Beyond the boys club is the latest addition to the Consequence Podcast Network, featuring journalist and radio host Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio. Building on the interview column of the same name, the series highlights women and non-binary musicians as they offer their perspectives on the industry and discuss their personal experiences. For episode number 5, Erickson is joined by singer Brittney Spencer. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Brittney Spencer is taking Nashville by storm. The talented singer and songwriter makes soulful music that crosses genre boundaries, from country to rock 'n' roll to pop.
Spencer is ready to release her long-awaited debut album, my stupid lifeon January 19 via Elektra (book here). She recorded most of the LP at Sound Emporium Studios and Blackbird Studio in Nashville with Grammy winner Daniel Tashian. The project also features a host of collaborators, including Grace Potter, Maren Morris, Abbey Cone and Sarah Buxton, and guitar contributions from Jason Isbell.
my stupid life It encompasses her years of experience trying to break musical barriers in Nashville and finding herself in the process. Originally from Baltimore, Spencer moved to Nashville a decade ago. While she was trying to “make it,” she also insisted on making music that was only true to her. She also wanted there to be a voice in country music that didn't look like most other country stars.
“My family…they love country music. They do. “We just…we just haven’t heard it much,” Spencer says. “Growing up, we went where we saw ourselves and where we heard our stories. And until now, that hasn't always been the case for people who look like me.”
She continues, “I just have this burning desire to make the songs in my head that… it's a lot of things I've heard growing up, but I always wished it was someone who looked like me.”
While Spencer sees country music opening up a bit in terms of diversity, he still feels there are barriers to break. “I constantly feel like a plus-size black woman in Nashville, and that's not even just a musical thing. In general, I feel it constantly. And I find that when I remember that, that means that something is happening here that makes me feel like who I am has a limit, a limitation of how far you can go, what you can do, or what you can do. “You know, if you can go as far as someone else.”
She adds, “The good news is that it's not hard to find hope… especially when it comes to… being a woman in this city. It is not difficult because there are many women who feel exactly the same.”
Brittney Spencer will open for Grace Potter on a Winter 2024 tour kicking off January 14 in Port Chester, New York, and ending with a March 16 show in Del Mar, California. The tickets are available here.
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