Tag: photography

PHOTOS: Park City Song Summit 2023

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

[Editor’s Note: In September 2023, fine art photographer Erika Goldring (Getty Images, New York Times, Billboard) was on hand at Park City Song Summit in Utah to document the music and wellness event. Below, enjoy selections from her PCSS photographs and her reflections on this one of a kind gathering of songmakers.]

All in all, what moved me about Park City Song Summit was seeing artists and fans connect in a different way — more intimate shows, the opportunity to ask questions. We’re all just trying to make our way through this crazy world. Song Summit has created a community for those of us in the industry to have open and honest conversations about navigating personal struggles. – Erika Goldring, photographer

When I first heard about Park City Song Summit, I was like, “This is where I need to be!” It’s more than a music festival, it’s four days of music AND wellness! It’s a chance to take a deeper dive into the lives of the musicians I love, whether it’s hearing about someone’s creative process or what they do to maintain sanity on the road. No one is afraid to talk about mental health and recovery, and this is where the magic lies for me.

To see an artist do a solo acoustic set who doesn’t usually do that is always a treat. You know you’re getting something different. When Lukas Nelson sat down at the keyboard to do the title song of his last album, A Few Stars Apart, I got goosebumps — it felt so intimate and vulnerable. He did a few covers at the end of his set, including Pearl Jam’s “Breathe” and the Grateful Dead’s “Ripple.” I loved it, the audience loved it, we all joined in singing, and it was lovely to see him enjoying himself.

I first met Harold Owens at Imagine Recovery in New Orleans when MusiCares invited Ivan Neville to tell his recovery story. I have crossed paths with him many times since then. He’s helped a lot of people with substance abuse issues get into treatment.

Elliott Adnopoz, aka Ramblin Jack Elliott, a cowboy folksinger. The first time I saw him was on Arlo Guthrie’s Ridin’ on the City of New Orleans tour, post-Hurricane Katrina. He’s 92 years old and still at it! He sat in with Bob Weir for a cover of Bob Dylan’s “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight.”

I was thrilled to see Caroline Randall Williams (right) announced as a panelist with Adia Victoria (left) and Celisse (center). She wrote a piece early on in the pandemic about Confederate monuments that really made me think in a different way. These are smart and eloquent women talking about the blues and loving every minute of it.

Emily Lichter has a great spirit. Not only did she speak about managing artists, but she also brought Leta Herman from Alchemy Healing Center and speaker Ruthie Lindsey to Song Summit. Hilary Saunders subbed for Marissa Moss as moderator, due to an illness, and did a great job.

I would say Steve Poltz is a stand-up comedian first and a songwriter second. He wrote “You Were Meant for Me” with Jewel. I met him about 20 years ago when he was still drinking. He’s sober now and his stories are hysterical. I left his panel with a smile on my face and then went to watch him teach people how to write songs. I have no musical abilities. I don’t know how to play any instrument and would not even know where to begin to write a song… maybe lyrics, but definitely not music. This creative process is foreign to me even though music is my life!


At 40, Danielle Ponder quit her job as a public defender to launch a career in music. She is a reminder to be brave and follow your dreams. She can command a crowd with her voice, sometimes delicate and sometimes roaring. While shooting the second photo, I saw this halo of light appear the very moment she belted out “Run!” during her cover of Radiohead’s “Creep” that ended her set.

I love a songwriter round – the joy in this hootenanny was infectious! This round featured Danny Myrick, Travis Howard, Aaron Benward and Matt Warren.

Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, half of Run DMC, was in Park City to celebrate 50 years of hip hop. While we were all watching Run’s House on TV, DMC was in rehab for addiction and depression. The first photo is another shot when I saw the light surrounding him in an intense moment of rap.

DMC and Chuck D of Public Enemy onstage discussing the first 50 years of hip hop. These two guys toured all over together in the ’80s and ’90s, so they know each other well. I loved seeing them enjoy each other’s company while talking about their hugely successful careers.

Celisse loves you. She has such a beautiful smile and she let it rip on that guitar!

Bob Weir is the artist I was most excited to see at PCSS. The Grateful Dead were the soundtrack to my college years. I loved the album Blue Mountain and was excited to see what the Wolf Bros had in store for us on Saturday night. I love this photo, because he actually looks like he’s smiling.

The first time I saw Brittney Spencer, she opened for Jason Isbell in Detroit, Michigan. She joined Isbell and the 400 Unit to cover the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” and nearly knocked me on my butt. The woman is a powerhouse! She joined Bobby for “Looks Like Rain” and showed all her tender glory. It was beautiful.


JD Souther, come on! This guy wrote or co-wrote some of the Eagles biggest hits. He also joined Bobby on stage for “Heartache Tonight.”

Devon Gilfillian was part of Sunday morning’s Biscuit and Jam benefitting Café Momentum, a restaurant and culinary program designed to teach teens involved in the juvenile justice system life skills so they don’t end up in jail again. Devon’s warm heart and soulful voice was a good compliment.

I think the only times I’ve seen Even Stevens have been in someone’s living room on a Sunday afternoon in Key West, playing hit after hit that I grew up listening to in the ’70s, many for Eddie Rabbit. “I Love a Rainy Night,” “When You’re in Love With a Beautiful Woman,” “Drivin’ My Life Away,” and “Step by Step,” to name a few. Kenny Rogers’ “Love Will Turn You Around.” Pop country classics!

Collaboration, connection. Negah Santos plays with Jon Batiste, but ended up in Park City as the guest of another participant. They added her to the Eric Krasno show on the mountain with Dumpstaphunk and some New Orleans horn players. She fit like a glove.



If you know me, you know I love Cuba and Cuban music. I’ve been traveling to Cuba for 20 years so I am always excited to see Cimafunk. The first time I saw Erik, the lead singer, was in Havana with an all-star band called Interactivo. It was March 2016 and I was in Havana to see the Rolling Stones. This band brings a mix of funk, hip hop, Cuban, and Afro-Caribbean music to the stage that will get you moving.

Tony Hall and Steve Poltz traveled all over the world together as part of Jewel’s band during the height of her career. Tony was performing with Eric Krasno & Friends on Saturday night of the Summit. It was mostly New Orleans musicians from Ivan Neville’s band, Dumpstaphunk, plus Anders Osborne and Negah Santos. I spotted Poltz in the crowd rocking out when Tony Hall stepped off stage to let Ben Anderson take over on bass. This photo is just a moment captured — two old friends running into each other. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen Tony smile like this.

All photos courtesy of Erika Goldring.
Lead Photo: Eric Krasno & Friends perform at Park City Song Summit 2023.

 

PHOTOS: See Pictures from the First Annual Los Angeles Folk Festival

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Last weekend, on October 7 and 8, at the Ford in LA – the natural amphitheater nestled between Hollywood and the Valley, just across the 101 from the Hollywood Bowl – echoed the sounds of guitars and vocal harmonies, the acoustic reverberations of the First Annual Los Angeles Folk Festival.

Held in the gorgeously renovated, outdoor Ford Theatre and carefully curated by Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale of the Milk Carton Kids, the event brought together a plethora of modern folk talent and cavalcade of local special guests, including Sierra Ferrell, Tré Burt, Valerie June, Gabe Witcher, Raye Zaragoza, comedian Nick Thune, and unofficial emcee John C. Reilly amongst many others.

Sunday’s lineup consisted of Willie Watson, Charlie Hickey, Haley Heynderickx, John C. Reilly, the Milk Carton Kids, BGS’ own Ed Helms, and Waxahatchee. See select photos by Jim Brock Photography from October 8 at the Los Angeles Folk Festival below, and make plans to attend the LAFF next year!

All photos by Jim Brock Photography
Lead Photo (L to R): Joey Ryan of the Milk Carton Kids, Tré Burt, Willie Watson (obscured), Ed Helms, John C. Reilly, Haley Heyndrickx, Gabe Witcher, Kenneth Pattengale of the Milk Carton Kids. 

PHOTOS: Earl Scruggs Music Festival Shows Broad Influence of Earl Scruggs

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

The 2nd Annual Earl Scruggs Music Festival was held over Labor Day weekend at the Tryon International Equestrian Center just outside of Tryon, North Carolina, in Mill Spring. The gorgeous festival grounds, nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, were the perfect setting for the sunny and warm event, featuring glamorous cabins, manicured campsites, brick-and-mortar restaurants and shops, horse-jumping demonstrations, workshops and two stages chocked full of bluegrass, old-time and roots music. The festival is a partnership between Tryon International, roots radio station WNCW and the Earl Scruggs Center just down the road in Shelby, North Carolina, the county seat of Cleveland County – Scruggs’ ancestral home. Over four days, the event showcased the broad, varied and lasting influence Scruggs and his playing have had on American roots music as a whole, especially in North Carolina.

BGS returned to ESMF for its second year, once again sponsoring the very special, fan favorite Earl Scruggs Revue tribute set, hosted by Tony Trischka – and his band, Michael Daves and Jared Engel. Listeners and fans packed the plaza surrounding the Foggy Mountain gazebo stage to hear Trischka and many special guests – such as Della Mae, Michael Cleveland, I Draw Slow, Twisted Pine, Tray Wellington, Greensky Bluegrass, Jerry Douglas and more – pay tribute to Earl’s and his son’s groundbreaking and innovative group, the Earl Scruggs Revue, and their Live! From Austin City Limits album.

Enjoy a collection of photos from the Earl Scruggs Music Festival below and make plans to attend the 3rd Annual edition of this first-class event in 2024 – the dates are set and tickets are already on sale for the August 30 to September 1, 2024 edition of ESMF!

Photos courtesy of Earl Scruggs Music Festival.
Lead image credit: Devon Fails
All other photos: Reagan Ibach, Eli Johnson, Rette Solomon, and Cora Wagoner. 

See Exclusive Live Performance Photos of Dierks Bentley and Molly Tuttle

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

It’s been a busy summer for Dierks Bentley and Molly Tuttle, as the former crisscrosses the country on his Gravel & Gold tour and the latter has released her critically-acclaimed album, City of Gold, with her band Golden Highway. With Bentley’s well-known love of bluegrass – he’s been a regular at the World Famous Station Inn in Nashville for decades and his 2010 bluegrass album, Up on the Ridge, featured many of our favorite grassers – and the golden similarities between Tuttle’s and Bentley’s brands at the moment, this match-up feels more than apropos.

“We were so lucky to have Molly and her awesome band be part of several shows on our summer tour,” Bentley says. “We had shared the stage before at the Station Inn, so taking the show on the road seemed like the next logical step! Not only do they put on a killer show, but they are super fun to hang with off stage as well.”

Dierks Bentley, Molly Tuttle, Charlie Worsham, and more rehearse back stage at the Station Inn.

The love, appreciation, and admiration Bentley and his band have for bluegrass is nearly unmatched in country and it’s obvious that admiration – for Tuttle & Golden Highway, too – is mutual. “We introduced [Golden Highway] to pickleball and cold plunges,” Bentley continues, “and of course to our fans every night, some of who had never listened to bluegrass music. For Molly Tuttle to be those fans’ first experience with bluegrass was really an honor for me. We made some new bluegrass fans for life!”

For their part, Tuttle and band have spent the last couple of years on the road building a show that feels equally at home at bluegrass festivals, rock clubs, mid-sized theaters, and even full-scale, multi-artist arena shows – like the Gravel & Gold tour. The energy they bring with them every time they step on stage feels right at home in a lineup with Bentley et. al. The enjoyment shared by all is palpable in these exclusive photographs by Zach Belcher.

“I loved going out on the road with Dierks Bentley this summer,” Tuttle says. “His kind and welcoming personality shines through in his show and everything he does. I’m a big fan of his music and especially love his bluegrass material so it was a thrill to jump up on stage with him and his killer band each night for an acoustic portion of the set! Watching him play was like seeing a masterclass in putting on a great show that the audience will take with them forever and I’m so grateful for the ways Dierks spotlighted us and bluegrass music as a whole to his crowds.”

Enjoy this collection of photographs from Bentley’s and Tuttle’s appearances together, and don’t miss their Gravel & Gold and Road to El Dorado tours as they continue through the end of summer and into the fall.

More Station Inn green room rehearsing with Molly Tuttle, Charlie Worsham, Dierks Bentley, Ben Helson and Cassady Feasby.
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway join Dierks Bentley and band on stage.
Dierks Bentley and very special guest, his eldest daughter, Evie.
Molly Tuttle joins Dierks Bentley on stage in Cleveland, Ohio.
(Front row) Ben Helson, Molly Tuttle, and Dierks Bentley in Cleveland, Ohio.
Dierks Bentley
Dierks Bentley
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway with Dierks Bentley on stage near gold country in Corning, California.
Dierks Bentley in Corning, California.

All photos: Zach Belcher

Step Inside Charlie Mars’ Stunning Yalobusha County, Mississippi Home

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

(Editor’s Note: Charlie Mars takes BGS readers on a photographic, first-person tour of his gorgeous Yalobusha County, Mississippi home.)

A few years ago I finally got a dog. He’s a Cane Corso mastiff named Kudzu. He’s kind of a handful, so I started looking to move out into the country to give us both a little space. My brother found a finished-out quonset hut on 43 acres for sale in Yalobusha County, Mississippi. It was built on one of the highest points in the county and you can see for 20 miles from the back door. Kudzu liked the view. I bought it and moved in.  

My new album, Times Have Changed [out October 6, 2023], was written on this guitar. I’ve played every show for 15 years on that Gibson Hummingbird. In a transient world, it’s nice to have well made things that work. I toured with REM once, and at the last show Peter Buck told me I had to go to Morocco. He was one of my heroes, so I went straight there from Denmark after wrapping up the tour. I bought that red rug in a Marrakech market and had it shipped to the Memphis airport. Kudzu chewed a hole in it. I saw Peter Buck in Austin a year later and told him I went…”What? I’ve never been there,” he said.  

My grandfather, Charles Mars, was in the Army Air Corp in World War II. He taught me my first notes on the piano. He was a great tap dancer. As a boy, he would take the train from Meridian, Mississippi, to New Orleans, tap dance all day for tips, and take the train home in the evening. I was fortunate enough to spend a great deal of time with him the few weeks before he died. That watch was beside his bed when he passed. Times have changed.  

Eating something I’ve cared for and grown just hits differently. I planted my first rose bush this year. It’s nice to have a little living color in the house. 

My brother, Chad Mars, is a painter. This is one of his first paintings he ever did. It’s of a pumpkin patch in the courtyard of the Episcopal Church in Oxford, Mississippi. I hope I make it through that light at the end of that tunnel one day.  

I bought this bag 20 years ago from my friend Mark, who works at Hinton and Hinton on the Oxford, Mississippi, town square. I’ve traveled with it to every show since. It’s an old doctor’s bag made by Trafalgar. I love that damn bag.  

I bought a Husky toolbox to use as my kitchen island. Kudzu likes to park it on the concrete floor and watch out for intruders.  

I drove a 15-passenger van for many years. I played a show in Austin one night and used the cash to buy that dresser. It was a really fancy store. I told them I was paying cash and taking it with me. “We only take cash if you have exact change, and we normally ship,” he said. It fit in the back of the van with half an inch to spare.  

I had a big night in Vegas many years ago. I came home and bought that Steinway upright piano. I wrote the songs “Country Home” and “Silver Dollar” from the new album on that black beauty. It’s been an inspiration. Quonset huts don’t have a lot of storage, so the Husky tool boxes come in real handy.  

My property was clear cut about 4 years ago. Things have started to grow back. They left enough trees to leave the place looking pretty. I think they left the ugly trees they didn’t have much use for. I like the ugly trees.  

I played the El Cosmico festival in Marfa, Texas, one year. My friend Liz Lambert payed me 300 dollars. There was a girl there selling t-shirts and she used that bench to display the shirts. I asked her if the bench was for sale. She said she’d made it and it was her first piece of furniture she’d ever made. I gave her my 300 bucks and she shipped it to me in Mississippi. I love how simple and sturdy it is.  

I bought that Bang and Olufson stereo in 1997 in Atlanta. It still works like the day I bought it. I remember when the attendant waved his hand in front of it and the glass doors opened… I was sold.  

We filmed the video for my latest single, “Country Home,” in one take at my quonset hut home. Some of my neighbors came over and made cameos in it. Brock rode a three-wheeler, Earl rode a side-by-side, and Eric rocked the tractor. I don’t know where I’d be without my neighbors.  

In the title track, “Times Have Changed,” the chorus says:  “What happened to no sir, yes ma’am, looking folks in the eye? To family and the good Lord and thanking him every night? / I ain’t saying I wanted things to stay the same… but man times have changed.” In the country, things change in harmony with nature. Life is hard, and the reward comes from making it through the hard times. I don’t just know my neighbors, I need them. It’s a different rhythm. All of the songs on my new album come from that different rhythm. I’m grateful to be singing a new song about old ways.

All photos by Charlie Mars

Photos: AmericanaFest Pre-Grammy Salute to Lucinda Williams

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Few artists are more associated with Americana music than Lucinda Williams, even as her incredible career is hard to categorize. Her Grammy wins range from Best Country Song (“Passionate Kisses”) to Best Contemporary Folk Album  (Car Wheels on a Gravel Road) to Best Female Rock Vocal Performance (“Get Right With God”). Just a few days following her 70th birthday, the Americana Music Association hosted an impressive all-star tribute concert at the fabled Troubadour club in Los Angeles on Saturday, February 4. The intimate performances underscored Williams’ versatility as a songwriter, with each of the performers putting their own personal stamp on her songs without ever losing the straightforward and often sensual lyricism that she’s known for.

Enjoy photos from the AMERICANAFEST Pre-Grammy Salute to Lucinda Williams:

All Photos: Erika Goldring, Courtesy of the Americana Music Association.

BGS 5+5: Jonathan Terrell

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Jonathan Terrell
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Latest EP: A Couple 2, 3 (out September 9 on Range Music)
Personal Nicknames: “Feral Terrell”

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

I was driving back from busking in San Diego for a couple of months. I was out of money and a good friend of mine’s parents wired me $200 to get home to East Texas. I was very discouraged. I had a handful of songs that I thought were good and turned out playing for tips on the boardwalk wasn’t going to make me enough to eat and rent a couch, so on that long drive home I was somewhere in the Arizona desert on Interstate 10 and I pulled over and had a good cry. I knew at that moment I was going to be a songwriter, an artist and somebody that was going to leave an impression on this world. Before I made it to my parents’ house, I stopped at a junior college and enrolled in the music program. I got a free ride if I sang in the men’s choir because they were short of a dusty tenor. I dropped out a year and a half later to go on tour. I’ve pretty much been on tour since.

What has been the best advice you’ve received in your career so far?

My uncle was a big Nashville cat. He sang in Reba’s band and has sung high tenor harmonies on over 25,000 albums. I was obsessed with country music growing up and he was my only link from East Texas to the mecca of songwriting. I played him some terrible songs at 18 and he was very patient while listening. His advice was simple. “Don’t tell me about it. Paint it for me.”

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

I think Kris Kristofferson has got to be right there at the top. When I moved to Austin in 2005 from Longview, Texas, I thought for sure I was destined to be the next Kris. It’s pretty hilariously naive looking back, but a kid’s gotta have heroes and he was and is still mine. I’ve probably studied his songs more than anyone’s. There’s a raw and exciting poetry to his work but also an approachable simplicity. It’s a master class in songwriting and composition every time I sit down with an album like Border Lord or The Silver Tongued Devil and I. I think about these albums when I paint a picture in a song. An easy close second would be Willie.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

A good friend once told me that there’s a huge difference between having no traction at all and a little bit of traction. I first saw a little bit of that traction while playing the White Horse in Austin, Texas, week after week. When the band is crushing it and the dancefloor is packed with amazing two steppers (which I do believe Austin has the best two-step culture in the country) it’s like being in the eye of a hurricane. It’s about 105 degrees and it’s all cowboy hats, naked knees, flipping skirts and sweaty bodies churning and churning to your song. There ain’t nothing like it.

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc. — inform your music?

I was doing a show up in Oklahoma with a songwriter named Butch Hancock and Turnpike Troubadours. I got to talking with Butch over a few beers in the parking lot of an old motor lodge where the venue put us up and he asked me what my hobbies were. I shrugged and said it was just writing songs. He kinda snapped at me like I was crazy and told me if I didn’t find another hobby I was going to shoot my songs in the foot. “One day your well is gonna dry up and if you don’t have another place to fill it, who knows if you’ll ever get it back.” Really terrifying words for a young songwriter. I bought a camera soon after and started studying portraits as well as documenting my tour life. Certain films and books have of course inspired many of my songs. I’m a huge Cormac McCarthy and Larry McMurtry fan. Photography has become a serious passion for me and sometimes a camera can be a great way to meet people. I have my first gallery show October 28 in Lockhart, Texas, at the Commerce Gallery. I’m pretty excited about it and am definitely inviting Butch!

Photo Credit: Greg Giannukos

LISTEN: Tim Stafford & Thomm Jutz, “Take That Shot”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Tim Stafford & Thomm Jutz
Hometown: Kingsport, Tennessee; and Buehl, Germany (actual) / Nashville, Tennessee (felt)
Song: “Take That Shot”
Album: Lost Voices
Release Date: June 28, 2022
Label: Mountain Fever

In Their Words: “‘Take That Shot’ is a song about how images influence our perceptions of people and events. We cover a pretty wide range of photos in this song. From Billy the Kid, to Marilyn Monroe, to Bill Monroe and Robert Johnson. Tim and I are both very interested in history, so writing these types of songs comes natural to us.” — Thomm Jutz

“If you’re like me, you can’t pass up the chance to snap a photo in certain situations — a beautiful scene, something unusual that catches your eye. ‘Take That Shot’ is kind of unique in the bluegrass field, since there aren’t many ‘grass songs about photography, and especially historically important ‘shots.’ But they capture so much, about us individually and our culture — without words.” — Tim Stafford

Photo Credit: Jefferson Ross

BGS 5+5: Jason Eady

Posted on by Editor

Artist Name: Jason Eady
Hometown: Stephenville, Texas
Latest album: To the Passage of Time

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

Merle Haggard. No question about it. I have learned from him in every way. His effortless style of singing, the simplicity in his writing style, the way he covered different genres, the way he managed his career, all of it. Everything I do is in some way influenced by Merle Haggard, whether I’m aware of it or not. I think he was the best all-around country artist who has ever lived.

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc. — inform your music?

I’m very into photography lately. I got into it about four years ago as a way to have a hobby on the road and it really took. I didn’t realize when I started that it would affect my music the way it has. It has changed the way that I see the world, specifically in looking for more details. After a while with photography, like songwriting, you realize that you’ve exhausted everything that you can see on the surface and you have to start looking deeper for details. Seeing those details through photography has definitely expanded my imagery in my songwriting.

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

Quiet. That’s the most important pre-performing ritual. I need time to focus and center. If I go straight from noise and commotion to the stage, it can take a while for me to relax into what I’m doing. I always try to set aside the 30 minutes prior to performing to just be quiet and get centered and ready.

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

When I’m on the road I try to make an effort to stop every day and just walk, preferably in nature. This job can be very chaotic at times, and intentionally stopping to walk and look around is a great exercise. If I can walk somewhere quiet then that’s even better. I’m very aware when I come across places where there is no noise. It’s crazy that when you start looking for that you realize how hard it is to find. Just complete silence. But when I find it I try to stop and appreciate it, and what a rare moment it is.

How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?

Almost always. Every character I write has some version of me in them. It’s not always 100 percent true, and usually isn’t, but there’s always some truth about me in there somewhere. I honestly don’t know if I’d be able to write a character that is completely separate from me.

Photo credit: Brandon Aguilar

Allison Russell, Gentle Spirit and Whimsical Style

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

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.

(Editor’s note: Explore more of our Artist of the Month coverage on Allison Russell here.)

All photos by Laura Partain