Giving Female Artists the “Push” They Need: Meet Push-Up Bra LA

A community built to uplift and support femme creatives in LA.

Zealyn, founder of Push-Up Bra LA, pictured on the left. Photo by Ashley Crichton (IG @_ashley_crichton_)

The pandemic came down like a hammer on countless musicians starting to make traction in their career. For some, it was a period of peaceful reflection and songwriting, while for others, it was a time of crushing anxiety and self doubt. For Zealyn, it was as if the universe itself told her to put all of her plans on hold. Just days before a national emergency was called, the LA-based artist and songwriter debuted her new showcase (now a nonprofit), Push-Up Bra LA.

“It was so apparent that this was one of the only showcases that was built around the artists. To get them paid, to give them content, to give them a great experience with their fans,” she said. “It is the dream showcase for an artist to play to feel respected and valued in an industry where that is so rarely the case.”

Once the pandemic hit, Push-Up Bra LA took a temporary hiatus. Zealyn admitted, “It was kind of a discouraging start to have such a wonderful, successful first event and then like, ‘Oh, I guess that was it.’ It just kind of stopped.”

Some organizers would call it quits and accept a good run for what it is. Zealyn isn’t one of those organizers. In 2023, she got a push from friend and now Push-Up Bra LA team member, Natalie Lane, to give it another try.

“I think it was such an important type of event that people remembered it. All of the sudden it was selling out again,” Zealyn shared, “It was a weird jump in time, so when we brought it back in 2023, it felt like no time had passed.”

Zealyn herself has been an artist for most of her career. Despite feeling grateful for every opportunity, being in the game long enough to organize events herself helped her realize that artists like her deserve more than they usually get.

“I’ve played all the showcases that LA has to offer and every single showcase is a loss of money,” she said. “You’re paying your band or an accompanist, you’re paying the gas, the food, if you need a rehearsal space... You’re losing money yet the showcase wouldn’t happen without you. It is literally only happening because artists are saying yes to it, you know what I mean?”

“The night wouldn’t happen if the artist didn’t say yes, yet they’re not getting paid anything. They're losing money.”

She recalled a show where she fronted the marketing costs and secured a minimum number of tickets sold, yet when she arrived at the venue, there was little to no thought put into the band’s needs. There was no safe place to leave a bag, no free water bottles offered, and the sound engineer was more interested in explaining than listening. She divulged, “I saw a pattern of the lack of respect towards artists. Not even just female artists, even though that heightens it more.”

Like any jaded yet defiant LA musician, she decided to do something about it. The idea for Push-Up Bra LA originally came from a post-show venting session on the ride home with her husband, David James. She listed off everything that evening she couldn’t stand that made her feel disrespected. He simply responded, “Why don’t you start your own showcase?”

It was something Zealyn had never considered. “I said, ‘Well if I did, it would have to pay artists, give them content, and it would be only female artists performing.’”

He replied, “Do it. You should call it Push-Up Bra LA.”

It was just the kind of support she needed. Plus, an excellent solution to her problems as an artist. Two months later, she had the soft launch. One month after that, the grand opening.

“Everything that Push-Up Bra LA has done so far, even the showcases, has just been me asking myself, ‘What do I wish I had as an artist?’ and problem-solving and doing it.”

Done it, she has. This year, Push-Up Bra LA hosted fundraisers for femme musicians affected by the January fires, music workshops for teen girls, and networking events that doubled as pajama parties in the home of trailblazing songwriter, Allee Willis. (Credited with co-writing well-known songs like “September” and the Friends theme song, “I’ll Be There For You.”)

Push-Up Bra has also hosted all-female song writing camps in Los Angeles and France. They go above and beyond for the writers and producers involved - carefully curating rooms to have the best creative outcome, showering them with gifts, creating memorable healing experiences like sound baths, and covering all upfront costs. “There were so many incredible songs that came out of both camps,” Zealyn said. “We throw listening parties at the end, and I’m always blown away by the talent.

“The biggest goal is for the writers to feel safe and wanted there.”

Photo by Emily Marcovecchio (IG @emilymarcovecchio)

They currently focus on four main events: all-femme showcases, all-femme writing camps, workshops for the non-profit, Altadena Girls, and networking events. Zealyn credits the success of Push-Up Bra LA to musicians who show up with good intentions.

“Genuine connection is rare and getting more rare each year,” Zealyn said. She firmly believes that you get what you give. While networking in LA can at times feel like bartering at a flea market, her biggest advice to musicians is to do whatever you can to keep the joy.

“Can we just stop being so network-y? That’s not the heart of Push-Up Bra LA,” she explained.

“It’s not, ‘What can we get out of each other?’

It’s, ‘Can we just support each other no matter what?’”

That kind of support happens internally at Push-Up Bra LA too. Creatives Natalie Lane and Carla Calderon help out as team members. This year, the team hopes to expand their programming and increase their impact exponentially. “I couldn’t do this without the two of them,” Zealyn said, “Running a non profit is no joke, and I’d never want to do it alone.”

Keep an eye out for their six-year anniversary on March 8 (which is also National Women’s Day) at the Hotel Cafe. If you can’t wait, Push-Up Bra LA’s first showcase of the year is coming up soon, featuring three female artists playing three songs each in an acoustic Nashville-round style. Rest assured, all of the profit goes to the artists. Performers also receive a live performance video, free content, and an evening surrounded by people in it for the right reasons.

Interested in checking out Push-Up Bra LA? Their next showcase will be January 10 at Orangewood Showroom. RSVP at this Partiful Link.