Tag: Kentucky Gentlemen

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Jaelee Roberts, Moira Smiley and More

Posted on by Shelby Williamson

Ready for some new songs of the summer? Don’t miss these new tracks from exceptional bluegrass talents Jaelee Roberts and The Kody Norris Show, New England-based songwriters Moira Smiley and Naomi Westwater, rising country duo the Kentucky Gentlemen, and fellow Kentuckian Jeremy Short with special guest Tommy Prine. It’s all below in our latest edition of You Gotta Hear This!

Jaelee Roberts, “Love Gone Missing”

Artist: Jaelee Roberts
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Love Gone Missing”
Release Date: June 6, 2025

In Their Words: “I co-wrote ‘Love Gone Missing’ with my friend Theo MacMillan (we wrote ‘Something You Didn’t Count On’ and ‘November’ on my debut album). We were swapping around ideas during a writing session and ‘Love Gone Missing’ is the result of that and I really love it! The entire song is written from the perspective of the girl but that isn’t revealed until the last verse which gives the story a different twist. This song has hopeful lyrics about losing the person you love but knowing there’s a chance to get them back. ‘Love Gone Missing’ came together so beautifully in the studio with Cody Kilby on guitar, Andy Leftwich on mandolin, mandola, and fiddle, Ron Block on banjo, and Byron House on bass (and producing), along with Grayson Lane singing harmony. I really hope that y’all enjoy this song and the story it tells!” — Jaelee Roberts

Track Credits:
Jaelee Roberts – Vocals
Cody Kilby – Guitar
Andy Leftwich – Mandolin, mandola, and fiddle
Ron Block – Banjo
Byron House – Bass
Grayson Lane – Harmony vocal

Moira Smiley, “We Are Timeless”

Artist: Moira Smiley
Hometown: Bristol, Vermont
Song: “We Are Timeless” (featuring Shruti Ramani)
Release Date: June 6, 2025
Label: Whim Records

In Their Words: “By February, it was clear to me, living as I am in rural America, that a Pride anthem was going to be an important part of what I would sing this year, 2025. It was life-affirming to film the video with Fiona Small and finish the track in our tiny town with dancers & friends showing up in their fiercest finery and joy against the worry and cold. My friend Shruti and her fiancée Kia wrote the second verse after I shared with them my own story in verse one. We shared our personal journeys knowing that so many humans have harrowing journeys discovering our sexuality and the rules of gender as we become our most grounded and expressive selves. Queerness has shown us ALL – across the eons – that it is sacred to investigate how we express our love most fully and authentically.” — Moira Smiley

“During our first live filming session with Kai and Moira, I was reminded of Brandi Carlile’s stunning music video for ‘The Joke,’ where very real, sensitive humans lip-sync the words of the song so that we understand that this is their song too. GRATEFUL to the movers, musicians, and creators who showed up with open hearts, curious minds, and fierce authentic presence.” — Fiona Small, filmmaker

“Writing these words with Moira felt like opening a channel to something bigger than both of us — a collective memory, a song that reaches back and stretches forward.” — Shruti Ramani

Track Credits:
Written & Arranged by Moira Smiley.
Sung by Moira Smiley & Shruti Ramani.
Lyrics by Moira, Shruti and Kiarah O’Kane.
Kai Fukuda, piano; Seamus Egan & Moira Smiley, percussion & bass. Kristina Stykos & Moira Smiley, edit/mix/master

Video Credits:
Vermont Dancers (in order of appearance): Moira Smiley, Kai Fukuda, Leonore Tjia, Jacqueleen Bordjadze, Laurel Jenkins, Sonnie May Jenkins-Kent, Sophia Calvi, Leila Hon, Marek Zajac, Jenesis Artis, Fiona Small.
Co-directed by Moira Smiley & Fiona Small

Naomi Westwater, “The Empress”

Artist: Naomi Westwater
Hometown: Mashpee, Massachusetts
Song: “The Empress”
Album: Cycle & Change
Release Date: May 9, 2025

In Their Words: “As a New Englander, I’ve found that around the end of the summer, people get anxious about the days getting shorter and the cold coming in. This song is an acceptance that all seasons are sacred and so we shouldn’t fear them. It’s also a declaration of my own sacredness. Written in a field of goldenrod and inspired by The Empress tarot card, this song welcomes in the acceptance, the trust, and abundance the previous song lacked.” – Naomi Westwater

Track Credits:
Ben Burns – Drums
Cooper Evello – Percussion
Don Mitchell – Producer
Talia Rose – Seagull M4
Chris Sartori – Electric bass, upright bass
Naomi Westwater – Songwriter, producer, vocals
Dan Cardinal at Dimension Sound in Boston, MA – Mastering engineer
Andrew Oedel at Ghost Hit Recording, West Springfield, MA – Recording engineer
Philip Weinrobe at Sugar Mountain, Brooklyn, NY – Mixing engineer
Video Credits: Shot by Naomi Westwater with help from Dan Blahnik. Video edited by HipStory.

The Kody Norris Show, “Wild Mountain Rose”

Artist: The Kody Norris Show
Hometown: Mountain City, Tennessee
Song: “Wild Mountain Rose”
Album: Highfalutin Hillbilly
Release Date: June 6, 2025
Label: Rebel Records

In Their Words: “‘Wild Mountain Rose’ came to me from a great friend and fellow songwriter, Conrad Fisher. In my opinion, this song embodies the true simple essence of bluegrass music! We’ve held on to this song for a couple years now, waiting for the right time and right album. I think it fits well on Highfalutin Hillbilly and feel that this song will be around for a long time to come!” — Kody Norris

Track Credits:
Kody Norris – Guitar & Lead Vocals
Mary Rachel Nalley-Norris – Fiddle, Mandolin & Harmony Vocals
Josiah Tyree – Banjo & Harmony Vocals
Charlie Lowman – Bass
Jason Barie – Twin Fiddles

The Kentucky Gentlemen, “To Kill Me”

Artist: The Kentucky Gentlemen
Hometown: Versailles, Kentucky
Song: “To Kill Me”
Album: Rhinestone Revolution
Release Date: June 6 , 2025
Label: River House Artists

In Their Words: “This song ‘To Kill Me’ is for the fighters, the ones who’ve been dragged through hell and still come out swinging with a smile. This is about freedom from fear, from limits, from anything that tries to bury you before your time. It’s proof that we’re still standing.” – The Kentucky Gentlemen

Jeremy Short, “Let It Shine” feat. Tommy Prine

Artist: Jeremy Short
Hometown: Eastern Kentucky
Song: “Let It Shine” feat. Tommy Prine

In Their Words: “A lot of people will come and go in your life, no matter how hard you try to hold onto them. And sometimes focusing on holding on so tightly gets in the way of appreciating moments while they’re happening.

“On the road we meet a lot of really cool people, a lot of really cool, super talented artists, club owners, you name it. But then in a matter of hours you pack up, load out and head on to the next city. You always hope you’ll make it back there sooner than later, that those people will also remember those interactions, that the connections will last and they will want to come back and hang again or play another show together, that’s one of the best parts of getting out there and seeing the world. But because of the briefness of your time together, it’s also easy to get lost in thoughts of ‘Does this really matter?’, ‘Will they even remember me?’, ‘Am I just spinning my wheels?’, so when I wrote this song, I think I was really just trying to find that balance.

“Tommy is a top notch songwriter, man. I still really want to get in there and write one from scratch with him instead of him coming in as a feature on mine. Being the son of one of the greatest songwriters in the world, I’m sure it didn’t hurt – but man, he’s carving his own path, his own way, with his own style and it’s great music. I’ve been spinning his songs since way before I met him, and I’m super grateful to have had the opportunity to work with him and get to know him a little bit.” — Jeremy Short

Track credits:
Jeremy Short – Vocals, Guitar
Tommy Prine – Vocals
Katie Barker – Vocals, Bass
Ron Rite – Vocals, Guitar
Shane Diesel – Vocals, Drums
Johnathan Smith – Keys

Written by Jeremy Short
Recorded at The Pine Box (Nashville, TN)
Produced, Recorded & Mixed by Justin Francis
Mastered by Raelynn Janicke @ Infrasonic Sound Recording INC

Photo Credit: Jaelee Roberts by Eric Ahlgrim; Moira Smiley by Fiona Small

Out Now: Julia Cannon

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Julia Cannon is one of a kind. Energetic. Witty. Sparkly. Bold. Creative. Unapologetically and fully herself. Her energy is captivating, outfits intriguing – she sometimes shows up in a full ball gown on stage – and her music is catchy and relatable. With a magnetic presence and unapologetic authenticity, Julia brings a fresh and vibrant energy to the music scene. In addition to being a songwriter, instrumentalist, vocalist, and performer, she also produces and mixes her music. 

Julia has played many Queerfest showcases and was part of Queerfest 2023, taking the stage at The Basement East. In this interview we talk about her dedication and the hard work required to pursue her career in music, her experience as an LGBTQ+ artist, and her pursuits as both an artist and producer.

What’s your ideal vision for your future?

Julia Cannon: It would include a lot more peace and a lot more freedom. I’ve been working since I was 12, sometimes two jobs trying to get to college or help my mom with her alterations shop or pay off my private student loans. I just want to be able to fully invest more time and more of the money that I make into my craft.

What is your greatest fear?

Not reaching my full potential and never being able to invest fully in myself.

What is your current state of mind?

I’ve been in the grind mindset my entire adulthood. I’m 30 now, and I’m finally starting to be able to do some of the things that I want to do. I just finished my first little tour and had a blast. I’m transitioning as I pay off my private loans in the next year or so.

What would a “perfect day” look like for you?

I’d sleep in until 10 a.m., go and have some tea with my cat, and then start playing guitar. Hopefully I’d end up making music somehow, and then a shitty rom-com and I fall asleep on the couch. Can you tell I’m an introvert?

Why do you create music? What’s more satisfying to you, the process or the outcome?

It’s the first way that I learned how to process and communicate my feelings and thoughts. And it’s still the best way to root around in there. And then I get to share it and that’s magical.

Do you create music primarily for yourself or for others?

It’s selfish. And I’m not even motivated by external validation, which is hell. But it’s also freeing. But sometimes my inner critic is a dick.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten?

Recently I was freaking out about god-knows-what and my Uncle Vic said, “Just go where the joy is,” and I was like… damn, it is that simple.

Who are your favorite LGBTQ+ artists and bands?

I saw The Collection at Queerfest 2023 and instantly became a fan. I am also a big Carmen Dianne and Kentucky Gentleman fan. Purser is still my fav queer artist in town for sure, though!

For anyone reading this who might not be out of the closet, were there any specific people, musicians, or resources that helped you find yourself as a queer individual?

Find your people and go where the joy is. And also therapy.

What does it mean to you to be an LGBTQ+ musician?

Queerness in general just means freedom from following the norm. Life outside of the box. I think that translates to the art that we make as well.

What are your release and touring plans for the next year?

I have no idea. While I’m still working full time to pay off my loans, I’m taking it day by day. I’d love to release some EPs and keep playing in new cities. I had so much fun on tour.

Your album, How Many, came out this year. What was the process like for you to write, record, and release this collection of songs?

It was really fun and fulfilling. I want to keep growing as a producer and a mix engineer and I feel like I did that with this album. I got to see where I need to continue growing and have new goals for future projects. I crowdfunded How Many, so I was able to hire and work with a lot of people that elevated the project as well. It made me so happy.

You’ve collaborated with other LGBTQ+ artists like Purser. What is it like for you to work with other artists in the community?

My inner child is so stoked about it. I grew up in such a small town in Alaska. Being able to collaborate with inspiring artists who are also queer is incredibly healing.

What has your experience been as a queer woman of color in Nashville?

Mixed bag honestly lol. I feel tokenized sometimes and sometimes I’m happy to be representation for younger generations. I think, in general, things are trending upward. I feel safe and supported.

Photo courtesy of Julia Cannon

Out Now: Chris Housman

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Being part of the queer community, a small community at that, means that I meet many folks, especially queer artists, at Nashville’s lesbian bar, The Lipstick Lounge. This is true not only for Laura Valk of Skout, who was featured on the column in July, but also for Chris Housman. Chris’s friend, Nell Maynard (who co-wrote their song “Blueneck”), was playing at Lipstick Lounge in 2021. This was my first view into Chris’ music. “Blueneck” was blowing up, gaining nearly three million views on TikTok and charting #1 on the iTunes Country chart. Chris has since collaborated with other LGBTQ+ artists in Nashville, including Mercy Bell, and Cali Willson, who was featured in Out Now last month. 

We are excited to share this conversation about Chris’ writing process, insights into his life, and his experiences as a queer musician. AND we can’t wait for Chris Housman’s live performance at our Queerfest/BGS special event at AmericanaFest at SoHo House this Saturday, September 23, from 3-6 p.m. The event is RSVP only. You can do so here.

What’s your ideal vision for your future?

Chris Housman: My ideal vision for my future is to not have a vision for my future. I promise I don’t mean this to be a copout answer, but I’ve been thinking a whole lot about how much “the future” and planning for it is instilled in us from a young age and how much anxiety and disappointment that’s probably caused us. I wrote a very country song about this recently with the hook, “We’re so busy dreaming ’bout tomorrow that we’re sleeping on today.” Of course, we all have to think about the future to some extent and plan things – it would be irresponsible not to. But if I can get to a point where I’m just in a whole bunch of constant “now’s” – how liberating. That’s the ideal vision for my future.

What is your greatest fear?

The strongest fear I’ve encountered so far in life is the fear of not being liked/accepted. I think the best way to get over fears and monsters is to sit with them, not run away from them. I’ve been sitting with that fear a lot in the last few years and I truly believe that my writing and music has also helped me work toward overcoming that.

Why do you create music? What’s more satisfying to you, the process or the outcome?

I create music because I truly can’t imagine doing anything else. Even in the brief time I wasn’t focusing on music, I was still creating it in some way or another. 

Maybe a hot take here, but I think the outcome of creating music is more satisfying than the process. If I’m being honest, the process is often messy, muddy, rough, stressful, beautiful and sometimes… incomplete. I love the process more. But the outcome of having finished creating something that started with a thought in your head and resulted in some sounds that you’re extremely proud of? That’s probably about as satisfying as it gets.

Do you create music primarily for yourself or for others?

The way I see it, if you create music for yourself, it can be for others. If you create music for others, it can’t be for yourself.

Who are your favorite LGBTQ+ artists and bands?

Gah, there are so many I couldn’t possibly get them all in – but right now I’m absolutely obsessed, on a fan and friend level, with new releases from Brooke Eden, Adam Mac, Kentucky Gentlemen, and Adeem the Artist. Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally are some of my biggest songwriting influences. Cali Wilson, Jett Holden and Mercy Bell are some of my favorite voices and humans. And I’ve probably listened to Amythyst Kiah’s album Wary + Strange more than anything in the last two years.

What does it mean to you to be an LGBTQ+ musician? What are your release and touring plans for the next year? 

Being an LGBTQ+ musician automatically means resilience, to me. It means someone that’s willing to vulnerably and artistically share all of the beautiful parts of themselves despite being told in some capacity they shouldn’t. 

As of now, I’m planning on releasing my next single this fall, followed by my debut full-length album toward the top of 2024! That record really represents my life’s work up to this point and I am so ridiculously excited to finish and share it. I have a few random shows and Pride events lined up for next year, but am also just putting it out there that I think it would be so lovely to land a cheeky tour opening slot or something. 😉

What was the process of writing, recording and promoting “Blueneck?” What was it like for you to see it take off like it did? 

Wow, it was WILD! To be completely honest, the idea to write a song about being a liberal redneck called “Blueneck” came to me while on a mushroom trip toward the end of 2020. I then moved it to my ongoing note of ideas where it sat for a few months, until I was in a Zoom co-writing session with (fellow queer songwriter) Nell Maynard and Tommy Kratzert. Tommy played a track idea he had that sounded SO commercial country, like something Florida Georgia Line would do. Hearing that track and knowing I was writing with like-minded friends I trusted and felt comfortable with, I said something along the lines of, “Hey guys, I have this crazy idea – hear me out.”

We wrote just the chorus that day and I posted it to all of my 72 followers on TikTok at the time. It started blowing up, we finished writing it a couple days later, recorded it a few days after that, somehow managed to release it less than a month after starting to write the song, and with the help of over 4 million collective views of the song on TikTok, it debuted as the #1 song on the iTunes Country chart, #4 iTunes all-genre, and the #16 on the Billboard Digital Country Sales chart. This still doesn’t even seem real as I say this, haha!

To have ANY song take off like “Blueneck” did is obviously incredible, validating of all the work I’ve put in thus far, exciting, mind-blowing, inspiring. But for it to be not just any song, but “Blueneck” that is essentially just a telling of my life and my values as a queer person that grew up on a farm and wants everybody to feel seen and worthy of a seat at the table – that’s like life mission accomplished stuff right there. It’s like oh yeah this is so much bigger than just chasing a dream because I love music. And as awesome as it is that so many folks felt seen by the song, I also felt tremendously seen by the audience; I found my people!

You’ve done a lot of collaborating with other LGBTQ+ artists – including Cali Wilson, Mercy Bell and Nell Maynard. Could you tell us about your experiences working with other queer artists and growing your careers together? 

I absolutely looooove working with other queer artists/songwriters/creatives! Even just entering the writing room (or other creative space) with fellow queers, there is a secret understood alliance of sorts. You’ve gone through similar struggles just to get into that space together, so there’s no need to be unauthentic and put more obstacles in your own way – which leads to REAL songs. Another one of my favorite parts about creating with other LGBTQ+ and other marginalized artists is that the feeling of competition completely goes out the window. We’re on the same team, so why would I view someone on my team succeeding as a bad thing? It brings us all up. And then we win!

Photo Credit: Ford Fairchild