Ever since the release and success of the single Girlie Bits last year, which polled 58th in the Triple J Hottest 100, Barter has become somewhat of a spokesperson for modern feminism.

The sugary slice of indie-pop was dripping with sarcasm with lines like “call off those battle lines, flash us your panty lines” and “give us a smile princess, it's better for business.”

However, Barter is far more direct when discussing veteran broadcaster John Laws, who last week said he demanded women in his office wear short skirts because “I love them to look feminine and, to me, a skirt on a beautiful body is a very, very feminine thing” during a TV interview.

“He’s a dinosaur and there are those attitudes and they’re not as acceptable as they once were,” Barter says. “It won’t be forever. I think it’s a different generation.”

Barter is part of a new wave of female songwriters who have exploded out of Melbourne in recent years. Others include Courtney Barnett, Alex Lahey and Camp Cope’s Georgia Maq. They’re impact is beginning to change the discourse within the indie scene.

“There’s still some old dinosaurs rocking around the music industry that say funny things as well, but there’s too many feisty young women to put them in their place now,” she says.

Girlie Bits certainly changed everything for Barter. Not only did the track make her a popular artist among Triple J listeners and ensure her current national tour is almost completely sold out, it gave her the profile to speak on feminist issues.

“I didn’t write that song with that intention,” she says. “It was purely my own experience. I feel like it’s a time where women are speaking up more, so I’m proud to be part of that movement of artists that are speaking up about this stuff.

“It feels like it’s happening everywhere, which is really great. I’m really proud to be a part of it.”

One way Barter articulates her feminist ideals is educating her followers on Facebook about some of her favourite female musicians. Some recent posts have featured Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth, Ella Fitzgerald, Bette Davis and even Yoko Ono.

Barter was motivated to start the weekly posts after studying a popular music history course at university, which exclusively focused on male artists.

“That was the reason why I started doing these weekly posts about female musicians and their contributions and stories,” Barter says.

“Because I was a bit shocked in this class that the main strain of history we’re getting isn’t talking about women.”

A month ago Barter released her debut album A Suitable Girl, produced and partly co-written by her husband and Holy Holy guitarist Oscar Dawson. It’s a grungy and direct assault of sludging guitar, softened by Barter’s sweet vocal.

After dropping the EPs Community (2014), Trip (2015) and AB-EP (2015), to finally release a long player certified Barter’s music career in her own mind.

“I grew up listening to albums,” she says. “It feels like I’ve finally made the really big step. Just doing singles and EPs, I didn’t feel like I was legitimately doing it. It felt like I was only half doing it and putting a little bit out there.

“Making an album is such a huge commitment. A collection of songs and how they all go together and how it all moves together was very important to me.”

Unlike many of her contemporaries, Barter made no attempt to shape her songs towards a current sound. There’s no hints of synths or programmed beats.

“I wouldn’t know what’s cool now because I don’t listen to music from now,” Barter says. “I listen to music from the ‘90s, so I just made the music I listen to and what speaks to me. That’s why it’s very guitar heavy rock music. Simple songs, that’s the stuff I listen to.”

Ali Barter plays with Japanese Wallpaper, Gretta Ray, The Treehouse Children and Split Feed at Live On The Lawn at the Bar On The Hill on Saturday.