Doll Skin

Doll Skin, a rock band based in Phoenix, Arizona, is one of the most influential bands I have come across in a very long time. The band is almost entirely female, with the exception of lead singer, Sydney Dolezal, who identifies as non-binary.

Identifying as non-binary simply means a person does not feel they fit in with either male or female stereotypes. Think of gender as a spectrum with males at one end and females at the other. People who identify as male stick towards the male side of the spectrum, and those who identify as female, you guessed it, stick to the female side of the spectrum. 

But where exactly does that leave non-binary people? A non-binary person fits in anywhere between male and female. Rather than going by male or female pronouns such as he/him or she/her, non-binary people use they/them pronouns. 

That being said, there is not much non-binary representation in the music industry. The fact that the vocalist of an otherwise all-female band is non-binary is kind of a big deal. 

Gender aside, Dolezal is one of the most talented singers I have had the pleasure of hearing live. They are able to do crazy things with their voice — specifically with their belting range. Dolezal is also fully capable of doing full-on screamo vocals, which are featured in various songs throughout the band’s discography.

My personal favorite Doll Skin song is “Nasty Man,” off of their 2019 album “Love is Dead and We Killed Her.”

First and foremost, the album practically screams feminism, which is something I admire. All of the songs are about women taking their power back and fighting against the constraints of society.

“Nasty Man” is a hauntingly beautiful song that never fails to make me emotional. The lyrics of the song describe what it is like to be a young, impressionable female in the music industry surrounded by power-hungry men. 

The bridge of the song is heartbreaking. It paints a picture of a young girl working with a powerful man in the music industry. He grants her success, but at the price of her innocence. 

Unfortunately, it is not a fictitious scenario. Young women in the music industry are often taken advantage of by male superiors — they are told that they can be famous as long as they keep their mouth shut.

I admire Doll Skin due to the fact that they are not afraid to write songs about the harsh realities of the music industry. Doll Skin is terribly underrated and I truly hope that they get the exposure they deserve.