Ok, Here's How It All Happened: Amanda Shires Thinks
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Learnin’ when to brake and when to hit the pedal Workin’ hard to look good till we die The Highwomen exist in harmony, but especially in unison. “The sound of women’s voices in unison is a metaphor for what this group is,” says Brandi Carlile, who joins Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris, and Amanda Shires in a band that sings and writes together, and that exists to include, elevate, and amplify the role of women in country music. Their union might seem unlikely with Carlile from Ravensdale, Washington, Hemby from Puxico, Missouri, Morris from Arlington, Texas and Shires from the Lone Star State towns of Mineral Wells and Lubbock, Texas. Yet together it has ignited a movement more enchanting than any one of them ever imagined. A folk-pop hero, a hit country songwriter, a genre- shifting superstar and an Americana heroine. Way back in 2016, Shires read an article by the great writer Marissa photo credit: Alysse Gafkjen Moss, an article explaining the logically inexplicable: Women don’t get a fair shake (rarely a handshake) on popular country radio. Shires’ exasperation led to anger, which led to something proactive, creative and helpful. “She walked up to me in a bar and said, ‘I’ve been thinking and I want to start a band called The Highwomen.’” Carlile says. k, here’s how it all melody along with herself. To And they did. And they named it happened: Amanda Shires Carlile, Shires, and Morris, the The Highwomen in tribute to the thinks of starting a group recordings crystalized the sound Jimmy Webb-penned song “The and she tells Dave Cobb. Highwayman,” The Country Music OCobb says you have to call Brandi they had been imagining. That Hall of Fame group featuring Carlile. Carlile calls Maren Morris. demo defined the group’s vocal Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris And then…. the magic no one style. Kristofferson, and Willie Nelson. expected happened. Introducing The Highwomen. “The Highwaymen” are ghosts,” Carlile explains. “In the song, Natalie Hemby had this title for Full-time livin’ on a Waylon was a dam builder who fell a song Redesigning Women, she half-time schedule into concrete. Wille was a bandit revived it and nervously sent in who got hung. Kris died at sea. a recorded demo with her vocals Always tryin’ to make Johnny Cash drove a starship . doubled, singing the everybody feel special he’s on the astral plane.” 119 West 57th Street, PHN, New York, NY 10019 | t 212.741.1000 | sacksco.com | @sacksco “Highwomen,” a gumption-filled rewrite of one of Levin, Chris Powell and Carlile’s favorite twins, Phil country music’s classic songs, is the new album’s and Tim Hanseroth) playing together live in the room. title track, with Carlile, Hemby, Morris, Shires, and “We had to get it right, but that’s how you get good,” guest Highwoman Yola and Sheryl Crow inhabiting Hemby says. “We’ve dealt with the same struggles, and characters who died through means that have the same oppressions,” This band is a place of freedom, historically persecuted women: One flees civil war in and of free expression.” Honduras . one is convicted of witchcraft in Salem. In the song, the mortal become immortal. That’s how you become a band, after spending years in individual pursuits. Carlile has released six prior “We all know that song,” Shires says. “But you haven’t albums, winning three Grammy awards for the Cobb/ heard our side.” Shooter Jennings produced By the Way, I Forgive You. Shires— who started out performing with The Texas Playboys and Billy Joe Shaver — has also authored six solo albums, has won the Americana Music Association’s Emerging Artist of the Year prize and has earned a Master of Fine Arts in Poetry at Sewanee: The University of the South. As a member of the 400 Unit, Shires also won the Grammy Award for Best Americana Album for The Nashville Sound. Hemby is among country music’s most successful songwriters, having written major hit songs recorded by Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Lady Antebellum, and others, and having won the Academy of Country Music’s Song of the Year prize for co- writing Lambert’s “Automatic.” Morris first made her mark as a songwriter, penning tunes recorded by Tim McGraw and Kelly Clarkson, and she scored platinum hits with “My Church,” “80s Mercedes,” “I Could Use a Love Song,” and “The Middle” (with Zedd and Grey). Lately, her album GIRL scored the biggest debut streaming week for a country album by a woman, and it made its debut at the top of the Billboard Country Albums chart. Her Apple Music photo credit: Alysse Gafkjen EP, Maren Morris: Reimagined was recorded with Cobb. It’s all history, unless history exists in the present. “I heard ‘My Church’ on Saturday Night Live, and I Turns out, it does. There’s a history to female country read a series of interviews,” Carlile says. “I fell in love music super groups making glorious statements. That with her words and her music.” history includes The Trio (Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt), Honky Tonk Angels (kd lang, The Highwomen’s songs lean to tradition and rely on Brenda Lee, Loretta Lynn, Kitty Wells), and Pistol authentic emotion and expression. Shires’ “Cocktail Annies (Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, Angaleena and a Song” is a daughter-father story song reminiscent Presley). of Guy Clark’s “Desperados Waiting for a Train.” Morris’ “Loose Change” is a heel-kicking kiss off. “This is the first time I’ve been part of a collective,” “If She Ever Leaves Me” is a wry, song-of-the-year- says Morris. “This is not some side project, it’s worthy waltz sung by Carlile, from the perspective of heartfelt, timely music.” a gay woman who watches a cowboy-type trying in To make that music, The Highwomen gathered at RCA vain to pick up her partner. And Hemby’s “Redesigning Women” is a joyful statement of purpose. Studio A, Southern Ground Nashville, and Blackbird Studios with producer Dave Cobb, who has earned a reputation as a kindly renegade, helping create albums by like-minded forces including Carlile, Shires, Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton, Lori McKenna (who co- FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE wrote “Crowded Table” on this album), Mary Chapin CONTACT ASHA GOODMAN 615.320.7753 OR Carpenter, and Sturgill Simpson. Cobb’s approach CARLA SACKS, 212.741.1000, AT SACKS & CO., is old-school, with plenty of analog equipment and [email protected] OR musicians (including Cobb, Isbell, Sheryl Crow, Peter [email protected]. 119 West 57th Street, PHN, New York, NY 10019 | t 212.741.1000 | sacksco.com | @sacksco.