Sistas are doin' it for themselves

Maria Doyle Kennedy is the driving force behind Sirens, an 18-song anthology that "brings together some of the most original and independent female artists currently operating against the consensus of mainstream music."
It's no idle boast with Ani DiFranco, Beth Orton, Lisa Germano, Gemma Hayes, Lucinda Williams, Maria McKee, PJ Harvey, Nina Hynes, Neneh Cherry, Katell Keineg, Amy Rigby, Kristin Hersh, Patti Smith, Tanya Donelly, Margaret Healy, Sinéad O'Connor and Stina Nordenstam lining-up alongside the former Commitments star.
Says Doyle Kennedy: "It's the confidence gene that's more difficult if you're a girl. It's like if you're doing something really simple like a soundcheck, and you're having problems, you cross the line much more quickly than a guy would into being awkward as opposed to being an artist or a perfectionist. Women are often expected to be more amiable or more pleasing or more submissive than men generally."
Sirens is released by Solid on January 31 and reviewed in the next issue of Hotpress, out the same day.