Introduction by Christopher Kevin Au // Images by Ken Leanfore // Header image of Honey (Ashley Lozier, G COO, Matka)

It’s no secret that there’s always been a huge gender discrepancy in the DJ world, but one local crew have made it their mission to close that gap with vigour, leaving a trail of sweaty dancefloors and endless bangers in the process. Get familiar with Honey: The all-girl, ass-kicking squadron on Sydney’s club circuit.

Comprised of selectors Matka and G COO plus promoter Ashley Lozier, Honey have been throwing parties at Newtown’s Tokyo Sing Song with a twist: Their bi-monthly parties feature only female DJs in an all-inclusive space. The soundtrack is hip-hop, pop, house and everything in between, and once again, all the artists played at Honey are female. Over the past year, Honey has been growing exponentially in the Inner-West, while they’ve taken the same ethos to other parties by performing as Honey DJs. They’re part of a bigger movement which is seeing women dominate the Sydney DJ scene, with Matka also appearing in a recent i-D article which proclaims that “the future is female.”

This weekend, Honey will be throwing a botanical-themed party with an all-star line-up including Bad Deep, Nes and Sports – fresh from their sets at Splendour In The Grass – as well as Liz Bird and Sidechains regular Teachesofpeaches. As always, Honey’s in-house DJs will be rounding it all up in the early hours of the morning. The next day, Honey DJs will be backing it up by performing at Australia’s biggest block party, One Day Sundays and we can’t fucking wait. Read all about Honey before attending their sets this weekend:

When did Honey start and where did the idea come from? Who exactly is Honey?

Matka: I came up with the idea in the same way most people come up with club nights: a night was available at a venue I liked and I decided to do something new. I thought it’d be fun to limit the music played to music by women, since I’d never been anywhere that had done that before and I felt the clubs I went to were dominated by Drake songs – boring. Only later did I realise how powerful the implications of that concept could be. I then enlisted two of my best friends and two of the smartest people I know, Grace (G COO) and Ashley Lozier, and the event has been strengthened immeasurably as a result.

Why do you think its necessary for a night like Honey to exist – especially in the world of hip-hop?

Matka: To clarify, we’re not just operating in the world of hip-hop (though it is important to us); our event is multi-genre and only limited by female or GNC artists. I think it’s necessary because it reminds people that women are present and capable and powerful within the music industry and the club scene, whether that’s as a DJ or a performer or an artist. It also gives more women more opportunities.

There have been a few all-girl collectives in Sydney, but you’ve taken it one step further to only playing music by women. How have people reacted to this and what can people expect to hear at Honey?

Matka: People come into the club and they’re not arrested by prescriptive messaging: We’re not shoving an agenda down their throats. They just hear great music by women, that’s played for them by women. It’s really fun, so we’ve had an incredible response from people so far, especially those punters who hadn’t thought about the gender skew very much before. It’s opened their eyes a little bit, which is exactly what we’re going for. It’s pretty incredible to be at a club night and hear a DJ expertly transitioning between forgotten 80s throwbacks, female alternative rap and mid-00s ADM, but that’s what we’re about  – shoutouts to Ariane who I think has done this better than anyone so far. It also allows us to showcase the diversity of our DJs, so if one is more R&B and another is more bass/club, it brings a great dynamic to the night.

G COO: We’ve had so much amazing feedback from performers/friends/total strangers and it’s super lovely and inspiring! If there’s an overarching R&B/hip-hop vibe throughout the night I tend to fill the pop/disco/cheesy quota which generally means heaps of Kylie, Chaka Khan and Sugababes.

The idea of female competitiveness – especially in the DJ world – is something that people always seem to push, moreso than the way they speak about male DJ counterparts. What are your experiences with this and why do you think it takes place?

G COO: I’m actually part of two Facebook groups – one mostly for DJing and the other for music production – where female/GNC performers and producers can share advice, offer up sets and swap stories with one another. It’s an incredibly supportive and inspiring community both online and offline, so it really bums me out that there’s still this notion that we’re all out to usurp each other because it’s just 100% not the case.

Matka: Because internalised misogyny is real – and terrifying to notice within yourself. But it is becoming less common, at least in our scene. Once we realise there’s plenty of room at the top, we can work together and raise the mutual level of all women in music, sharing more and better opportunities as a result.

What have been some of the highlights so far for the night in its one year history?

Matka: My favourite parts are usually the huge sing-a-longs between the crew of DJs and the crowd. Other favourites include Sezzo Snot from Brisbane playing Pauline Pantsdown, Sydney’s Ariane doing the best 80s/90s set of all time and Br00klyn Queenz from Melbourne being other-worldly levels of amazing.

G COO: There are so many, but two of my recent favourites were Brooklyn Queenz from Melbourne doing a choreographed slow grind to Rihanna in neon cowboy hats and tassels, and the B2B showdown of Flexmami & Kritty at our last party – complete with a handmade scoreboard where we kept a tally of all the bangers they played throughout the night. I lost count in the first 10 minutes.

Your next party has a botanical theme. What exactly does this entail and what’s in store for the night?

Matka: Heaps of flowers in anticipation of spring. And a gin and elderflower liqueur drink special. The lineup is stacked with Bad Deep DJs, Nes, Liz Bird, Teachesofpeaches and Sports, and a huge closing set by G COO and myself.

There has been a lot of talk about the shifting demographics and atmosphere of the Inner-West after the lockouts. How have you kept the vibe of Honey inclusive and dickhead-free?

Matka: Tokyo Sing Song has always been a queer-friendly space, and its kink-dungeon vibe still lends itself to the inclusive atmosphere we want to cultivate. We monitor the door and the club floor heavily to keep it free of douchebags – Ash is an incredibly experienced and talented promoter so she’s like a hawk. Also, sometimes the venue manager dresses in drag to deter fuckwits. It usually works.

G COO: We keep it inclusive by booking a really diverse and wonderful range of female/GNC performers. We keep it dickhead-free by having a zero-tolerance policy for creeps and duds and a really great relationship with the security at Tokyo Sing Song.

What do you see for the future of Sydney’s clubbing scene – especially after i-D’s editorial which stated that the ‘future is female’?

Matka: Female DJs are definitely banding together now in a way that hasn’t happened before, so I think the scene is getting more diverse. There’s already a handful of collectives and workshops, and I’ve heard of even more new projects forming that plan to upskill women and give us more opportunities. On top of that, promoters have started to get squeamish about booking all-male lineups, so they’re actively trying to get girls on the bill.

G COO: I really hope more and more girls feel inspired to take part in it – through producing, performing, DJing, booking, whatever. The support networks that we’re a part of are constantly growing, so it’s exciting to know who’ll be coming up next!

What’s in the future of Honey and what projects do you have planned?

Matka: More parties, bigger parties and more often. We have a handful of really exciting collaborations and bigger venue prospects coming up in the near future, and we’ve had a lot of calls to bring the party interstate, so that’s a possibility, too.

FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM: HONEY / MATKA / G COO / ASHLEY LOZIER / NES / TEACHESOFPEACHES / LIZ BIRD / BAD DEEP / SPORTS