I HAVE long been a fan of country music. I am no expert, but I love it. My visits to Nashville earlier this year have significantly reignited my relationship with the music – old and new.
One of the most endearing qualities of American country music for me has always been the frank, candid and upfront stories in the songs. I relate more and more to the stories of some of these songs as I get older.
I am particularly drawn to the female songwriters – from pioneers Bobbie Gentry, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton to the contemporary champions – Brandy Clark, the Dixie Chicks and my favourite, Brandi Carlisle.
Brandi Carlisle is the trailblazer behind the new group The Highwomen, who made their live concert debut at the legendary Newport Folk Festival last weekend.
The other members of The Highwomen are Maren Morris, Natalie Hemby and Amanda Shires. All women. I myself have been guilty of highlighting this as an all-female line-up. We have been conditioned to do this. We don’t introduce music groups of men as an all-male line-up.
The Highwomen are trying to change the narrative. In recent years there has been uproar in Nashville because female country artists are not given enough radio play and are regularly underrepresented on festival line-ups. A number of movements and organisations, such as Woman Nashville and Book More Women have been established in recent years to help address these issues.
During their live debut in Newport last weekend, The Highwomen invited 18 other women from the worlds of country and Americana to join them on stage. Among them were the pioneers Tanya Tucker, Judy Collins and Dolly Parton.
I found this statement of solidarity to be very moving and I was filled with pride when I saw it.
We all know the lyrics – I’m sure many of us have attempted to perform 9 to 5 or Jolene at a karaoke. Dolly Parton is a songwriting genius and has written hundreds of great songs. She is a businesswoman, singer, performer. She has made her fortune through music. She didn’t have to be part of this ensemble but she wanted to be there.
Dolly usually shies away from conversations on feminism. Some might say that she can’t possibly be a feminist given her love of cosmetic enhancement over the years. I disagree with that entirely. As a woman, there is nothing wrong with investing in the way you look. If that’s what you’re into, go for it. If you use how you look to judge others or put them down, however, that’s a different story.
Through my limited experience with the world of country music, I find that women tend to be under pressure to constantly look good, no matter what age they are. Men don’t undergo the same scrutiny.
This very issue is addressed in The Highwomen’s debut single Redesigning Women through the lyrics:
Skipping the bread for the butter?Changing our minds like we change our hair colour?Yeah, ever since the beginning?We've been redesigning women
The song is brilliant. The overriding message is that women manage to get it all done but no-one is sure exactly how that happens.
Having a love of country music is a constant learning curve. I discovered Brandi Carlile and her music about 18 months ago. Earlier this year her album By The Way, I Forgive You won best Americana album at the Grammys. Her star has been in the ascendant for a while, and this year she has broken through on a big scale.
Given the very fickle world of music and entertainment, it might have been presumed that Brandi would use the ensuing months to copperfasten her brand and focus on herself. Wrong. She has produced country music legend Tanya Tucker’s first studio album in 10 years, which will be released later this month, and has formed a new band in which she is on an equal footing with her fellow band members.
She empowers, she inspires. I met her briefly in Nashville and she came across as a modest, earnest, determined woman. I was star-struck.
Brandi has admitted to being star-struck by her performance at Newport last week with Dolly. They performed a show-stopping version of Dolly’s I Will Always Love You. Both are heroes to me and to many others and showed that when we work together, great things are achieved.
