Top image: from The ARChive of Contemporary Music

Spearheaded by Courtney Love Cobain and former music marketing director Julie Panebianco, The ARChive of Contemporary Music [ARC] has launched a new initiative designed to collect and categorise a physical collection of recordings and related music materials that focus on and celebrate the contributions of women to popular music.

Titled From Her to Eternity, the name is a tribute by Courtney Love Cobain to the late Australian singer-songwriter Anita Lane, who died in April this year. Lane was a longtime collaborator with Nick Cave – through Birthday Party to the Bad Seeds – and co-authored seminal tracks such as Stranger Than Kindness and From Her to Eternity. In a post originally published by Cave on his Red Hand Files blog and later reposted by ARC, the musician says of Lane: “She thought the best ideas were the ones that never saw the light of day. [She] despised the concept of a muse but was everybody’s. She was the smartest and most talented of all of us, by far.”

As part of From Her To Eternity, ARC are asking women working in music to lend their names in support of the project: “Along with performers, we urge input from all facets of the music industry, including authors, producers, engineers, managers, publicists, support staff, designers, photographers, and industry executives. Can’t wait to hear from women roadies!”

Founded by Bob George in New York in 1957, ARC has a collection of popular music that rivals that that of the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian and the New York Public Library; housing more than three million recordings and over five million items. Embracing a quote from Talking Heads frontman David Byrne – “I Picture a library like situation, where the staff, instead of being quiet, they make a lot of noise – dancing in the aisles…” – as its mission statement, the ARC serves to preserve the heritage of the recording industry across the globe. Courtney Love Cobain and Julie Panebianco are the latest additions to the Board of Advisors, joining the likes of Keith Richards, Nile Rodgers, Martin Scorsese and Paul Simon.

Find out more about The ARChive of Contemporary Music here.