The subject isnt talked about enough, Shires says. Amanda Shires was named emerging artist of the year at the 2017 Americana Music and Honors Awards Ceremony. You can call it serious trouble cause thats what I want. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. I cant see a thing from here. I got up to sing, and I was like, oh, crap. Can you play something that you think kind of epitomizes the style that you learned and fell in love with? I would have died had this procedure not been available to me. Not saying something is not helping. And I was like, thats what I want to do, because you play this song. And then I thought about Waylon [Jennings] and Kris [Kristofferson] and them of The Highwaymen, and I was like, They were kind of speaking about ageism. I said, Itd be cool if I had a band, The Highwomen. Then I told my friend Dave Cobb about my idea and he really liked it and he said, Im going to have you meet Brandi Carlile. And we met. Being from Muscle Shoals is kind of like having a cool tattoo or something., After getting sober, writing and recording the new album felt more natural to me, says Isbell, lighting a cigarette as seagulls caw overhead. On August 10, my life was savedthese are some dark days.. Thank you for performing for us. In the first half of the 20th century citizens from every walk of life gathered at the Ryman to enjoy the greatest preachers, entertainers, speakers and politicians of the day. Which brings up the question, why were Jason and I, and Margo Price, the biggest celebrities quasi-celebrities at the march in Nashville? Its just like you would expect, but theres real, scientific proof for it now. And he was there for 25 years. OK. And her latest album is called Take It Like A Man. Well be right back after a short break. And he married my grandmother. You dont see a lot of men speaking up, and every voice is helpful. But I thought, what am I going to do about that in the event that she does go into country music? It seems like a simple thing to say, but its really true. Jason Isbell) Official Video ft. Jason Isbell Watch on Tour Dates Track to get concert, live stream and tour updates. SHIRES: I really do feel like he did a lot of work for me that I dont have to do. SHIRES: Well, myself and Brandi wrote the song. Im a big, big fan. 99.99%. Bergen is a reporter for Bloomberg Businessweek. There were probably 2,500 people, and Im just standing there with a guitar, elevated and facing everyone. So theres thinking my thinking is that my granddad married my grandmother knowing that she was pregnant with somebody elses child. She sings of the excruciating awareness of both mirroring and superseding her own mother. I am Terry Gross. So since they are personal songs, you had to decide to say that. Theres nothing left to fix. And I followed a dress code. SHIRES: Sure. I said, I just wrote this song. And this is basically, like, a country supergroup. And I hadnt heard the fiddle being played at all. And if you want another kind of love, Ill wear a mask for you. I was gifted as a girl. Singer, songwriter and fiddle player Amanda Shires still remembers the moment she fell in love with the fiddle. I am Terry Gross. Ive found and scrounged and continued to for every interview that hes done in any form and any language. I hope you get well soon. Isbell responded, Thank you Aimee. But finding a voice now and sharing their stories now is as good as any time. Also, during this time when I was leaving, I was thinking about how [my daughter] Mercy picked up a kazoo and she could play a kazoo. And if you want a doctor, Ill examine every inch of you. ", In the bruising roots rocker "Eve's Daughter," propelled by a tense groove and serrated, scraggy guitar riffs, Shires plays the part of a woman so desperate to expand her horizons and satisfy her hunger that she's unafraid to take risks in the name of escape. GROSS: You know, youve said that a lot of the songs on this album come from a troubled period of your marriage to songwriter and singer Jason Isbell, who you perform with and who plays on this album. I didnt want to do more damage. GROSS: Amanda Shires, how did you decide you wanted to write a song about abortion? And she was doing the bail bonding on the night. This fight is about more than just abortion. GROSS: What would the right voice for you like, whats wrong what doesnt match? Or is this through listening to his records that you feel like youre his disciple? She has a big conscience, a big heart. I never wouldve thought that before, but now I know its true. And I think they probably had conversations that you would, if you were that close to each other, about that stuff and didnt bring it up. Were proud to be from that area. How are we going to police that? SHIRES: Thank you so much. SHIRES: Oh, right, in Alcatraz. Im Terry Gross, and this is FRESH AIR. Were you just, like, the cute kid who could play but, you know that audiences would go wild over because you were a girl in the band and there wasnt much of that? And any policing will disproportionately affect people of color, low-income folks and other marginalized groups. Warblers and wrens, hymn at my throat, shook and quivering. Its a great song, so I thought wed play some of it. Look at Texas' Primary. She gets pregnant and wants to have an abortion, although she doesnt feel great about it. And as it happened, eventually the auxiliary cable quit working in the van. fiddle-playing damn Texan. And it just worked when we did it. GROSS: Oh, thats great. Musician Adia Victoria also tweeted at Isbell and praised the artist for continuing to put the health and safety ofhis crew, my band, venue employees and fans first and foremost, to which he replied with three heart emojis. SHIRES: When I write songs, I go into it either with an idea to explore something, make sense of the world or my feelings, you know, all that. Singer, songwriter and fiddle player Amanda Shires still remembers the moment she fell in love with the fiddle. I had to spend the night with her at work. My focus stays strong I can work on a song for six or seven hours in one day, and not get bored or tired of it.. What does he have to lose? Shires character wrestles with the decision and the right thing to do in her situation, while Isbells character offers his support for whatever decision she makes. Lets get back to the interview I recorded last week with singer, songwriter and fiddle player Amanda Shires. Rock & roll kids just let decisions make themselves. I know I can take it like a man. All Rights Reserved. It sounds like you were about to leave the marriage. Ive been around so many people for so long who were. Then I told my friend Dave Cobb about my idea and he really liked it, and he said, Im going to have you meet Brandi Carlile. As they talked, Isbell was struck with a realization. Lets get back to my interview with singer-songwriter and musician Amanda Shires. I could tell my milk cow I could tell by the way she lows. And this is after some kind of nebulous argument. Here Are The Republicans Who Want Him Kicked Out, Rupert Murdoch Must Tell Fox News Hosts To Stop Spreading Election Lies, Congressional Democrats Demand, Trump Attacks Rupert Murdoch And Fox NewsAgainClaiming Destruction Of America Amid Defamation Lawsuit, These U.S.-Listed Stocks SurgeAlibaba, Baidu And MoreAfter Chinas Economic Rebound, Top NFL Prospect Jalen Carter Charged For Alleged Role In Fatal Street Race, Bite-Sized TikTok Poetry Blows UpAlong With Growing Claims Of Plagiarism, As Delta Variant Spreads, Artists and Venues Scramble to Keep Concerts Safe, Live Nation Allows Artists to Require Vaccination or Proof of Negative Test Result for U.S. Concerts. And I really liked it. Then I get to the end of the recording process and try to decide what makes the best collection of songs. Curled up on the floor with it all. Theres a lot of things you do with your hands, but it struck me the most is matching the feeling of desperation or even begging. Amanda Rose Shires (born March 5, 1982) is an American singer-songwriter and fiddle player. SHIRES: Thats well, see, Im accepting that it sounds like its supposed to now. Long before weathering the isolating COVID-19 pandemic, Shires had endured years of studio experiences where producers and musicians undermined her But for me, I was just happy to be up there playing music I loved. Bridget Bentz, Molly Seavy-Nesper and Kitty Eisele adapted it for the web. Isbells first show after finishing rehab was opening solo for Ryan Adams in Perth, Australia, three days after he got out (two, if you count the international dateline, the day that goes into the vortex). SHIRES: I feel like its a little nasally, and I wish it was, like, a little bit lower. And I think theres more valuable strength there than there is in suppressing your emotions and poisoning yourself with your own feelings, I guess. "Isn't it just like a daughter to make a fool of you? Lawrence Rothman has been a model of self accepting themselves. Our interviews and reviews are produced and edited by Amy Salit, Phyllis Myers, Sam Briger, Lauren Krenzel, Heidi Saman, Therese Madden, Ann Marie Baldonado, Thea Chaloner, Seth Kelley and Susan Nyakundi. That one speaks to me. The former Drive-By Truckers newfound sobriety, a recurring topic of discussion (and of his exceptional songwriting), may have cost him some of his sense of adventure, but it has undoubtedly focused his attention on his craft. Theyre just songs because everybody goes through troubles in their relationship. But I just got up on a stage and took the fiddle and started playing it. But I am living still. hide caption. Is there a song that you could play a Leonard Cohen song you could play an excerpt of for us in tribute to him since were both such great fans? Lets start with a track from the new album. We would sleep on the floor in the closet there because she would do the night shift, because she would was going to school in the daytime for being a nurse. How Trump's Team Conned Susan Collins Into Dooming Roe v. Wade, Add Abortion to the List of Things Republicans Are Blaming for Uvalde, Want to Know What Politics Looks Like After Roe? Why not? I mean, only just now nine months later, interestingly enough have I returned to having normal periods. People forget that, if you take away access to reproductive healthcare, youre going to be killing moms like me. Upcoming Dates Past And thank you so much for having me as a guest. Probably nobody enjoys it as much as I do, but its not a necessity for survival. And Natalie said, I want the one about preaching. He has since learned to tell the story of his recovery. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. I mean, is it fatal for a woman if nothing is done? When the ball goes in the pocket, you win. Writing songs isnt so cut and dried, he says. In 2020, The Highwomen won album of the year at the Americana Music Honors & Awards ceremony. SHIRES: But some of the words are funny. Thank you for your songs. This is FRESH AIR. SHIRES: I dont know that well, I dont know that I was going to leave or that Jason was going to leave. And this is can I ask you to perform Fault Lines, to do an excerpt of it? Do you think God still sees me, coming out of this twilight sleep? she asks, before the band carries the song out with a powerful extended coda. In 2020, The Highwomen won Album of the Year at the Americana Music Honors and Awards ceremony. GROSS: OK. And I was still dealing with all of it two and a half weeks later. Its an often-times divisive topic, and I dont want to bring any hurt to my family by doing something like putting out a song about this topic, but I lost all that fear when I got angry. SHIRES: (Singing) If you want a lover, Ill do anything you ask me to. Some of the reason [The Problem] is only coming out now is fear on my part, and Ill admit that. SHIRES: My whole left arm is tattoos of Leonard Cohen. Isbell said he had to cancel his Asheville shows scheduled for Jan. 11-12, but he and his team are working to reschedule shows in Louisville, Columbus, Wilkes-Barre and Wilmington. Thank you for doing the interview. I was learning orchestra and classical music in school and privately. 2023 WNET. The song is named "Parking Lot Pirouette" for its protagonist's graceful forwardness, her decisive movement to prolong a pleasurable dalliance. I would like to challenge other folks who have platforms to actually use them. Shires has an MFA in poetry, and she's exacting in her use of imagery to portray sensuality as a force both internal and physical. Will you look at me the same? Is a chrysalis a butterfly? A few hours later, his band is peeling the wallpaper with their customary encore cover tune. And it was a picture of hands holding on to nothing. I want Garth Brooks out there telling people that womens health is a priority. And thats when the fertilized egg stays in the fallopian tube. And I said, OK, well, Ill be the healer. And then I asked Chance, and Chance was like, no, those are real documents. He could still leave it dish in the sink, you know? Shires has released seven solo albums starting in 2005, her most recent being Take It Like a Man in 2022. GROSS: You forced yourself in the position of having him hear you play? Our technical director and engineer is Audrey Bentham. If you want a boxer, Ill step in the ring for you. Shed been learning to play classical music on the violin at school when her music teacher introduced her to some of Frankie McWhorters fiddle tunes. Demographer Diana Greene Foster conducted a 10-year study tracking both people who had abortions and people who were denied abortions. Got myself a breakthrough case of Covid, the Alabama-born artist tweeted Tuesday. Weve had legal abortions for 50 years and now, suddenly, a long-held right will be illegal. And youve called on country music stars to speak out, too. All rights reserved (About Us). It's not often in country musicor pop music for that matterin which an artist addresses a very personal and sensitive subject like abortion through a song. GROSS: Without him asking? ", Shires and Isbell have a toddler daughter together, and thanks to gendered assumptions about the distribution of their parenting duties, Shires has fielded more than her share of questions about how she balances motherhood and music-making. I see you talking, but I cant hear a thing. Amid the rise in infections, it was reported last week that one of the worlds most prominent concert promoters, Live Nation, will allow artists performing at its venues to require guests in the U.S. to show proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test. GROSS: Good. And I save them all and I return to them often I own one of his guitars My whole left arm is tattoos of Leonard Cohen I really do feel like he did a lot of work for me that I dont have to do. Along And so I just had to get emergency surgery to remove the tube and clean the blood from inside of my body. I hope youll join us. Cancelling shows feels awful, I know. And it was a Carrie Underwood song from it was, like, six years before that or something. So I started just taking notes on the radio because I heard it. I dont have certain kinds of fatigue. How did you decide to say that these songs are really about a bad period of your marriage? GROSS: Thats Empty Cups from Amanda Shires new album, Take It Like A Man. Thats such a great song, Amanda. I dont feel like it matches whats going on inside my brain. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). GROSS: Was this your mothers father or your fathers father? Recently, I had an ectopic pregnancy, she tweeted. Amy Salit and Susan Nyakundi produced and edited this interview for broadcast. Well definitely get to your verse, which is the second one. Fully renovated in 1994, the Ryman has never been more vibrant, attracting entertainers and fans from around the globe to enjoy its now legendary acoustics and rich history.Connect with the Ryman Auditorium:Like the Ryman Auditorium on FACEBOOK: http://bit.ly/rymanfbCheck out the Ryman Auditorium on INSTAGRAM: ttp://bit.ly/RymanInstagram Follow the Ryman Auditorium on TWITTER: http://bit.ly/tweettherymanBEHIND THE SCENES with Amanda Shires | Backstage at the Ryman | Ryman Auditoriumhttp://www.youtube.com/user/RymanAuditorium#AmandaShires, #Ryman, #TheHighwomen, #RymanAuditorium, #BackstageattheRyman Whereas before, I would just, in my mind, wish it was something different like Etta James or something. GROSS: Were you nervous about being on stage or just about singing? When I would write the songs, I dont know whats going to come out, but sometimes I was just so down that the only way I could get better was to take it out on writing a song., Shires sings and plays fiddle throughout this interview. When it reopened, he was in the first 200. And then coupled with the pandemic and all that, he was on self-preservation mode, and I was too. Wade was leaked last month, Amanda Shires shared some personal news on social media. Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires to Serve as Record Store Days 2023 Ambassadors. Im on your side. feeling fine but well have to cancel the next few shows, He then shared his symptoms and expressed his gratitude for getting vaccinated: Lotta sinus drainage type stuff, scratchy in my throat and some muscle aches but no cough or breathing issues fyi. Interracial marriages cant happen. Privacy rights are going to be gone. With artists and concert promoters nationwide forced to confront a surging spike in infections and hospitalizations attributed to the spread of the delta variant, Grammy award-winning musician, Jason Isbell, announced Monday that he and his band, the 400 Unit, will require concertgoers to provide proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test to attend all their future shows, whether they are held indoors or outdoors. You slammed the door so hard I still hear rattling spoons. And usually that works. The song is called Empty Cups.. Thats, like, part of your identity on Twitter. The South is in need of a lot of help, Shires tells Rolling Stone. I want to talk with you about The Highwomen. Thats what I want. Other than that, I think were all right. And I also went to Greece and hung out at his house. Likewise, the changes underway to the Supreme Court after the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg could also mean that abortion rights will come under fire nationally. And this is the iteration of the band Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys, which got their start in they were most famous in the 30s and 40s and 50s. And the reason I think that my grandmother knew is because also lately, we found out that my moms oldest sister isnt doesnt have the same dad as her, as my granddad. AMANDA SHIRES AND JASON ISBELL: (Singing) Everythings going to be OK. Its going to be all right. The spurs of hip bones Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. GROSS: Well, would you play Take It Like A Man for us? And, you know, I didnt know that this was a thing you should normally ask to do cause I was young. All Rights reserved. The Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and guitarist from Green Hill, Ala., made headlines in 2021 for requiring proof of vaccination or proof of a recent negative COVID test to attend his concerts. SHIRES: (Singing) I was a healer. People dont have to come to a concert, Isbell said. You may opt-out by, U.S. And then more recently, just about a year ago, in August of 2021, you had an ectopic pregnancy. And I said, I dont know. In an interview on MSNBC Monday, Isbell stated the response he has received from people who work at the venues and in the music business has been positive because they understand we could go back to not working at all, adding that smaller venues might not be able to reopen if they go through another round of shutdowns. And it took me back to the reason I came to writing and doing music in the first place, which is expression and trying to do something for me that could make me make sense, I guess. With vacations lagging and the dangerous delta variant spreading, the United States is averaging more than 100,000 new cases a day for the first time since early February. WebWe would like to show you a description here but the site wont allow us. Im your man. I like to play pool, he says. And for a lot of folks, that can be the most boring part of the three-part string ensemble thing. When we left off, we were talking about when Shires was 15 and started playing fiddle with the Texas Playboys, which used to be Bob Wills band. GROSS: Amanda Shires, its been such a pleasure to talk with you. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) Three months after an emergency heart transplant, Grammy-nominated keyboardist, producer, songwriter and artist Peter Levin I just feel like that invites a lot of conversation and questions, you know, into our marriage and our relationship. Recently, I had an ectopic pregnancy, she tweeted. GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. Amanda Shires has become a coveted presence at the intersection of nervy artistry and activism, folk and country acclaim, rock attitude and Nashville influence. And after we recorded it, he said, thats a really good song. Say whatever feels better or whatever. SHIRES: You want to come to the play the show tomorrow night, too? But this part of my life in our marriage was difficult. And my stuff worked. For those who are unfamiliar, it is impossible for an ectopic pregnancy to go to term. "I'm daring to do what she couldn't bring herself to do," Shires ruminates, shadowed by her own feathery harmonies. Related Tommy Duncan was the singer. Members get extended access to PBS video on demand and more. Shes also one of the founders of the group The Highwomen. And she would dance a little bit to the Beatles and stuff and started seeing the possibility that she might go into music one day. We found out that, yes, our grandmothers are pro-choice. Shires told her producer Dave Cobb, who also served as bassist in the album's indie rock-leaning band (with Isbell on lead guitar), "My violin needs to sound like it's in an aquarium, but more bright. In "Leave It Alone," a song introduced by a brittle, programmed loop and a jangly, arpeggiated guitar figure, she elegantly describes exploring a new lover's body: "Hands find the places where they've never been, to know for themselves new surfaces / And mine, they've got a mind of their own / I can't leave it alone." And Frankie and Lanny, my teachers we were at Lannys house the first time Tommy came over, and then, I met him. Snubbing the King: Why Don't Big Stars Want to Perform at Charles' Coronation? She co-founded the country supergroup The Highwomen, which includes Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris and Natalie Hemby. So she did daytime job. On your Twitter, you describe yourself as a disciple of Leonard Cohen. When I wrote my first piece for Rolling Stone, Id had an abortion before. Wills was the father of western swing. WebAmanda Shires - The Problem (feat. And I had been internally bleeding for a whole lot of hours. The way she relaxes into low notes on that last line makes it sound far more like an unembarrassed confession than a complaint. GROSS: I think its so interesting that your mother worked as a bail bondsman, not knowing that her own father had spent so much time in prison. Wherever you get that support whether in a relationship or friends no matter what you believe, you can believe to support somebody through something hard.. And because I was in the time of my life where I was having a disconnect in my marriage and not feeling great in with music but I discovered that it takes a lot to be vulnerable, and it takes a lot to talk to folks and to understand each other. Well, why dont you sing some of it for us? Elizaveta Porodina/Courtesy of the artist GROSS: How did you find that out? SHIRES: (Singing) Trying not to think of names. So thanks to them as well. And I know I can take it like a man. But anyway so I went and I sat down in my barn of internal wandering. GROSS: What I hear in your voice is that it rings out. What does that phrase mean to you? Im not joking. To see more, visit. SHIRES: Yep, yep on his songs without asking him. And as it happened, eventually the auxiliary cable quit working in the van so I was left to the radio choices of sports ball and Top 40 country music. Tax ID: 26-2810489, Copyright 2022 Fresh Air. And even on the charts, theres one spot usually I think in 2016, there was 13% representation of women to men on country radio, and now it still sits pleasantly at 16% on a good week. And Zachs going to play guitar. If you want a partner, take my hand or only you want to strike me down in anger, here I stand. We found music, and then being in the Shoals area just gave us an early look at all the places music can take you. GROSS: Your mother earlier in her life worked as a bail bondsman, right? You can keep the car and the house. And nobody would let me in, but I sat there anyway.