Where Y'ALL really means ALL
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Lavender Country broke barriers with their 1973 studio album. While it went under the radar at the time, it has been reassessed as one of the most important Americana LGBTQ+ albums of all time. It set the stage for what we see today – artists like Brandi Carlile, Joy Oladokun, and Adeem the Artist soaring and causing cracks in the pink ceiling.
Many other artists are making noise of their own – from multi-instrumentalist Jake Blount to singer-songwriter Mya Byrne and folklorist Jessye DeSilva. Artists are making art and thriving on their own terms – with many finding recognition, including Allison Russell, who recently earned several nominations for the 2023 Americana Honors & Awards.
For all the headway, there has been little improvement in mainstream recognition. That’s where Country Everywhere and Rainbow Rodeo and others come into the picture. Here, you can find resources to discover new, fresh talent in our Directory, as well as News & Events and other essential information. With a focus on LGBTQ+ talent, we uplift queer voices and hope you’ll join us in pushing the boundaries even further.
Country music is three chords and the truth after all, and we deserve to have our stories heard, too.
our folks
Featured Profile :
Katie Dee & The Quaking Aspens
Katie Dee began her musical career playing piano and violin. When she was thirteen, she discovered punk and began writing her own songs, going on to form an all-girl punk band in high school. After college, while her songs continued to maintain their punk and goth roots, Katie's songwriting branched out to encompass other genres she had grown to enjoy. Inspired by her mother's family's love of traditional Appalachian murder ballads, her own dark sense of humour, and her interest in storytelling, she began the Gothic Americana outfit Katie Dee & The Quaking Aspens in 2013. She plays guitar, violin, and sings in the band. Katie's beloved wife, Julien Dee, is a multidisciplinary artist, with a degree in Studio Art. Julien's primary instruments are musical saw, acoustic bass, and vocals. Julien loves finding musical inspiration and instrumentation in unexpected places, and considers the Elephant 6 Collective bands a major inspiration in songwriting. In addition to musical and songwriting contributions, they also designed the band's most recent album artwork. The duo is often joined by a rotating cast of guest musician friends, particularly cellist Amanda Lee. The Quaking Aspens have performed at the Millvale Musical Festival as well as multiple times at the Deutschtown Music Festival, frequently play locally, and released their newest album, a collection of original dark sea shanties, called "From The Sea" in Summer 2020.
