A decade after BGS’s first appearance at Newport Folk Fest, we’re thrilled to be returning to Rhode Island for A BLUEGRASS SITUATION, a special late night aftershow hosted by Ed Helms and Noam Pikelny on Saturday, July 27.
We’re putting together an evening of old school bluegrass and folk favorites that we’ll be playing with some long time friends and very special guests. Won’t you join us?
Tickets go on sale this Thursday, 6/27 and all proceeds benefit the Newport Festivals Foundation. More information available here. Make plans to attend Newport Folk Festival here.
Palmyra is one of those bands you discover and can’t help but continue to come back to. They are not easily forgotten. They write lyrics that are poetic while being relatable – a duality that is not easy to accomplish.
The musicality of these three highly skilled instrumentalists – Teddy, Manoa, and Sasha – is strong and their energy is quirky, fun, and engaging. Lately, they’ve been touring all over the East Coast, recording, working with artists like Liv Greene and Jobi Riccio, who was previously featured on our column. If you can’t tell yet, the queer music industry is incredibly small and interconnected!
Palmyra uses their innovative songwriting and performance skills to transform traditional folk instruments and three-part harmonies into something you’ve never heard before. We hope you enjoy our Out Now interview featuring Palmyra.
(Editor’s Notes: Interview answers supplied by Sasha Them)
Who are your favorite LGBTQ+ artists and bands?
Among my absolute favorite things about our touring over the last few years are the moments that we get to share stages with other queer artists. Liv Greene is a personal favorite mine; all of their songs exist in their own world of brilliance and masterful craft. Brittany Ann Tranbaugh has songs that absolutely wreck me. Another artist that’s constantly on repeat in the van for us is Brennan Wedl! Their song “Bag of Bones” is one of the most incredible songs I have ever heard and turns me into a pulp every single time I revisit it.
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?
Yes! I am an out-and-proud queer person now, but it took quite a while to settle into the person I am today. There are so many artists that helped move the needle for me; particularly the abundance of queer and trans folks I connected with online during the lockdown. Backxwash is top of the list for me; she’s a killin’ rapper and producer based out of Canada and her music helped me to understand that as artists we can channel complicated emotions and inner turmoil to create something empowering and badass and beautiful.
What are your release and touring plans for the next year?
Touring has been our full time job for two-and-a-half years now, and we plan on continuing to hit the road in full force in 2024. Our hope is to branch out to some new regions and cities, and I am sure we’ll be visiting all of our favorite places along the East Coast, from Maine to Georgia. Now that I say that, I’m realizing that, as a band, we kind of follow the Appalachian Trail in our tour routing…
We’ve got two more singles coming out this year, and are planning on putting out a few projects in 2024. I am so excited to share the music we’ve been working on.
This year, you’ve been sharing stages with bands like Watchhouse, playing festivals, and touring all over the East Coast of the U.S. What has that been like for you?
This year has definitely been our wildest one yet. Some of the experiences we’ve had, like opening for Watchhouse, have been so surreal to me. It feels like the work we’ve been putting in for so long has started to pay off in very real ways. Getting to play Newport Folk Festival is one of the highest honors any of us have ever had and it is beyond cool to get to connect with folks all over just by doing the thing we all love most – playing and writing songs.
What does your songwriting process look like? You have incredibly strong lyrics that are both relatable and poetic. Do you map out the structure and content of the song first? Do you think about song structure and tools like prosody, lyrical placement, and rhyme types? Do you spend a lot of time editing?
The songwriting process looks pretty different for all three of us, but each song typically starts with one writer and then is brought to the group to arrange and flesh out. There’s a very special (and sometimes uncomfortable) moment that has to happen when one of us brings a song to the group; you have to be able to release ownership of the thing you’ve created so that it can become a collective version that everybody has had their hands on.
For me, I usually start with one line that comes to me when I’m away from any instruments – typically when I’m out driving or walking! I am very particular about what words feel good coming out of my mouth and what feels the most authentic to my own personhood. Prosody and internal rhyme schemes are almost always on my mind, especially when I’m reworking a tune. I love getting into the nitty gritty parts of a song, and I love the moment I am able to zoom out when a song is finished and take care to make sure everything fits together.
Photo Credit: Joey Wharton
Out Now is a partnership of Queerfest and BGS authored by Queerfest founder and director Sara Gougeon.
Amythyst Kiah is having a moment with Wary + Strange, an album that positions her among today’s most compelling singer-songwriters. Although she is an East Tennessee native, her personal lyrics somehow feel universal — this isn’t an album about rivers and mountains, but instead touches on identity (“Black Myself”), grief (“Wild Turkey”), and unsolicited advice (“Soapbox”). Written from a place of questioning and reckoning, a gently-played song like “Firewater” would satisfy anyone who enjoys an acoustic aesthetic, as well as those who draw confidence from the music of others.
“A lot of these songs come from a moment in my 20s when I was grappling with trauma while also trying to navigate the experience of being a Black and LGBT woman in a white suburban area in a Bible Belt town,” says Kiah, who moved to Johnson City after growing up in Chattanooga. “I’ve had moments of feeling othered in certain aspects of my life, and it took me a long time to figure out who I wanted to be and how to move through this world.”
With that perspective and a guitar in hand, she’s been sharing her music on stages ranging from the Grand Ole Opry to Newport Folk Festival to Jimmy Kimmel Live, where she performed “Black Myself.”
Upon announcing the record, she noted, “‘Black Myself’ is the first song I’ve written that was confrontational. I’d always made it a point to sing songs that anybody could relate to, but this was something that had been welling up inside me for a long time, and working with three other Black women in Our Native Daughters put me in the position where I finally had the courage to put those words out. The reception of the song so far has given me hope that there are people out there who are ready to confront the shared trauma of racism, to look within ourselves and see how we might be perpetuating racist beliefs, and to do what is needed to create equality for all people.”
Next month, Kiah (pronounced “KEE-uh”) is in the running in multiple categories for the Americana Music Honors & Awards. (As a solo artist, she’ll compete for Emerging Act of the Year, while “Black Myself” is up for Song of the Year. Our Native Daughters is also up for Duo/Group of the Year.) With this incredible career momentum, she’s criss-crossing the country in the months ahead: After a gig with Brandi Carlile and Sheryl Crow at the Gorge in Washington, she’ll be everywhere from Maine to Mexico, with a MerleFest gig in the mix too. Enjoy new music and some crowd favorites in our BGS Essentials Playlist with Amythyst Kiah below. And don’t miss our two-part Artist of the Month interview. Read part one here. Read part two here.
I met Allison Russell briefly several years ago during AmericanaFest here in Nashville, Tennessee. Years later on a masked up photoshoot with Yola during the COVID pandemic, I talked with this wonderful friend of Yola’s who introduced herself as Alli. We talked off and on during the shoot and had a wonderful time, only towards the end realizing that we did indeed meet before. That’s the funny thing about masks, I guess!
This particular shoot was the second one we had together within several months. Alli has since become a wonderful friend, and beyond her own ferocious talent and musicalities, she’s a gentle and whimsical spirit. We met in downtown Nashville this spring for our friends at BGS. Enjoy! — Laura Partain
Allison Russell, wearing a dress designed and purchased from Kenyan American-owned Kings and Queens Boutique in Madison, Tennessee.
Allison in her custom Fort Lonesome jacket, which was gifted to her during the 2019 Newport Folk Fest, where she performed with Our Native Daughters.
Once again, wearing the dress designed and purchased from Kings and Queens Boutique.
Allison wears a shiny, rainbow jumpsuit she scored from a local thrift shop in Nashville, Tennessee.
Everyone has a “Dolly Story.” Whether it’s a personal interaction (like when Brandi Carlile confessed on my podcast, Harmonics, that when she met her backstage at Newport Folk Fest, Dolly prayed with Brandi to calm her nerves) or the first time you heard your own story in one of her songs (like when BGS editor Justin Hiltner explained to host Jad Abumrad how “Why’d You Come In Here Lookin’ Like That” is a gay anthem on his podcast, Dolly Parton’s America), these stories are the universal connectors for Dolly Parton fans.
My own love of Dolly Parton’s music goes back a very long time, but my “Dolly Story” finally happened a few years ago, when my husband and I got to meet her after her show at the Hollywood Bowl. It was surreal and wonderful and the moment was over far too soon, but from that day on I knew I wanted to live my life more like Dolly Parton.
One of these days, I hope to be able to have a longer chat with Dolly (DOLLY IF YOU’RE READING THIS YOU CAN BE ON MY SHOW ANYTIME). But until then, I’ve distilled four pillars of What Dolly Parton Means to Me:
1) Dolly is Always Unapologetically Herself.
“I’ve often made the statement that I’d never stoop so low as to be fashionable. That’s the easiest thing in the world to do…. Once they got past the shock of the ridiculous way I looked and all, they would see there are parts of me to be appreciated. I’m very real where it counts — and that’s inside.”
In today’s fractured society, there are few figures as unifying as Dolly Parton. Say her name to almost anyone, anywhere, and almost certainly they will know who she is. Maybe part of the reason for this is her indelible commitment to never being anything but herself. And it’s because of that raw honesty that she can mean so many things to so many people. Over the years when I’ve been pressured to conform to certain looks, trends, people, or situations for the “sake of my career,” Dolly has been a glorious, glittering reminder to never apologize for sticking to who you truly are.
2) Dolly is Always Decent.
“I think everybody should be treated with respect. I don’t judge and I try not to get too caught up in the controversy of things. I hope everybody gets a chance to be who they are.”
Decency and goodness are not just about building a massive resort and theme park to revive the economy of your hometown in East Tennessee (Dollywood). They’re not just about founding a charity that has given away over 150 million books to underprivileged children around the world (Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library). They’re not even just about donating over a million dollars to help fund a COVID-19 vaccine. (Seriously. The hero we needed in 2020.)
Real goodness and decency are about how you act when no one is looking. Dolly is not just a good person, but she is a decent one. She has a universal acceptance for everyone just as they are, and uses her wealth and visibility to stand up for those who cannot. If that’s not decent I don’t know what is.
3) Dolly is Always Resilient.
“I’m not going to limit myself just because people won’t accept the fact that I can do something else.”
Dolly may seem like a divine being sent from heaven above, but she’s as human as the rest of us. In so many interviews she’s talked about her rough patches, her health problems, her doubts, her frustrations and failures. But one thing she has never lost is a resounding resiliency to keep going. It’s important to realize that our heroes are just flesh and blood, but it’s also important to remember that what makes someone a true hero is how they remind us to get back up and keep going.
4) Dolly is Always in on the Joke.
“All these years, the people have thought the joke was on me, but it’s actually been on the public. I know exactly what I’m doing and I can change it at any time. I make more jokes about myself than anybody.”
As a comic actor, I love and admire Dolly’s ability to not only be in on the joke, but often two steps ahead of it. It’s easy enough to assume that she’s some dumb blonde with big boobs, but as she shows us time and time again, looking good and being the smartest person in the room are not mutually exclusive. You can see her adeptness in clips from her late night appearances from the ’80s and ’90s, where the host usually takes a cheap jab at Dolly’s ample attributes and makes the interview about her physicality rather than her talent. But without missing a beat, Dolly always throws it right back at him (it’s always a him), usually with a punchline that’s even funnier than the host’s bit.
It’s like she says in her classic song “Dumb Blonde:” “Just because I’m blonde / Don’t think I’m dumb / Cause this dumb blonde ain’t nobody’s fool.” I’ve sat on those same couches, fielded countless embarrassing questions, and in my retort I always try to ask myself: What Would Dolly Do?
Beth Behrs is an actress (The Neighborhood, Two Broke Girls) and host of the BGS podcast, Harmonics. Check out season 1 of Harmonics and follow Beth on Instagram at @bethbehrs for updates on season 2.
Harmonics with Beth Behrs is the newest show from the BGS Podcast Network, which delves into the intersection of music and wellness. The podcast’s third week features Brandi Carlile, Americana icon and advocate for the empowerment of women and the LGBTQ+ community.
Harmonics host Beth Behrs talks with Carlile about spirituality and wisdom found through horses and nature, performing the album Blue for Joni Mitchell, the joy and connection of live music, anxiety, and singing with Dolly Parton at the Newport Folk Festival.
For many folks, the first time they heard of Brandi Carlile was during her show-stopping performance of “The Joke” at the 2019 Grammy awards. Carlile walked away with three trophies that night for her record, By The Way, I Forgive You (including Best Americana Album). She’s been honing her distinctive voice and building a dedicated audience for over twenty years, all the while staying committed to building a family and community with her band and team.
That commitment has made her a godmother of modern American roots music — as a curator of festival stages, interpreter of the legendary artists who came before, and producer and collaborator for a whole new generation of female artists.
Artist:Spirit Family Reunion Hometown: Brooklyn, New York Personal nicknames (or rejected band names): Mag, Kendo, Pank, Zuba, the Stiv.
What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?
There are many treasured stage moments to choose from, like collaborating with some of the biggest inspirations for our band, but probably the most transformational moment was our first performance at the Newport Folk Fest on Sunday morning 2012. It’s hard to put into words what made that moment so special, but it was as if all these enormous things like years of passion, dedication, exhaustion, the music, which has a life of its own, the history of that festival, and so many more elements were all being crystalized into what felt like one single moment that was so extraordinarily palpable. It was a genuinely special moment that revealed the power in music. Both fleeting and eternally memorable.
What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be musicians?
We had been screwing around playing some haphazard late-night sets at a bar that a couple of us worked at. One weekend this guy Frankie from the bar invited us up to Saugerties, New York, to a big house he was looking after which belonged to the guy from Swans. We gathered some instruments and he put a microphone in front of us, and I think that was the first time we heard ourselves recorded. We maybe had one or two original songs at the time, but it gave us enough encouragement to put some real effort into this thing. We got a few more songs and a few more musicians, and all of a sudden we had ourselves a band.
What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?
We usually eat a meal together before whatever is next. When our band was beginning we used to get together pretty regularly to make big family feasts. On the road a good meal can reach legendary status, and over the years we’ve gathered up some favored spots we always try to return to. A good meal has a special way of bringing people together.
If you had to write a mission statement for your career, what would it be?
Our band has always been guided by the social nature of music. We want to convey the energy and attitude of the good old stuff that pre-dates the record industry, while being genuine and relevant to ourselves today. The danger of looking back is to fetishize either through absolute preservation or appropriation. We are drawn to the raw, communal, rebellious spirit of the old music we love, and we want to translate that into our own original expression that is vibrant and alive right now. We want people to sing and dance who have no idea of the old stuff we’re referencing, and we want traditionalists to recognize that familiar essence in the music we’re making today.
Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?
When we got to open for Pete Seeger in 2013 the organizer of the show said Pete requested Chinese food and asked if that was OK with us. We said whatever Pete wants is fine by us, but I think we were far too nervous to eat anything before the show that evening. Pete Seeger has always been a guiding light for our band and it was an unbelievable honor to join with him that night, cold leftovers and all.
It seemed that this year’s unanimous refrain from Newport Folk Festival, from veteran attendees and newcomers alike, was a resounding, “I THINK I LOVE THIS FESTIVAL.” We think we do too. Based on these gorgeous images from NFF, we’d say each and every human being on site — on stage, in the crowd, or rocking on the waves — loves it, too. And that overwhelming love translates into palpable joy, from Mavis Staples’ first smile to Brandi Carlile’s final headbang, and in every strum, lick, and beat in between.
John Prine
The Weather Station (AKA Tamara Lindeman)
The War and Treaty (Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Blount-Trotter)
Jason Isbell
Bedouine (AKA Azniv Korkejian)
Brandi Carlile
Kaïa Kater
Valerie June
Tank and the Bangas
Margo Price
A surprise performance by Mumford & Sons -- and a few special guests.
Phoebe Bridgers
Mavis Staples leads a star-studded finale.
Photos by Daniel Jackson
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Allison in her custom Fort Lonesome jacket, which was gifted to her during the 
