Together with the actress and singer KATHARINA STRAẞER the POXRUCKER SISTERS released the song “Na”, which can be heard as a contribution to the #metoo debate. Jürgen Plank spoke to the musicians about crossing borders and derogatory compliments as well as about the Austrian music business. The 4 artists got to know each other in 2022: as part of the concert series “#WEARE – Strong Voices Strong Women”, which VIRGINIA ERNST founded around International Women’s Day. The impetus for the collaboration came from the sisters and about a year ago the creative process for the song “Na” began, which will also be presented at joint concerts in the future.
How did you work on the song “Na” together?
Catherine Strasser: We met a few times, it was pretty well prepared and the topic was already clear. We also met at my house because, of course, everyone always has little time and the children have been ill a thousand times. I brought in a few things in terms of content, but of course the melody isn’t mine, that’s something I can’t do. But I think the music is great. Music is what my heart beats for the most. A lot will happen there. But good things take time.
Steffi Poxrucker: Working with Katie was extremely cool and there is definitely potential for more.
And the idea behind “Na” was – if I get to the point – to make a song on the overarching theme “#metoo”?
Steffi Poxrucker: Yes, that’s how it developed. It’s about driving over others. When it comes to dealing with other people, you can’t necessarily relate that to a gender: it’s about not perceiving boundaries. For us as women, the issue was clear, based on experiences we might have had ourselves or the other women. Sexual abuse is also an issue, whether physical or virtual. This happens on different levels.
How did you approach these complex questions together?
Steffi Poxrucker: What was easy about working together was that we talked a lot: about our self-image as musicians. About our experiences as women, as musicians. It’s also about how women sometimes treat each other. It was all very inspiring and so it was important to us that we have a clear message with this “Well”. Appearing clearly with this “no” has grown. I feel comfortable with that and we also notice that it touches the fans and the people who listen to the song. It’s a resounding “no”. For example, we talked about how to react to a dick pic? What to do with it? One answer was, and this can also be found in the lyrics of the song, that we are not urologists.
We have a focus on our website that questions how women are doing in the music scene. How are your experiences?
Magdalena Poxrucker: Online you sometimes get comments like: You are 3 sweet bunnies. Something like this happens often. Or: You 3 are so smart and sweet, which one of you can I marry? This could also be described as excessive. A recent comment on social media about a video was: Can you 3 do this topless too? Such comments happen, it’s everyday, not only from us, but also from other musicians and women who do something and present themselves on social media. I don’t think that would happen to 3 men. Nobody would write: Can you do it without.
And in the scene, how does it look there? Or after a concert or in the music business?
Steffi Poxrucker: When we started, there was always the announcement: if one of you gets pregnant, then you have to let it go anyway. That came from people we were considering working with. I believe that there is an attitude in the scene that making music is something that is reserved for men. And young women. But then it’s over at some point, because when you have children it’s no longer compatible with making music and when you get older you’re not that interesting anyway. This attitude surprised us. When the first of us had children, we already noticed that it is not easy to reconcile the profession of musician with children. It will be difficult to find a kindergarten that is open at weekends. That is why we are committed to taking a look at these topics with our songs or with #WEARE, which we have now organized in Linz for the first time.
“The #WEARE series shows: there are female artists and you can also book them”
What other aspects do you think are related to this complex of topics?
Steffi Poxrucker: The song “Na” is also related to the fact that there is a gender pay gap gives. And the topic of “line-up” also comes to mind, as women are often outnumbered when it comes to series of events. Because there is often still a lack of awareness of putting together a diverse program.
Magdalena Poxrucker: Sometimes you also hear the sentence: Then you just have to be better! That means: there is a reason why you don’t play at a certain festival. The sentence comes from amateurs and also from people from the music business who bring this as an argument: Then you just have to be better, have more radio shows and more CD sales. But who decides about that? We don’t decide whether we’ll be played on the radio, but rather the music editors, who again are male-dominated. You have to line up somewhere. The #WEARE series shows: there are female artists and you can also book them. There is great music by women from Austria.
Catherine Strasser: And the female musicians deliver extremely. At the #WEARE event in Brucknerhaus in Linz there was standing ovationsthat was a bombastic evening, it was unbelievable.
“We discovered elements of folk music through pop music”
A trumpet can also be seen in the video for “Na”. Austrian musicians have often told me that they have a background in folk music or in the brass band. How about you?
Steffi Poxrucker: No, that’s actually not the case with us. But with our music we have a fan base in brass bands. There are brass music arrangements from a few of our numbers. For example from “Glick”. We have also worked with women from brass bands. We didn’t grow up with folk music: we discovered elements of folk music through pop music. Also through the language, through the dialect. For us it was more the opposite way.
You are sisters, that is a separate aspect, but what can you learn from the social structure of the band for life?
Christina Poxrucker: You learn that every opinion has quirks and qualities. After around ten years Poxrucker Sisters we have a good sense of who can do what. Who can bring what? So there is a division of labour. A band always means social learning, about people, about emotions. This is very important in relation to music. We are all in business too and have to be able to manage our jobs well so that everything works out. But actually, music is the most emotional thing that can come out of a person. You have to be careful not to forget that. When you work together like with Katie, you develop and that makes you strong. This keeps you going, because: the music business is not always easy and great. You don’t get anything for free. You only get what you do with passion.
In the prologue to the video, a derogatory joke is made at the expense of the woman. On the one hand, a joke like this says something about the attitude of the speaker and, on the other hand, points to unhealthy interpersonal structures that can even lead to a personality disorder. There is a lot of know-how in this prologue, how did it come about?
Steffi Poxrucker: In the prologue, a man says: Put on something tighter, because that won’t last much longer anyway. For the whole video, we collected what there is of everyday sexism that women and people in general can encounter. We worked together with the cabaret artist Elli Bauer, she is a language artist. We worked with her on the text and that’s exactly what it was about: if a statement is wrapped in a joke or a compliment, it’s often difficult to react quickly and deal with it at all. Often one sees through such a devaluation only in the aftermath. It was important to us to present exactly that: not the offensive that you immediately identify. But what is a little more hidden. So that through this prologue you can get into the topic of why it is so important to say “no”. That you say “stop” when you feel you’ve crossed a line. And sometimes you only feel it because you can’t believe it at first.
Coaches or psychologists say that “no” is an incredibly strong attitude.
Catherine Strasser: Yes, and it would be great if society saw it that way too. For example, I am someone who is good at saying “no”. But then I’m always the “uncomfortable one” who is said to be not so easy with her. But I know myself and my limits well, I wouldn’t dare to do anything that I felt was too much for me. That’s not good for anyone in the long run, and I’m the one who might not burn out. When I’m asked what I find strong in people, I always say: when you can show weakness. It’s a hackneyed saying, but it’s absolutely true. It’s one of the most powerful things you can do.
Many thanks for the interview.
Jurgen Plank
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Live:
Common dates in 2023: 10 years of the Poxrucker Sisters with anniversary guest Katharina Straßer
September 17, 2023: Kult Hof, Salzburg
06.10.2023: Cselley Mühle, Oslip
October 12, 2023 Orpheum, Vienna
13.10.2023 VAZ, St. Pölten
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Links:
Poxrucker Sisters
Poxrucker Sisters (Instagram)
Poxrucker Sisters (Facebook) Katharina Straßer