Play Like a Man: My Life in Poster Children

Rose Marshack, a member of Poster Children, participated in the indie rock breakthrough and the advent of new digital technologies. She chronicles the bands day-to-day life, shares tour reports, and offers lessons on how to rock, program, and teach while female. Poster Children applied punks DIY ethos to digital tech to connect with fans.

Format: Hardback
Length: 254 pages
Publication date: 31 October 2023
Publisher: University of Illinois Press

As a member of the iconic Poster Children, Rose Marshack played a pivotal role in the intertwined revolutions of indie rock and the digital transformation of the music industry. During the breakthrough of indie rock, Marshack and other women gained a significant presence in the music world, challenging traditional gender roles and stereotypes. At the same time, the advent of new digital technologies revolutionized the recording, marketing, and distribution of music.

Marshack's journey as a touring musician in a van, encountering her idols, juggling a programming job with music, maintaining control and credibility, and navigating the challenges of independent record labels and the larger music industry is vividly chronicled in her book. She intersperses her account with excerpts from her tour reports and valuable lessons learned on how to excel in rock, programming, and teaching while being a female.

Furthermore, Marshack delves into how Poster Children embraced the DIY ethos of punk and applied it to digital technology to connect with fans through platforms like pkids listservs, internet radio, and enhanced CDs. This innovative approach allowed them to reach a wider audience and establish a strong bond with their fans.

Play Like a Man offers an intimate and humorous portrayal of one woman's life in the trenches and online, providing a unique perspective on the music industry's evolution and the challenges faced by female musicians. It serves as a testament to Marshack's talent, resilience, and determination in pursuing her passion for music.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780252044861