SAGE: GIVE THE GIRLS GUNS SINGLE REVIEW

This review comes with a content warning as it discusses domestic and sexual violence as well as the gendered violence against women/femicide that is currently happening in australia.

I wasn't really sure how to start This one because of the heavy and sensitive topic at hand; however I think it is important to be open and honest to keep things true to the message. This review was always going to be a tough one for me, as a domestic violence, sexual assault and attempted murder survivor, but who better to write about the situation than a survivor, right?

sage is a punk artist from naarm / Melbourne and she is debuting into the scene with a strong message, in the form of 'Give the girls guns'. “I wanted to write something that felt like it was coming from a place of determination and willingness to fight back, rather than from a place of fear. When Samantha Murphy was murdered so close to her own home, in broad

daylight, not too far from family of mine, I really felt for the first time how frightening this epidemic truly is.”

'Keep your keys between your fingers, No control of the life you live, Stay alive is all you fantasize, Everyday another mother dies, Give the girls guns, Give the girls guns, Give the girls guns'. Sage does not hold back in showing her frustration and

outrage from the first second of this track. Instrumentally, 'Give the girls guns' is a blend of heavy, dominating, chaotic and at times sarcastic guitars and drums. If you are looking for a song to get your feminine rage out to, this is it. Rampage through the music as you feel the despair of us all in the notes. 'Too loud? They’ll sew your mouth, Too proud? They’ll make you feel ashamed, Got

rights? They’ll tie you down, Wanna fight? You’re too emotional stay contained, You feel alone but you’re not the only one, If you can’t see them, They can see you'.

“The lyrics of this song detail thoughts, feelings, and experiences from women in my life. The notion that girls should be given guns to protect themselves against predators does seem quite ridiculous on the surface, and

phrases like “should have been a better housewife”, and “it’s us against men”, might feel overtly aggressive, offensive and far-fetched. But if you’re living this reality, if you’re aware of what’s happening to women all over the world, it’s not far from the truth. There is a war on women.”

'Smile, Keep quiet, Stay weak, Don’t eat, Should have stayed inside, Should have been a better

housewife, Now he wants your blood, And the kids and gender divide'. Vocally, sage throws herself into this with full force and no reservations. You will feel every piece of her pain at the infuriating situation women, LGBTQIA+ and children find themselves in, as she pours it into every line and turn of a phrase. I won't lie, this vocal performance, from the guttural "Give the girls

guns" to the uncontrollable screams had me in a state. The level of emotion in this vocal performance got to me in a massive way and it is safe to say that Sage achieved her goal, and made connection with this very real issue, not only possible but mandatory. 'It’s the girls and the gays, And the freaks and the f*gs, And the dyk*s and the tr*nnys, And the kids and we’re mad, It’s

us against men, Oh but he’s such a good guy, He has his whole life ahead of him. It’s just one mistake, Shut your f*cking mouth'.

'Give the girls guns' is an important musical social commentary piece, approaching one of the most important issues in our country at this moment. It does not shy away from an issue that needs extreme governmental action.

Regarding the music video:

“Given the confrontational message of the song I wanted a visual element that could carry the same weight. I spent some time looking through peer-reviewed journals and government websites to find the statistics, focusing on women, queer and trans people, and kids to highlight the damage being done to our people and communities.”

You can find up to date information and social links for SAGE on her linktree.

For fans of: zukø, stray from the path, Emilie autumn and scene queen

9/10

Many great people and organisations are leading the charge in the area of bringing

awareness and accountability to femicide and partner violence, including 1800 RESPECT,

White Ribbon Australia, Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety

(ANROWS) and most notably for Sage, The Red Heart Campaign and Femicide Watch run

by Sherele Moody and Amani Haydar.