This week on the Women In podcast we have Annie, the musician. Annie DiRusso is an indie rock artist based in Nashville and New York. Combining the unique sounds of both cities, Annie creates an auditory experience that you’re sure to remember.

But if you know about Annie DiRusso, you probably know her through Tik Tok. After music venues closed this past March, Annie started posting at home live performances of her most popular songs on the app, garnering new fans and listeners. In these videos her relatable and gut wrenching lyricism and her punchy vocals hit you the most. For fans wondering, Annie is working on her debut album, which is set to be released in 2021.

I’m so glad that Annie agreed to speak with me about all things music, Taylor Swift, and the ridiculous double standards for women in rock.

Just a warning: throughout the episode, you’ll hear a cat meowing. That’s Cozy, and she really wanted to join in on the conversation.

This week on Women In: we have Vanessa, the engineer. Vanessa is a transportation engineer based in California who creates solutions for people in the San Diego area. When she’s not working on an engineering project, Vanessa works on her small business, Rooted Kombucha and posts about her job on Instagram and Tik Tok.

Eliza McLamb, based in Los Angeles, has been writing songs all her life. This past spring, after being sent home from university at the beginning of the pandemic, McLamb started using TikTok as a way to channel her complicated feelings. In her videos, with her both relatable and gut wrenching lyrics, you can see why she has over two hundred thousand followers. On her account you can find her emotionally charged songs alongside videos of her doing a fun trend, or giving a hot take on a controversial subject, giving her an air of authenticity that can be difficult to find on the massive social media app.

Her upcoming EP will be released this December, with new songs as well as extended versions of her most popular songs.

On the first episode of Women In: we have Kiara, the academic.

Kiara Vega Bellido is a graduate student at Baylor College of Medicine working towards a PhD in neuroscience. As a graduate student, Kiara is working on her thesis on how neuroplasticity, the ability of the brain to reorganize synaptic connections, is tied to contextual fear memory acquisition as well as mnemonic processes such as retrieval of memories and the consolidation of memories through sleep.

When she’s not working on her thesis, Kiara posts about science, science policy advocacy and mental health awareness on her instagram, curiouslywriteous.