Kiran Gandhi Is Bleeding And Beating To Her Own Drum

Photo Courtesy Of Kiran Gandhi 

WHAT IS FREE BLEEDING AND WHY IS A WOMAN'S PERIOD SUCH A VEXED ISSUE?
I think in the  developed world, in parts of the U.S. and in Western culture, Europe, the reason why periods are so taboo is a symptom of patriarchial oppression. I think that women's bodies and women have typically been valued for our looks and for our sexuality. Because a period is not something that is sexually appealing to men, nor somehing that is directly sexually intercourse related, we have to not talk about it. It's something that makes uncomfortable because it doesn't pleasure them sexually, we have to not talk about it.  We have to be embarrassed about it. We have to pretend that it doesnt' exist. We have to be ashamed by it. And, that's how deep the oppression runs. We have been so conditioned that our value comes from our looks and how we're able to be available beauty wise for the sexual consumption of men that a period doesn't fit into that. We have to be quiet and hush hush about it. Or even worse, embarrassed by it. The reason why this is a problem, besides obvious reasons of not wanting to be oppressed as a person, is that it ends up preventing us from having access to education about how our bodies actually work. It ends up preventing innovation related to the subject  because no one is talking about it. 

You know for the past 500 years we've had the same three products for women's menstrual cycles which are a tampon, a pad and a cup. Every six months we get a new iPhone but for some reason we can't seem to innovate better products for women. Luckily, within the last year and a half, weve seen more companies like Thinx and the My Flow app come up which are hugely empowering and wonderful. These are brands that represent using innovation and business to actually change the conversation around period and fight the taboo.

Regarding free bleeding, I knew that bleeding freely in a place as empowering and prestigous as a marathon would have a lot of symbolism and that it's difficult to really shame a marathoner because they've achieved someting so raw and so honest. To use that space and that power to shed light on an issue that really matters to me seems like a brilliant idea, and it actually did. It worked because then the discomfort that everyone felt came to the surface. It sparked a global dialogue on how we treat menstruation in various cultures and it also made us question some of socities most oppressive norms.

Free bleeding in a day to day life, I found it really comfortable in the marathon. It was perfect. It was exactly the right decision. Right now, for my own cycle, the first day or two days, I'll use an organic cotton tampon so that it's safe for the most vunlerable part of my body. The rest of the days I'll probably not use anything. There's not that much blood. It's natural. It's normal. It's also practical because normally I'm on the go. I was in the middleof New York City this particular cycle, running around getting ready for a show. Busy women, we ain't got time for all that to go find a Duane Reade. I'm cool off and focusing on the work I have to do. That's really important to insert in the conversation of free bleeding.

WHERE WERE YOU BORN AND RAISED, WHERE DO YOU PRESENTLY LIVE AND WHAT'S THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR CITY?
I grew up in New York and currently live in Los Angeles. One of the top things about my hometown is, I think in New York you grow up with a sense of assertiveness and a sense of protecting your personal space. In general, this isn't something women are taught how to do, which is to create boundaries and feel that it's OK to say no. And, also the opposite which is to ask for what we want. In New York you're cultivated to do that from a young age which helped a lot of my feminism today.

WHAT WERE YOUR INFANT ASPIRATIONS? 
Definetly to be the next Spice Girl. I'm certainly well on my way because I'm making music about Girl Power.

WHAT HAS BEEN A SEMINAL EXPERIENCE?
Running the "free bleeding" marathon, then having it go viral and really having this choice to either avoid this conversation and letting it go viral and not comment on it, or step into my own shoes as an artist and activist and really own that voice, really own that megaphone, and that's exactly what I did. My life has been better because of it. I've travelled the world to speak about issues that I care so deeply about. Now they're going from being just literal conversations with my friends and family to being on global stages where there is people who make an impact in the audience. That's been so amazing for me.

WHY MUSIC?
Because music caters to the emotions. It's fervent. People don't see music as a political threat so it ends up being everywhere. In the air waves. In the people's heart. And then if you're talking about real stuff, you're accessing an audience that you wouldn't have otherwise. In the same way music can be used for  oppression when it comes to artists rapping, writing or singing songs about the millions of women they've slept with and how they don't call women back or how they disrespect women, how women are objetcs. We internalize that. Young girls end up thinking that the best way for them to be valued is to look more beautiful. To be sexual when they don't actually want to be. But the reverse is also true. If we use music as a tool to say,"Don't be afraid. Speak up for what matters to you. The future is female. We love the women in our lives. We value the contributions that women bring to the table", then we can change the world. That's why I have chosen music as my career. 

I've also chosen music because it's my fuel. When you're fighting something that's extremly difficult to fight, you have to have strong fuel. I'll always be talking about feminism. I'll always be listening to music and playing my drums. In that way, if you're using the very thing you'll be doing anyway and you love, you'll be able to do it until you die.
 
WHEN DID YOU FIRST PICK UP THE DRUMS?
I started playing when I was 11. It was at a summer camp. I grew up playing the drums and I never stopped.

FIRST SONG EVER SUNG OR LYRICS TO  PASSAGE?
The first song ever is "Yellow Sea"  that I wrote by singing it into my iPhone.

HOW WOULD YOU CLASSIFY YOUR SOUND?
It's electro feminism.

IS THERE A MELODY THAT NEVER FAILS TO MOVE YOU?
Yes. Right now I'm stuck on 'Young Liars' by TV on the Radio.

WHO OR WHAT HAS INFLUENCED YOU THE MOST ARTISTICALLY?
I would say Fela Kuti from Nigeria.

WHAT IS YOUR PROCESS FROM CONCEPT TO CREATION?
I'm always singing or beatboxing or thinking of melody ideas. So then I write them into my phone. When I'm in the studio I revisit them a build them out into real songs. If there's a part I don't know how to do  because I don't know how to play the guitar or how to do the proper sound design that I want, I bring in various collaborators to bring that part of the song to life.

YOU DO YOU PURSUE ANY SPECIFIC THEMES THROUGH LYRICS?
Visit, Genius/MadameGhandi, and you'll find some of my annotations there, especially to the lyrics on a song called "Her".

WHAT DO YOU GET UP TO WHEN YOU'RE NOT IN THE STUDIO? 
I speak on panels. I spoke last night. I spoke this morning. I'll be speaking again tonight. Anytime you give me a mic I'm going to try to use it to make the world a better place for women.

HOW DO YOU STAY FOCUSED AND MINDFUL?
I spend a lot of time alone. That's how. You know, sometimes when you spend too much time in the mainstream the tools for repression can get the better of you. I try to self-select out of that and stay focused on my passion.