this week’s opener (8/2) is:

Allison Russell

🔮the vibe…

soulful + uplifting vocals which can travel between folk, americana and country

🏡the roots…

Montreal, Quebec, Canada📍

📖 the story…

• allison russell was born in montreal 🇨🇦 to a grenadian father and a scottish-canadian teenage single mom

• born into a tramautic household, allison spent time in foster care as her mother suffered from schizophrenia

• her mother eventually regained custody of allison, and brought her back into a toxic household with a physically and sexually abusive stepfather

• at age 15, allison ran away from home and moved to vancouver where she would go on to attend dawson college and begin her music career

• in 2003, she formed the band ‘Po’ Girl’ and recorded seven albums over the next 7 years, followed by the band ‘Birds of Chicago’

• in 2021, after a brief stint in the group ‘Our Native Daughters’ (feat. Rhiannon Giddens), allison released her debut solo album, Outside Child.

  • the stellar album explores her tramautic childhood which molded her into the person she is today

• allison released her second album, the returner, in 2023 and won her first grammy for ‘best american roots performance’ 🏆

  • a massive accomplishment after a long and unimaginable road

• she remains a fervent activist in support of the LGBTQ community and against abuse of any kind 👏 

🎧 the 🔝 songs…

nightflyer - spotify / apple music

persephone - spotify / apple music

🎙️ the 🔝 performance…

nightflyer (npr tiny desk) ⬇️

📇 the rest…

• currently on tour opening for Hozier and then Tyler Childers

  • I just saw her at Newport Folk Festival where she🔥 killed it

• IG/YouTube

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