Call & Response

In the final episode of this season, Adia is joined by “Queen of Bounce” Big Freedia. From Beyoncé to Kesha, Freedia’s collaborations proudly reflect her upbringing in New Orleans, and the spirit of the church that resides in her. Adia and Freedia talk about what it means to be insistent on pursuing liberation, the relationship between good food and good music, and the power of community. Thank you for joining us in another season of leaning into the blues. For the playlist of songs curated for this week’s episode visit: https://bit.ly/cr-freedia / Music In This Week's Episode /Roy Ayers Ubiquity, “Everybody Loves The Sunshine”Beyoncé, “Get Me Bodied”The Jacksons, “Blame It On The Boogie”Big Freedia (feat. Jake Shears and Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph), “Not Today”Tank and the Bangas (feat. Big Freedia), “Big”Missy Elliott, “Bomb Intro/Pass That Dutch”Robert Johnson, “Sweet Home Chicago” / Show Notes /Big Freedia’s latest EP is “Big Diva Energy,” available now. Adia and Freedia talk about her cover of Lady Gaga’s “Judas” for the 10th anniversary of “Born This Way.”Adia mentions Freedia’s documentary on gun violence in New Orleans, “Freedia Got A Gun,” streaming now on Peacock.Freedia says “Calling My Name” by Hezekiah Walker is the song that’s giving her life and light right now. / Credits /Call & Response is a Sonos show produced by work x work: Scott Newman, Jemma Rose Brown, Adia Victoria, Ann Marie Awad and Daniel Rayzel. Our engineer is Sam Bair of The Relic Room.

The music of the South is always drawing upon the church, either relishing in it, or rebelling from it. When Memphis-born artist Julien Baker started reckoning with her faith, “the entire paradigm of my life evaporated.” Since then, Julien has channeled this reckoning into her music, lacing her lyrics with radical honesty and self-reflection. In this episode, Julien and Adia share about how their relationship to God and religion has influenced their music. For the playlist of songs curated for this week’s episode visit: https://bit.ly/cr-julien / Music In This Week's Episode /Robyn, “Between The Lines”Björk, “Big Time Sensuality”St. Vincent, “I Prefer Your Love”Patti Smith Group, “Because The Night”Hank Williams, “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”John Coltrane, “A Love Supreme, Pt. 1 - Acknowledgment”Little Bandit, “Nashville” / Show Notes /Julien Baker’s latest album is “Little Oblivions,” available now, along with an EP of five remixed tracks from the album.Julien says “One More Hour” by Flock of Dimes is the song that’s giving her life and light right now. / Credits /Call & Response is a Sonos show produced by work x work: Scott Newman, Jemma Rose Brown, Adia Victoria, Ann Marie Awad and Daniel Rayzel. Our engineer is Sam Bair of The Relic Room.

From Bessie Smith to Megan Thee Stallion, Southern Black women have built on a long legacy of giving their bodies a voice through the blues. On this week’s Call & Response, hip-hop scholar Dr. Regina N. Bradley makes it clear that Southern Black culture is not frozen in time, but instead embracing and challenging the issues connecting younger generations. For the playlist of songs curated for this week’s episode visit: https://bit.ly/cr-regina / Music In This Week's Episode /Rapsody, “Nina”Victoria Monét, “Ass Like That”Janet Jackson, “The Pleasure Principle”Angel Olsen, “Lark Song”The Chicks, “Gaslighter”Tweet feat. Missy Elliott, “Oops (Oh My)”Megan Thee Stallion, “Body”Nina Simone, “Feeling Good” / Show Notes /Dr. Regina N. Bradley’s latest book is “Chronicling Stankonia: The Rise of the Hip-Hop South,” out now from UNC Press. She also just edited a collection of essays from other music scholars, “An Outkast Reader,” available now from UGA Press.Regina says “Call Me” by Tweet is the song that’s giving life and light right now. / Credits /Call & Response is a Sonos show produced by work x work: Scott Newman, Jemma Rose Brown, Adia Victoria, Ann Marie Awad and Daniel Rayzel. Our engineer is Sam Bair of The Relic Room.

Tressie McMillan Cottom says the blues go beyond the beat and key. It’s a feeling born and inherited from the experience of Southern Black women. As Call & Response dives deeper into the blues, the sociologist and 2020 MacArthur fellow says she can hear the historical echoes of pain and urgency throughout Southern music -- and wants listeners to understand why they do too. For the playlist of songs curated for this week’s episode visit: https://bit.ly/cr-tressie. / Music In This Week's Episode /The Shirelles, “Mama Said”Junior, “Mama Used To Say”2Pac, “Dear Mama”Gladys Knight and the Pips, “I’ve Got To Use My Imagination”Dolly Parton, “Coat of Many Colors”Odetta, “Mother’s Blues (Little Children Blues)”Nina Simone, “Blues for Mama” / Show Notes /Tressie McMillan Cottom’s latest book is "Thick: And Other Essays",” out now from The New Press. Tressie is also working on two upcoming books, “Basic” and “The Vivian.”Adia and Tressie discuss “The Dolly Moment,” an essay Tressie wrote for her newsletter in February.Tressie says “Dope Queen Blues” by Adia Victoria is the song that’s giving her light right now. / Credits /Call & Response is a Sonos show produced by work x work: Scott Newman, Jemma Rose Brown, Adia Victoria, Ann Marie Awad and Daniel Rayzel. Our engineer is Sam Bair of The Relic Room.

What happens when one artist’s work is read through the lens of another? Tré Burt’s rambling bluesman sound means his music is constantly compared to that of Bob Dylan, but as a Black man living in 2021, his writing draws from very different perspectives. In this interview, Tré and Adia distinguish what it means to write from experience versus observation, share how working blue-collar jobs has fed their artistic careers, and remember the late, great John Prine. Hear a playlist of songs curated for this week’s episode at https://bit.ly/cr-tre. / Music In This Week's Episode /Tré Burt, “I Cannot Care”Waxahatchee, “Light Of A Clear Blue Morning”Lil Nas X, “Sun Goes Down”Adia Victoria, “Carolina Bound”Buster Benton, “Money Is The Name Of The Game”Bill Withers, “Lonely Town, Lonely Street” / Show Notes /Tré Burt’s latest album “You, Yeah, You,” is available now on Oh Boy Records.Tré says “Pay Day” by Mississippi John Hurt is the song that’s giving him life right now. / Credits /Call & Response is a Sonos show produced by work x work: Scott Newman, Jemma Rose Brown, Adia Victoria, Ann Marie Awad and Daniel Rayzel. Our engineer is Sam Bair of The Relic Room.

Born in Chattanooga, and based in Johnson City, Tennessee, Amythyst Kiah’s sound is a blend of old-time music and fingerpicking blues with a punk-indie sensibility. Like many of us who came up in the South, Amythyst had to find and define her voice, even as she was told she couldn’t be into Green Day or into skateboarding and also play the guitar. This week’s episode of Call & Response is for the people who are facing the brave work of reclaiming themselves, for the people who have found solace in the company of a guitar, and it’s a hope for you – to keep pushing forward in your blues. For the playlist of songs curated for this week’s episode visit: https://bit.ly/amythyst. / Music In This Week's Episode /Leyla McCalla, “Girl”Precious Bryant, “Don’t Let The Devil Ride”Sunny War, “Mama’s Milk”Jessie Mae Hemphill, “My Daddy’s Blues”Elizabeth Cotten, “Gaslight Blues”Kyshona Armstrong, “Fear”Yasmin Williams, “Through The Woods” / Episode Notes /Amythyst Kiah’s latest album is “Wary + Strange” is out now on Rounder Records.Amythyst mentions James Spooner’s 2003 documentary “Afro-Punk” on Black punk fans navigating whitewashed alternative music scenes.Amythyst says “Sissy That Walk” by RuPaul is the song that’s giving her life right now. / Credits /Call & Response is a Sonos show produced by work x work: Scott Newman, Jemma Rose Brown, Adia Victoria, Ann Marie Awad and Daniel Rayzel. Our engineer is Sam Bair of The Relic Room.

Just hours after a Confederate monument was removed in Richmond, VA, Jason Isbell made his take very clear: “Nostalgia requires a lack of examination.” Amid the backdrop of a region reckoning with its past, this week’s Call & Response features Adia Victoria speaking with Jason, the Grammy award-winning songwriter from Green Hill, Alabama. Jason reflects on his identity as a white Southern man, why he seeks communion in his work, and the pitfalls of unquestioned nostalgia in country music. Also, hear a new single featuring Jason Isbell from Adia Victoria’s upcoming album, “A Southern Gothic,” in this week’s playlist: https://bit.ly/cr-jason. / Music In This Week's Episode /Brittney Spencer, “Sober and Skinny”Mickey Guyton, “Remember Her Name”Amythyst Kiah, “Fancy Drones (Fracture Me)”Shemekia Copeland, “Give God The Blues”Allison Russell, “All of the Women”Joy Oladokun, “Bad Blood”Adia Victoria feat. Kyshona, Margo Price and Jason Isbell, “You Was Born To Die” / Show Notes /Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit’s album "Georgia Blue," featuring Adia Victoria, comes out digitally on Oct. 15 through Southeastern Records. Jason’s latest album is “Reunions,” available now.Jason references a meme showing a futuristic city as what “would be country music if we just cut the bullshit out early on.”Jason and Adia mention the origins of “bluegrass” music and how it was named.Jason says “Hide Away” by Freddie King is the song that’s giving him life right now. / Credits /Call & Response is a Sonos show produced by work x work: Scott Newman, Jemma Rose Brown, Adia Victoria, Ann Marie Awad and Daniel Rayzel. Our engineer is Sam Bair of The Relic Room.

Welcome back to Call & Response. To open season two of our show, Adia is joined by fellow Southerner and singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus, whose latest album, “Home Video” is drawn largely from her childhood journals. In their conversation, Adia and Lucy talk about growing up in the church, learning to trust your own voice, and questioning what it means to be a reliable narrator for your own life. We’re so excited to have you here with us for another season of leaning into the blues to make sense of this world. For the playlist of songs curated for this episode head over to https://bit.ly/cr-lucy. / Music In This Week's Episode /Lucy Dacus, “VBS”The Roots feat. Monsters of Folk, “Dear God 2.0”Curtis Mayfield, “(Don’t Worry) If There’s A Hell Below We’re All Going To Go”The Louvin Brothers, “Sinner, You’d Better Get Ready”Kings of Leon, “The Runner”serpentwithfeet, “Fellowship” / Show Notes /Lucy Dacus’ new album “Home Video” is out now on Matador Records.Lucy says “I Follow” by Molly Drake is the song giving her life right now. / Credits /Call & Response is a Sonos show produced by work x work: Scott Newman, Jemma Rose Brown, Adia Victoria, Ann Marie Awad and Daniel Rayzel. Our engineer is Sam Bair of The Relic Room.

“What could be possible in the future when it comes to our artists? What is possible when it comes to us looking at each other? What can be possible when we shun a scarcity mindset? When we say this table is big enough for all of us? No, fuck that. Let's build a new table where everyone has a full plate, because we understand that when we create, we are able to feed.” In this final episode of our mid-season special at Newport festival, Adia leaves us with a poem. Keep your heart and your ears wide open for Season 2 of Call & Response, coming September 9th./ Show Notes / Check out all the other episodes of this mid season special of Call & Response. Listen to Allison Russell’s music.Press coverage of Once and Future Sounds curated by Allison Russell.Huge thank you to the Newport Folk Festival and the Newport Festivals Foundation./ Credits / Call & Response is a Sonos show produced by work x work: Scott Newman, Jemma Rose Brown, Adia Victoria, Babette Thomas and Emily Shaw. Our engineers are Sam Bair and  Tom Tierney. 

On Saturday at Newport, Allison Russell convened a super group of BIPOC performers to take the stage lead by the legendary Chaka Khan. The very next morning, we recorded this conversation. “It's not going to take anything away from you to let us in,” says Allison. “I wanted everyone to be able to see and hear and feel this majesty, this diversity, these expansive, intensely individual artists.” In this equally expansive conversation, Adia and Allison explore what it means to create collectively, for artists to lift each other up, and what it could look like if the music industry did the same. / Show Notes / Allison’s debut solo record is Outside Child. Allison is also a part of the band Our Native Daughters alongside Rhiannon Giddens, Amythyst Kiah and Leyla McCalla. Listen back to Call and Response featuring Brandi Carlile and Rhiannon Giddens, mentioned in this episode.Allison Russell shouts out the Marigold Foundation and the Looking Out Foundation for supporting the Super Jam she curated. She also cites the work of the Black Vision’s Collective./ Credits / Call & Response is a Sonos show produced by work x work: Scott Newman, Jemma Rose Brown, Adia Victoria, Babette Thomas and Emily Shaw. Our engineers are Sam Bair and  Tom Tierney.