Catch Up Vol 7

Bringing you Weekly BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and Disabled Country Music News,
New Releases and resources.
This Week
- New Releases from :andMickey Guyton,andDwayne Jarrell and The Truer Sound,andRobert Adam, Heather May,andMaoli,andAutumn Nicholas, SistaStrings,andBrian Michael Henry,andRiggings,andJohn Lensing,andElton John, Brandi Carlile,andAshleigh Flynn & The Riveters,andAmiss Tory,andLily Rose,andCoffey Anderson,andSam Williams,andTae Lewis,andHayden Joseph,andTerry Blade,
- News and Articles from :andRainbow Rodeo,andUntethered Southerner,andobscuresound.com,andThe Bluegrass Situation,
- Featured Profile :Autumn Nicholas
- Featured Resource :Country Universe
New Releases
Featured Profile

Autumn Nicholas
Autumn Nicholas is a gifted songwriter and performer who has amazed audiences around the country. Reminiscent of the singer/songwriter sensibility of Julia Michaels and the swagger of Kacey Musgraves, with the warmth of Adele and the soul of Etta James, Autumn Nicholas’ lyrics and melodies tell stories. Stories about love, pain, loss, and hope. Autumn Nicholas is passionate about their music but also about making a difference in society. They have been inspired by the BlackLivesMatter and LBGTQ marches. Their music shows different aspects of these movements to motivate people to act. With music focused on how we are all uniquely beautiful, beyond or gender, circumstance, and skin, they look to show how we are all no more than the other. Autumn’s lyrics offer inspiring messages and give listeners something to think about. Autumn has played for audiences across the USA, including the 2022 Newport Folk Festival, NC Folk Festival, AmericanaFest, BMI’s Island Hopper Songwriter Festival, and Dripping Springs Songwriter Festival, as well as opening for select dates on Amanda Shire’s “Take It Like A Man” tour. This year, they curated The Bluebird Café’s first two shows with artists of color for Black History Month, joined the lineup of the Love Rising Benefit at Bridgestone Arena, and is scheduled to play at The Kennedy Center, AmericanaWest Showcase, Americana West Festival, Nashville Pride, and MameFest. They are also curating the first Pride Round on June 22, at The Bluebird Café.
Latest News
Ellen Angelico Memorializes Their Mentor A “Girl In a Hurry”
For every pop country artist singing in front of an arena, there's at least a hundred more who are grinding their way down backroads and shitty gigs just to get there. And they all start from the same place: the bottom. Ellen Angelico, who's toured with artists like Cam and Brandy Clark, memorializes their mentor with their six-part podcast series Girl In a Hurry: The Shelly Bush Story. Not only does Angelico provide a biography of Bush, a relentless performer who did not know the meaning of "no," they also take us into Nashville's working class – the grind you don't always hear about.
Queer AND Christian? Semler’s Debut Album Offers Safe Space
I write to you this morning in the afterglow of a Thursday evening spent in a room full of fellow queer, spiritually-minded misfits working out their faith with rock chords and communal singing to an album that wasn’t even out yet. Leading the service, er, concert was Grace Baldridge, who performs as Semler. As of Friday, February 21, they’ve finally released their debut album, Revival in My Mind, which chronicles Grace’s journey from the intimate, home-recorded confessions of the 2021 EP, Preacher’s Kid, to this fully-produced and dynamic collection of songs.
Terry Blade - ‘Chicago Kinfolk The Juke Joint Blues’
Chicago-based singer/songwriter Terry Blade crafts a consumingly atmospheric blues sound on his latest album Chicago Kinfolk: The Juke Joint Blues, intertwining the past and present with its infusions of archived interviews, original songwriting, and tributes to past greats. Specifically, the album pays tribute to past trailblazers in Chicago’s blues scene, both in the form of public domain samples and gripping blues songs.
Celebrating Black History Month Mavis Staples, Chapel Hart, Charley Pride, and More
American roots music – in any of its many forms – wouldn’t exist today without the culture, stories, skills, and experiences of Black folks. Each week throughout February, we’ve been spotlighting this simple yet profound fact by diving into the catalogs and careers of some of the most important figures in our genres. For week four of our celebration, RRR host Daniel Mullins shares songs and stories of Charley Pride, Mavis Staples, Chapel Hart, Carolina Chocolate Drops, and Philip Paul. Be sure to check out week 1, week 2, and week 3 of the series, too.
Featured Resource
Country Universe
The longest-running country music blog, Country Universe was founded on and remains committed to the fact-based notion that country music has never been the exclusive purview of artists who are straight, white, Christian, Southern, and (mostly) men. When focusing on either the genre's history or its present, CU takes a "big tent" approach to the broader country universe and believes that a foundation of empathy makes country music an essential part of our shared popular culture.
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