Nancy Hornburg, former War On Women guitarist, is accusing her past band members of alleged “abusive and illegal behavior.” There were also a series of TikTok videos that Hornburg made on the allegations.
Guitarist Brooks Harlan and vocalist Shawna Potter, were accused by Hornburg of lying and being controlling. Then, drummer Evan Tanner was referred to as a “criminal,” who was allegedly running a “fraudulent business.” Tanner is now no longer in the band.
Here’s what Hornburg had to say,
“My experience with Brooks Harlan, Shawna Potter and Evan Tanner left me with emotional and mental distress. My self-esteem was destroyed. … These experiences made me feel like I could not trust people in music. … War On Women made me feel like I had no voice.”
She goes on to speak on how she felt taken advantage of whilst with the band. She mentions the abusive setting and how it would sometimes tamper with performances, along with affect her mental state. Hornburg also mentions the lack of “safe space,” referring to Potter as a hypocrite, saying, “Shawna Potter writes about and teaches ‘safer spaces,’ but I feel she does not actually care.”
Hornburg goes on to refer to War on Woman as ploy for Brooks Harlan, to allegedly take advantage of feminism and use it for his own personal gain. She mentions how problematic it is to let a white cis male be in charge of a feminist group and write songs for women. She said, “A feminist band should not be controlled by one man and his girlfriend,” whilst referring to Harlan and Potter.
War On Women are a hardcore punk band from Baltimore, Maryland. They formed back in 2010. They’re known for their feminist messages and activist involvement.