Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich spent years in Camp Cope, a band that didn’t just play music—it resisted industry norms. During performances, the group would pause to address men shoving women in the crowd. On tour, they joked about writing a book to document the often sexist experiences of being a female band in a male-dominated field. That joke became It’s Not for You, a memoir and collection of interviews with 18 female and gender-diverse artists who’ve influenced Australian music.
The book arrives three years after Camp Cope disbanded. Hellmrich spent that time raising her child and later mourning the sudden death of her cousin in 2024. She said the loss made her realize she needed to pursue her goals without delay. Over roughly three years of writing, interviews, and editing, the project evolved from a personal coping tool into a broader effort to record the industry’s exclusionary pressures while honoring the community that supported her.
The title comes from Camp Cope’s song “Keep Growing.” It carries two meanings: the doubt women and gender-diverse artists face when told they don’t belong, and the defiance of refusing to seek permission. “It represents the exclusion, doubt and the internal and external voices that say there is no place for you,” Hellmrich explains. “It’s also a reckoning, acting as a reminder that you don’t always need to seek permission first.”
The interviews include artists like Amy Taylor of Amyl and the Sniffers, Sampa the Great, Courtney Barnett, Barkaa, Linda Bull, and her former Camp Cope bandmates. Hellmrich wanted the book to honor the community that had helped her. “If I was going to write something, I wanted it to be a way to give back and celebrate that community,” she said. The process also forced her to confront personal vulnerabilities, including how to write about her family with honesty and respect.
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Writing the book felt different from making music. Unlike the collaborative process of songwriting with her bandmates, this was a solo effort. After spending time caring for a baby at home, Hellmrich was eager to create again. The project had a few iterations as she explored different ways to tell the story.
Camp Cope’s willingness to call out sexism came at a cost. Hellmrich described the backlash as both public and private. “We had these absurd, sometimes problematic, sometimes funny and sometimes really just plain sexist things happen to us,” she said.
Still, she reflects on her time in the band with appreciation. “I was lucky to travel and meet people from so many artistic circles,” she said. “I wouldn’t have the career or be the person I am today without the community of women and gender diverse artists I had to look up to during my time in the music industry.”
The book’s release doesn’t end the conversation. Hellmrich hopes It’s Not for You contributes to a shift where artists no longer have to justify their place in the industry or explain why they belong.