There's no doubt about it, women are absolutely killing it! While there's still a long way to go in bridging the gap, women in the industry have gone from strength to strength and it's safe to say women are definitely a force to be reckoned with.

To coincide with International Women's Day we wanted to shed light on some of the truly inspirational female acts who you can catch doing their thing on stage this year around the country.

Alex the Astronaut

Alex the Astronaut is one artist I've had my eye on for a while. Ever since her debut single 'Already Home' was released in 2016, she has well and truly skyrocketed. The Sydney born singer-songwriter is truly amazing on stage, showcasing her relaxed, guitar-laden indie-pop tunes paired with a comforting level of vulnerability and beaming smile.

If you're keen to check her out, she's playing at Lion Arts Factory in Adelaide Friday 19 April.

Alice Ivy

Fusing electronic samples with her own unique take on funk and soul is none other than Melbourne heartthrob Annika Schmarsel aka Alice Ivy. Annika has supported a slew of local and international artists including Foster The People, Remi, The Jungle Giants and Vera Blue. She's bringing her amazing talents to the table this May for an epic tour to support the release of her new single 'Close To You'.

If you're down for a good old fashioned boogie she'll be playing at Rocket Bar and Rooftop in Adelaide Friday 17 May, UOW UniBar in Wollongong on the 23 May, Canberra's Mr Wolf on Friday 24 May and Republic Bar Hobart Saturday 1 June.

Anne-Marie

Hands down the most enthusiastic and energetic acts has to be UK singer-songwriter, Anne-Marie. She's been producing strong, girl power anthems of the pop variety for a number of years. The singer is no stranger to performing too, sharing the stage with Jessie J in a west end production of Whistle Down the Wind at the ripe age of 12 years old. She was the main support on Ed Sheeran's 2018 stadium tour in UK, Europe and the USA and has collaborated with a bunch of huge artists the likes of Sean Paul and David Guetta.

Anne- Marie is heading down under in April. While her Melbourne show is sold out, Adelaide's HQ Complex is hosting the major-league pop star on Thursday 4 April.

Meg Mac

Despite having the exact same haircut as me, Megan McInerney is definitely up there in my noteworthy female artist list. Better known by her stage name Meg Mac, this Aussie singer-songwriter has settled ever so comfortably into Australia's most sought after voices. Her ascension into musical royalty was brought on by her seamless ability to write chill-inducing ballads. Her latest single 'Give Me My Name Back' has solidified her talent and well-deserved stardom, exploring identity and self-worth.

To support the new track Megan will be playing shows across the country starting in May including Kambri Precinct in Canberra, UOW UniBar in Wollongong, Hobart's Uni Bar and Adelaide's HQ Complex.

MØ

This is one gal that means business. Karen Marie Aagaard Ørsted Andersen, known professionally as MØ is a Europop singer-songwriter who's distinctive vocals definitely stand out from the crowd. She's co-written songs with the likes of Major Lazer and Charli XCX and has even released a song with the Biebs himself. 

MØ performs at Brisbane's 256 Wickham with support from multi-talented rap, hip-hop, soul, funk master DUCKWRTH, Monday 6 May. I strongly suggest you get along to this one if you're in Brizzy!

Montaigne

Jess Cerro aka Montaigne hit the ground running when she was just 16, dubbed as one of triple j's Unearthed finalists for the year. Since then she has soared to glorious heights, which funnily enough is the name of her debut studio album released in 2016. If you're a sucker for brutally honest narratives and dark indie-pop then I suggest you get around Jess. She's playing a bunch of shows in April including Adelaide's Lion Arts Factory and WA's Freo Social

Odette

Odette is a welcomed new voice in the Australian music landscape. As far as pop-soul singer-songwriters go, Odette is definitely kicking some serious goals. Blending melodic vocals with rhythmic spoken-word. She began writing music at the age of eight, which in itself is pretty darn impressive. If you're in WA this April, Odette will be playing a special show at Freo.Social on Sunday 21 April.

Tiny Ruins

We caught up with Hollie Fullbrook, the mastermind behind Tiny Ruins late last year in anticipation of their third album 'Olympic Girls' - (Read the full interview here). Since then we've been hooked! The New Zealand based band have definitely captivated Aussie hearts, exuding immense talent and creativity throughout not only their songs but their live performances.

They're back once again to win over a few more hearts this May. Check them out at Melbourne's Howler Thursday 2 May, Adelaide's Jive on Sat 4 May, Wollongong's UOW Unibar Wednesday 8 May and Sydney's Oxford Art Factory on Thursday 9 May.