A recent Women in Music conference in London’s Southbank revealed that just 13 per cent of the songwriters registered on PRS, the UK copyright and performance rights organisation, were women.

In the audience was Helen Meissner, MD of the Folkstock Arts Foundation – who, from her experience running a music studio, organising Folkstock in Aldenham and last week’s Dacorum Folk Fest, and championing up and coming artists – knew that wasn’t an accurate representation of the music scene, and particularly not of her beloved live folk music scene.

Inspired by what she’d heard, Helen has put together Femmes Fatales of Folk, a compilation album of work by female folk singer songwriters to show the sheer diversity, breadth and talent that’s out there.

Two of the women on the album are Minnie Birch, former Watford and current Hemel resident, and Kings Langley’s Daria Kulesh, who are joined by Kelly Oliver from Stevenage, Fay Brotherhood from Welwyn and Kaity Rae from Barnet.

“Helen contacted us all saying she wanted to put out a compilation to show there are actually women making some fantastic music,“ explains Minnie, a children’s librarian at Watford Central Library.

“And she invited us all to her studios to record a track.“ Minnie’s contribution to Femmes Fatales is Wise Words, a “little song about being scared but being brave enough to follow your dreams,“ inspired by her recent trip to Nashville to further her musical career.

“The whole thing was girl-powered!“ says Minnie, who gigs regularly at The Horns, The Flag in Watford and The Horn in St Albans.

“It was produced by Helen’s record producer daughter, it’s being released on her all-female label and all the artists are women.

“When you’re out on the live music scene and see how many women singer songwriters there are out there, it doesn’t reflect the low number that have registered for royalties and things,“ Minnie continues.

“Maybe we’re not taking ourselves as seriously as we should or we don’t think we’re as professional. Helen’s just taken this 13 per cent thing and is trail-blazing a way to inspire other women to play.“

  • Femmes Fatales is available to buy from folkstockrecords.bandcamp.com. Minnie Birch will be playing at John Lewis at intu Watford on Saturday, July 26 throughout the day, and at Watford Museum for Ship of Fools, a night of free folk music, on Friday, August 1, from 6pm. Details: facebook.com/MinnieBirch