Beyond the Boys’ Club is a monthly column focusing on women in rock and metal music, as they offer their perspectives on the music industry and discuss their personal experiences. Journalist, radio host and musician Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio and the music outfit Upon Wings, writes the column. This month’s piece features an interview with trap-metal artist Zheani.

Life as a DIY musician isn’t easy, but it can be very rewarding. You don’t have to do what a record label or manager tells you to do. You can keep your vision as pure and focused as you want without any outside influences.

It’s always beautiful when a DIY musician rises above the challenges of being independent and achieves notable success. That’s what’s happening with Zheani. The Australian trap-metal artist has overseen her whole career. Her music videos have garnered millions of views on YouTube, and now she’s touring the world and selling out shows just like major-label artists. And she’s doing it all without compromising her values as an artist.

Zheani just released the new single and video “Sex Never Dies,” and is set to embark on a US tour from September 4th through October 15, with tickets available via Ticketmaster or StubHub. Ahead of the run, she spoke with Heavy Consequence for the latest Beyond the Boys’ Club column, discussing her choice to stay DIY, her experience as a woman in the music industry, why she thinks her messages resonate with fans and more.

You’ve spent a long time as a DIY artist and only recently started adding to your team. What’s it like being a DIY artist today? What kind of opportunities are there?

Independence as an artist has resulted from my nature. Every independent win is worth a 100 times one that is gained by the machine. I think that collaborating with the machine would undermine the meaning behind my art. The future of music is independent and the only advantages record labels maintain today are gained by their racketeering.