twins, they have gone from strength to strength. From being nominated for a Mercury award in 2023, to playing Glastonbury and touring with  Prophets of Rage, Wolf Alice, Skunk Anansie, Bring Me The Horizon and Enter Shikari.

lita ford

Glam metal superstar, Lita Ford, has been rocking out since the 70’s when she was a member of the all-female teenage band, The Runaways. Their hit single ‘Cherry Bomb’ made the band an international success, launching the careers of not just Lita but Joan Jett and Cherie Currie.

Lita embarked on a solo career after the band broke up and found success with her Ozzy Osbourne duet ‘Close My Eyes Forever’. After a lengthy hiatus, Lita came back with a bang in 2008 and has been releasing music ever since.

lauran hibberd

Lauran Hibberd is a British singer-songwriter from the Isle Of Wight. She first picked up the guitar aged 14 and soon discovered a passion for singing and song writing.

Lauran’s initial releases, such as her Favourite Shade Of Blue EP, had folk elements, but towards the end of 2017 she began releasing a series of singles that displayed a punchy indie-rock influenced direction. She then started to sell out headline shows, appear at lots of UK festivals such as Glastonbury and Isle of Wight, and also support a host of artists including Clean Cut Kid, Hippo Campus, Girli, Anna Burch and The Hoosiers.

Her growing popularity has since resulted in live sessions for BBC Radio 1 and South by Southwest festival as well as her own sell out headline tours.

ruyter suys

Ruyter Lara Johanna Pakon Suys has been the lead guitar player of the band, Nashville Pussy since 1996. She performs alongside her husband, singer/guitarist Blaine Cartwright. Ruyter is known for her guitar solos and live performances, as a result of her passionate performances she was named in the Elle list of "12 Greatest Female Electric Guitarists" in 2009.

yvette young

Yvette Young began her musical journey playing piano and grew up playing classical music. Her parents are both musicians and she began taking lessons at the age of four. In 2014 she released an ‘Acoustics’ EP followed by another in 2017, these began to showcase Yvette’s unique playing style which involves alternative tuning, multiple hammer ons, pulls offs and tapping throughout. Yvette also plays in the math-rock band Covet where she features alongside David Adamiak and Forrest Rice.