GRAMMYs nominees outsidechild13, iamyola, and RhiannonGiddens on grappling with racism and respect in roots music. A roundtable conversation with justinmcurto
Yola, Allison Russell, and Rhiannon Giddens are nominated for Grammys in the 2022 American-roots categories. “If one of us wins, we all win, right?” Giddens says. Illustration: Elly Rodgers The Grammys have a problem with history. The Recording Academy loves to give awards to artists past their prime or to stuff categories full of dinosaurs rather than recognizing current innovation.
➽ Russell had been a musician for years in the groups Po’ Girl and Birds of Chicago before joining Our Native Daughters with Giddens. In 2021, she released her solo debut, the achingly personal Outside Child, which led to her first Grammy nominations this year in Best American Roots Performance, Best American Roots Song , and Best Americana Album.
Rhiannon Giddens: When I first came to Nashville, we had the “healing moment” at the Opry that everyone seems to have forgotten. The landscape was vastly different. And it’s not to say that there weren’t any less people of color doing this music, but they didn’t have the exposure. I felt I was often a tokenized, light-skinned sort of, Oh, she’s okay. We’ll pull her in when we want to say, “Blah blah blah blah blah.
“Why don’t you not claim what is yours?” Despite its history as music of the people, the contemporary roots scene can be exclusive. Russell credits Brandi Carlile — who is a lesbian — with connecting her to Fantasy Records, her eventual label for Outside Child.
R.G.: We have to be very clear about how systemic these things are. We’re talking hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years of a system. It’s not going to change overnight, but we can change a lot of things quickly. I think all of these things are true at one time. So what we have to figure out is, Where are they not budging? Say, the Opry: Where do we cut our losses? And we create something new.
Y: We all look at young kids that remind us of us and we go, “I don’t want it to be like this for you!” I’m not a mother. I still feel that. It’s something inherent in Black ladydom, just wanting it to be better for the kids. One thing — before I was signed, may I add — whilst I had the EP out, they’re finally not calling Rhiannon for one thing because they’re calling me. And Rhiannon’s going, “Yes! Yes! I’ll just stay in my room, and you do some of that annoying press as well.”Y: It is.
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