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  • Published: 11 August 2026
  • ISBN: 9781761358517
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Trade Paperback
  • Pages: 336
  • RRP: $40.00
Categories:

It's Not For You




Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich speaks with women and gender-diverse artists who changed the Australian music industry on their own terms.

Featuring interviews with Amy Taylor of Amyl and the Sniffers, Angie McMahon, Anna Laverty, Anna Lunoe, BARKAA, Camp Cope, Courtney Barnett, Elly-May Barnes, Fanny Lumsden, Julia Jacklin, Kira Puru, Marcia Hines, RIAH, Romy Vager, Sampa the Great, Sarah Blasko, Sosefina Fuamoli and Vika and Linda Bull.

From our very first show in Brisbane in 2016, when we stopped mid-set to call out a guy who was pushing to the front and shoving women aside, we knew exactly what kind of space we wanted to build. One where women and queer people didn’t have to shrink themselves or brace for impact if they didn’t. And if you had a problem with that, it was not for you.

Trailblazing female punk band Camp Cope changed the Australian music scene forever, from their It Takes One campaign to end sexual harassment at gigs to their track ‘The Opener’, which became an anthem for fearlessly calling out the sexism that permeates the industry. Here, Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich, Camp Cope’s bass player, brings that same passion to conversations with fellow artists who represent the firsts and the future of Australian music.

It's Not For You goes beyond the music, offering a peek behind the curtain, generous personal reflection, catharsis, camaraderie and inspiration for anyone who’s ever been told they were too much or not enough.

  • Published: 11 August 2026
  • ISBN: 9781761358517
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Trade Paperback
  • Pages: 336
  • RRP: $40.00
Categories:

About the author

Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich

Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich is a musician best known as the bassist of CAMP COPE, the groundbreaking Australian punk trio that redefined the industry with their fearless activism and uncompromising sound. Born and raised in Western Sydney, Kelly’s perspective is deeply shaped by the raw energy of its working-class suburbs. Over seven years with CAMP COPE, she toured across Australia, Europe and North America, sharing stages with artists such as Courtney Barnett and playing some of the world’s most iconic venues. The band has featured in Rolling Stone, the Guardian and NPR, offering candid insights into life on the road, the complexities of the music industry and deeply relatable lyrics that connected with people far beyond the Australian scene. Kelly has also featured on ABC iView’s The Art of… Motherhood, exploring creativity and identity as an artist and mother. A vocal advocate for representation and inclusivity in the music industry, Kelly works at MusicNSW as their Western Sydney coordinator and alongside Briggs as Artist & Community Liaison for the Indigenous-owned and operated record label Bad Apples. Kelly is of Mineng Noongar descent.