Rock, politics and ageing disgracefully: Meet Matriarch Inclusive
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A band composed of mature women is rare to find, but one that plays loud rock music about love, regret and social justice deserves a standing ovation.
It’s no wonder Matriarch Inclusive is rocking the Canberra music scene.
Featuring four women over the age of 50 who are tapping into their rock and roll soul, Matriarch Inclusive was founded in 2020 by drummer and ex-public servant Leanne Thompson.
Describing the band as a group of mature women who “should know better”, Leanne, Glenda Harvey, Lee Grunwald and Lorena Quinlivan are bucking expectations about older women and celebrating their love of political, loud and edgy music.
After a 35-year break from drumming, Leanne credits starting the band from sheer curiosity, an unused drum set and a stint playing covers with her former colleagues at the Department of Industry.
“There was a kit gathering dust at my partner’s house and one day I set it up to see if I could remember anything from my teenage music lessons,” says Leanne. “It was a bit of a lark but then muscle memory kicked in I managed to play a rough rock beat. It was so much fun I decided to get a teacher and start jamming with friends at work.”
“I loved playing with my work band, but I had a yearning to do something a bit out there, female-centric and political. So I reached out to see if there were other women my own age that wanted to play loud, edgy music. I didn’t think I’d get much of a response, I thought it was a bit mad actually.”
“As it turned out, there were a couple of other mad women like me in Canberra.”
Within a few months of meeting, they had composed a handful of original songs and hit the stage at Smith’s Alternative. When COVID struck, they “cracked on” through the pandemic, songwriting, recording and gigging whenever they could.
“It took a few weeks to come up with our name. It is hard to find an original name so we went with Matriarch even though we knew a few artists overseas were also using it” explains Leanne.
“It represents who we are—older empowered women who have found their voice. We recently added Inclusive to our name because we are progressive and we value equality and diversity. That is an important part of what this band is about, inclusion”, says Leanne.
Matriarch Inclusive’s debut EP, Messy House (which features original singer Ana Key), comments on issues like labour distribution, childcare, mansplaining, bodies and sexism. Sounds heavy but the songs are catchy and clever and are designed to get people up dancing, singing and thinking.
“I know playing rock music at fifty-something is not everyone’s cup of tea. But it is mine. It is very different to my teenage rock band fantasy” laughs Leanne.
“As older women, we are all juggling caring roles, family responsibilities, paid and volunteering work, and managing changing health including menopause. But this is what makes our band unique—we have a different perspective, we have regrets, we are flawed”
Headlining an International Women’s Day event, tearing up the MoshPit in Sydney, warming up the March4Justice National Rally at Parliament House and recording their first EP are just some of the band’s big moments in 2021.
Looking forward, Leanne says Matriarch Inclusive will do more recording with their new singer Lorena, who joined the band in mid 2021. They are also keen to do more performing and collaborating.
‘We have lots of song ideas and want to explore different ways to communicate, share and connect those ideas with more people.”
“The five songs that ended up on the debut EP, have a very strong feminist theme running through them. Most of our music has some kind of social justice angle—we care about the world and what we will leave behind.”
While she says being an older female drummer “might be a bit weird”, Leanne believes part of the band’s appeal comes from their authenticity and being a bit unconventional.
‘I’ll never be the best drummer. I make mistakes, we all do. That gives others permission to make mistakes, to be human. Imperfections make life and art interesting.” she says.
“It’s all about getting out there, trying new things, having fun and connecting. I hope we encourage others to get a bit unconventional and if that means making loud music, I say do it, it’s an awesome thing, just remember to pack your earplugs” laughs Leanne.
Rock out Matriarch Inclusive here or keep an eye on their social media for their latest gigs.
FEATURE IMAGE: Harry Burke Photography
