Author: Gvantsa Naskidashvili

The first thing that comes to mind when you think of rock music is freedom, protest, and personal expression. Rock has always transcended the boundaries of music. It was not just a musical movement, but a cultural phenomenon that influenced social processes, including fashion, art, and the perception of identity. Although this genre was initially dominated by men, women were able to establish themselves and play an important role in the development of rock music. Women brought new energy, courage, and a different vision to the stage, through which they became symbols of social change and equality.

Although there are no limits to talent and free self-expression in music, women’s creative abilities are still viewed with suspicion and assessed as if they cannot play an instrument, write lyrics, or create melodies. In Georgia, where the music scene is already underdeveloped and musicians have to work very hard to achieve success, women’s opportunities are even more limited.

In this article, you will learn about the stories of young, modern female performers who shared their experiences with Aprili Media — talking about how they found themselves in the music field, why they chose rock music, and how they manage to continue their creative work despite obstacles and gender stereotypes.

“I always knew I wanted to make music. So what if I’m a woman?”

19-year-old Lilu Abramishvili is the leader and vocalist of the band LucidLust. LucidLust is the only underground rock band in Georgia members of which are all girls.

Lilu inherited her love of music from her musician parents. Her biggest inspiration was her opera singer father, who was a member of the Georgian gothic band Yorick in the 90s. Unlike Yorick, Lilu plays Shogaze (a subgenre of alternative and indie rock that emerged in the 80s in Britain), although her music also incorporates the symphonic elements that her father performed years ago.

Lilu’s band’s music mostly speaks to human inner emotions and is distinguished by its genre freedom. She has been listening to Shogaze since childhood, and her favorite artist is Wisp (an American female solo artist).

When asked why she chose Shogaze, the musician replied that she took an example from Wisp, who has exactly the same views and problems in life as she does.

“When LucidLust was formed as an all-girl band, no one took us seriously. We were often told that we were girls and couldn’t play pure Shogaze. My parents were also very skeptical about this genre, but today they support me in every way. If it weren’t for LucidLust, someone would have had to go down this path and I like the fact that we were the first to do it, ” Lilu Abramishvili tells us.

Lilu says that in 2024, when large-scale protests against Russian law began in Georgia, it became difficult for her to create music about happiness, hope, and love. In this situation, LucidLust released a symbolic track called “bloodshed”, dedicated to the soldiers who died fighting for their homeland.

“When we see tension around us, we can’t turn a blind eye and write happy songs. We try to show people what’s really going on with our music.”

Maybe being a musician doesn’t contribute to financial stability, but she doesn’t see the point of living without music, because it’s her only means of self-expression.

“I always knew I wanted to make music. So what if I’m a woman? After all, anyone can find themselves in music.”

She says that it is very difficult for women to take their first steps in the music industry. Compared to men, they have to work twice as hard to prove their talent. As she recalls, at first LucidLust’s music was ridiculed simply because it was created by girls, but the ironic attitude of critics changed radically after they heard the group’s live performance. Later, the audience’s surprise grew into a stereotypical perception — “LucidLust couldn’t write such cool songs. Maybe their boyfriends write their lyrics .  ”

“I know a lot of male musicians, and from what I’ve observed, it’s very easy for them to establish themselves on stage. When people see a boy band, they immediately take it seriously and even cheer for it. For some reason, they only express sexualization towards female musicians — a girl wants to be a musician so that she can become famous and the boys can fight over it. They don’t appreciate the fact that a woman also has something to say that can be conveyed through specific music.”

Lilu also talked to us about her image. According to her, people mostly criticize the way girls dress and never think about the fact that a certain image might be part of a musician’s individuality. Her clothing is also a characteristic of creativity and comfort, but it is always perceived by society as sexual and not art.

It also says that in the age of social media, comments on LucidLust’s social platforms are mostly negative. One comment below the band’s video read: “You’ll get married and forget about the band. You’re wasting your time.”

Along with personal experiences, the band’s tracks also incorporate the problems of women who doubt their abilities due to gender stereotypes.

“It’s hard, but you can do it,” Lilu Abramishvili encourages girls who are hesitant to start a career in the music world.

“Your sex doesn’t matter, just do what you love” 

The founder and vocalist of the Georgian Nu metal (alternative metal subgenre that emerged in America in the mid-1990s) band NeverBite, 20-year-old Ephemia Basilia, took her first steps in the music world as a rebellious and mischievous teenager. Linkin Park and Alice in Chains are her childhood favorite bands, which awakened the desire to be on stage in 15-year-old Ephemia, and her mother influenced her discovery of outstanding artists. Over time, new artists appeared in Ephemia’s musical taste and added genre diversity to her creative process.

Ephemia is a third-year student at the Faculty of Psychology at Ilia State University. While studying and making music at the same time, she works day jobs and spends the money she earns on the band’s creative process.

Speaking to Aprili Media, Ephemia notes that musicians in Georgia are not financially stable and this is the only reason why her parents are not attracted to the idea of ​​her continuing her professional path in music, although she does not plan to work in any other field.

When asked about the impact of the repressive laws adopted in the country on Ephemia’s music, the young musician told us: “I describe everything that I see in music.”

“The current politics in Georgia pose a great threat to the music scene. We can no longer express our personal views through music, as Russian law restricts freedom of speech and expression. Music is a kind of protest for me, and I am being deprived of that opportunity.”

She tells us that NeverBite’s musical lyrics deal with life experiences, including personal problems, society, the state and political issues. The vocalist’s inner state and the group members’ views on a particular issue are conveyed in the music in a heavy but different artistic way, directly showing the listener the harsh reality they face.

Nu metal is usually considered a male genre, so Ephemia had to deal with many obstacles. The first challenge that comes to mind is the public’s surprise: a female vocalist in a Nu metal band?

Ephemia is the only girl in the band. A female vocalist is perceived as a special face in a male-dominated band, but it’s not easy — she’s always faced with additional expectations and evaluations, and she also has to prove that she’s not in the band just for “being different.”

In addition, Ephemia shared that her masculine self-expression often evokes negative feelings in people. She is sure that with a feminine image she will attract audiences more easily at concerts, but she is not going to give up her personality and comfort zone because of this.

Ephemia has many plans and plans to release new tracks. The noisy time of the digital world inspires more to move forward, but virtual negativity confirms that female musicians are still trapped in stereotypes, despite the illusion of freedom, which increases the fear of failure among aspiring female musicians.

The vocalist urges girls who want to try their luck in the music industry: “Don’t be afraid. It doesn’t matter what people think, it doesn’t matter what gender you are, just do what you love and what you want to do with your heart.”

“Women’s voices will change the world”

Vocalist and synthesizer, 21-year-old Mariam Jimsheladze has been in the music industry since she was 6 years old. The musician inherited her creative talent and abilities from her parents. From an early age, she was especially fascinated by female performers. Her favorite musician is Taylor Momsen (vocalist of the American rock band The Pretty Reckless), who became her biggest inspiration. Listening to her favorite artist made alternative music an integral part of Mariam’s life, and in 2023, on her initiative, a Georgian punk rock band called VALKYRIE was formed, which disbanded in 2024 due to the members’ busy daily schedules.

Currently, Mariam is not playing in a band, but is working on new experimental projects that incorporate elements of metal and Darkwave (a musical genre that emerged from the post-punk and new wave movements of the late 70s).

Mariam’s musician parents are very supportive emotionally and financially and are proud of their daughter’s choice.

The young musician is studying journalism and PR-marketing at the University of Georgia, and works in parallel with her studies. As she herself noted, she loves writing, but journalism is not her field. She sees herself only in music and plans to use the knowledge she gained at the university in the field of PR-marketing for the benefit of music.

Standing on stage is associated with euphoric emotions for her, which provides the greatest stimulus.

“I can’t even imagine my future without music. If I can’t get on stage, I’ll definitely get backstage. I’ll always try to connect my skills with music.”

She says that the current political events in Georgia have a very negative impact on her creative psychology. She also participated in protests against repressive laws, which is why she was repeatedly in danger. During this period, the protest against repressive and freedom-restricting policies was also expressed in VALKYRIE’s music. Mariam believes that musical art and politics are closely related, so musicians should bring the listener closer to reality with their creativity and not just create an “illusion of happiness”.

We also talked about the lack of music venues in Georgia, the number of which will decrease even further as long as the Russian law is in place.

Mariam says that due to society’s stereotypical attitudes, it is easy for girls to succeed in pop music, while because the alternative scene is traditionally dominated by men, it is more difficult for women to establish themselves there.

However, she also says that VALKYRIE received the most support from male musicians who believed that the presence of female performers was essential for new ideas and sounds in the rock world. The band also had a male member, but the group’s identity and energy were so feminine that listeners considered VALKYRIE a musical project for girls.

Mariam’s new project is already on its way and she is sure that it will be met with a great deal of opinions from the public, as she has “made the musical genre quite heavy”. She considers her performance a tool for confronting and fighting gender discrimination in rock music.

“Women’s voices will change the world” — Mariam.

She recalled one live performance where a father had brought a 6-year-old daughter. Mariam soon noticed a small fan who was “watching VALKYRIE’s performance with sparkling eyes.” She says that at that moment, her whole body was filled with a feeling of pride, as her voice and music transformed into the little girl’s delight.

Mariam advises women who want to start a musical career: “Always do what you want. If you want to scream into a microphone, scream. You want to play an instrument? — Play it. Remember, our voice is always important.”

“Us, women can make music just as well as men, sometimes even better than them.”

Lika Siradze is the vocalist and leader of the Georgian alternative indie rock band TAPE VISITORS. At the age of 24, she has already graced the stage of Tbilisi Open Air twice and made it to the final eight of The Voice Georgia 2023.

She has been interested in music since childhood. Her music-loving nature, the turning point of adolescence, and the harmonious hits of Radiohead became her greatest inspiration. Lika found a comfort zone in alternative music.

Lika’s passion for the genre was initially not taken seriously by her family. A girl rock singer dressed in black was a bit of an unusual sight for her parents, but they did not criticize their daughter’s decision. Her biggest fan is her grandmother, who encourages her at every stage of her creative path.

It worries Lika that there are virtually no music venues in the country — she only remembered three venues in Tbilisi where they can play, although the fees far exceed their income.

Music may not be a financially profitable business in Georgia, but Lika is not bothered by this fact and intends to devote herself entirely to the world of music, and her motivation is mostly driven by the desire to create new things.

“I was told several times, what can you even write that is new? I was surprised and asked why. Every song written by a person is individual and new in itself. You can always create something new in music,” says Lika.

She completed a Creative Education Sound Engineering course, after which she realized that the right job for her was to be on stage, not working indoors. Her daily work is limited to singing in bars and working on various soundtracks.

Lika believes that Russian law has deprived Georgian musicians of the opportunity to sing freely and destroyed the peace of mind of every citizen: “Why shouldn’t I be able to do what I want freely in my homeland, or why should I be afraid?!”

As a protest against the repressive law, TAPE VISITORS released “Young Folks” in 2025. The track evokes energetic, nostalgic emotions of youth, friendship, and freedom in the listener. The music does not directly protest the system, but the joyful and carefree state of the young people in the footage can be seen as a clear attempt to grapple with everyday problems, rather than ignoring them.

 

TAPE VISITORS’ musical lyrics, along with their genre diversity, also cover various life issues, including politics, love, individual problems, and everyday life. The band’s tracks focus on atmospheric mood and emotional intensity.

Lika is the only girl in the band. When we asked her how difficult it was for her to start her career in the music industry as a woman, she told us: “Alternative music has remained in people’s memory as something created by men, so the appearance of a woman in this genre has somehow become frivolous. In reality, women can make music just as well as men. Sometimes even better than them.”

She says that she has not faced any particular obstacles due to her being a woman, and she has never doubted her abilities while working with the guys in TAPE VISITORS. The band is a second family for her, where the relationships formed over the years go beyond music.

“My music may have been criticized because of its sex, I just never paid attention to it. Gender imbalances exist everywhere, including in the music industry, and I don’t think people’s opinions should affect women’s creativity. No matter what they say, I personally won’t put my guitar in a corner and stop playing.”

In bands with only one female member, listeners often focus more on her appearance or gender than on her musical talent. Lika had such an experience – after the 2025 Tbilisi Open Air, her outfit was discussed more on social networks than her music. The video of Lika’s performance has garnered a lot of views, and a significant part of the comments are devoted to critical and negative assessments. She says that the male members of the band have not had a similar situation because of their attire.

In 2026, Lika’s band performed for the third time on the stage of Tbilisi Open Air, and on July 10, they played at the Mad Cool festival in Spain with such famous artists as: Nick Cave, Pixies, twenty one pilots, Kings of Leon and others. Currently, the band members are working on new tracks and are planning to record an album.

“Be free in every way. Don’t stop trying because of other people’s opinions. Your feelings will always be acceptable to people, whether they are accepted by music or not,” Lika addresses girls new to the creative field.