For Leslie Clio, the role of women in the music industry has “changed far too little”. The singer stands for female empowerment.
Leslie Clio (35) is all about female empowerment. She set up her new album “Brave New Woman” exclusively with a team of women – and will release the long player on February 4th on her own newly founded music label. The songs are also about self-determination and departure – about a “brave new woman”. In an interview with the news agency spot on news, Leslie Clio criticizes that there is still a “structural disadvantage” for women in the music industry. “It annoys me that women are still so underrepresented in our business,” says the 35-year-old. The singer also reveals why her veganism is so important and how you can start with the simple diet.
Her new album is titled “Brave New Woman”. How did you become this “brave new woman”?
Leslie Clio: Actually about life experiences. I feel like an onion: the more I detach from things, the closer I get to my core. I believe every experience is an opportunity to learn something, even if it hurts at times. I decide what I make of it and how I think about a situation. It’s about perspective and self-worth. To bet on himself and stand on his wife.
What advice would you give to your younger self who wasn’t as self-determined as you are now?
Clio: I’ve actually always been self-determined, financially I was able to stand on my own two feet from a very early age. But what I lacked was confidence. I would tell her you can do it and dare to follow your impulses. And don’t waste so much energy on guys, focus on yourself!
Her lyrics are very honest and direct. Do you always tell people what you think in your private life?
Clio: Yes, I think so, at least that’s my intention.
The song “Girl With A Gun” means “the most” to you, as you say. What was the inspiration for the song?
Clio: For me, “Girl With A Gun” encapsulates everything I’ve learned over the last few years and that’s ultimately why I started my own label and named my album “Brave New Woman”. It’s about sticking to yourself and trusting yourself (“stick to your guns”). Always have the courage to let go of everything that isn’t good for you. Going your own way, making mistakes, but not letting anything stop you. Do your thing and stay true to yourself! “No one’s gonna tell you how to move on – except the girl with a gun”.
You have achieved a liberation, you have founded your own record company and assembled a new team around you. Why was that important to you?
Clio: Creativity as such is my focus. My intention is to offer people a soundtrack to their feelings, situations and moods with my music. Being independent in this brings creative freedom and is very lucky for me.
A statement of your new album is, among other things, that your team consists only of women. To what extent are women disadvantaged in the music industry?
Clio: There is still a structural disadvantage that can be seen in every statistic. It’s about a lack of visibility and a lack of platforms. It annoys me that women are still so underrepresented in our business. The only way out of this patriarchal impasse is to hire women, it’s as simple as that. I’m super proud to have such a bunch of great women on my team and that I was able to make this possible.
Have you ever experienced disadvantages because you are a woman? How did you deal with it?
Clio: All the time, but I’m no longer concerned with who likes me or who doesn’t begrudge me what. For me, being a “Brave New Woman” means looking inwards and concentrating on yourself. Making the best of everything life throws at you.
How has the role of women in the music industry changed over the years?
Clio: The topic has become much more visible, that’s good and a start. But I think that far too little has changed.
What still needs to be done to ensure that women are equal?
Clio: I wish for a musical landscape in which every woman can be who she is. In which you not only make it as a Helene Fischer type, but you can also show edge as a woman and artist without unfair consequences. I dream of an industry that represents every type of artist and of diversity. I believe that women are finally needed in the executive floors.
You have been vegan for many years. Why is this so important to you?
Clio: I call myself a ¾ vegan: the more undogmatic you are, the easier it is for me. So it’s been almost ten years now. I only care about the animals. I just don’t understand how factory farming still exists when we all know the consequences of eating meat on the planet. I believe it is everyone’s responsibility to educate themselves about where their food is coming from and what the true cost of consuming animal products is.
What first step do you recommend for people who also want to be vegan but have not yet been able to pull themselves together?
Clio: Just start somewhere. Replacing cow’s milk with plant-based milk is arguably the easiest step. When cooking, replace cow cream with vegetable cream. Try your hand at cooking with meat substitutes. In terms of health alone, a vegan diet has only advantages. I recommend looking into the great educational work of Niko Rittenau or “Vegan is Unhealthy”, for example, and the PETA profile also works for the die-hard.
In 2018 you took part in “Sing my song”. Which TV show would you still be interested in?
Clio: I wish there were music quiz programs like they used to be, for example “Have you tones?”, I could let the music nerd hang out there.
Leslie Clio is also going on tour with her new album: Leipzig (March 30), Stuttgart (March 31), Munich (April 1), Berlin (April 3), Hamburg (April 4), Cologne (April 5) and Mainz (April 6). ).