Amythyst Kiah – Wednesday Show
Fresh from touring with Our Native Daughters (Rhiannon Giddens, Allison Russell, and Leyla McCalla), opening for Brandi Carlile, playing The Grand Ole Opery, and receiving a Grammy nomination ("Black Myself"), Amythyst Kiah returns to Lansing for one very intimate solo show. Over the last six years, Fiddle audiences have twice experienced her immense musical talent. Don't miss this opportunity to hear this rising star in an intimate setting. (Tickets will go quickly.)
Note: This show was originally scheduled to be held at UrbanBeat in Old Town, Lansing. Due to demand, it has been moved to the larger ULC.
“One of Americana’s great up-and-coming secrets.” – Rolling Stone
“She really is important in reminding people that there is a great tradition of African-American, old-time musicians. I love that she sings in this really rich low vocal range, just straight from the chest, resonant.” – NPR
“Her razor-sharp guitar picking alone guarantees her a place among masters, but it’s her deep-hued voice that can change on a dime from brushed steel to melted toffee that commands attention.” – The New York Times
New single “I Will Not Go Down” released August 25 featuring Billy Strings:
Listen below or on your chosen platform here.
From Kiah, about “I Will Not Go Down”: “From Avatar: The Last Airbender to Lord of the Rings to Mass Effect, I’ve always loved a great hero’s journey,” says Kiah of the track. “The hero always rides into the unknown to seek answers and destroy a larger beast. These stories emphasize the importance of reflection, resilience, and restraint. Sometimes we have to ride into the unknown to seek these answers and see what we’re truly made of, without stopping to think that perhaps the beast that we are slaying, is in fact ourselves. I was incredibly stoked to have Billy Strings join in on this track and take us on his own journey, creating the most radiant guitar tapestry that could blind any foe that dares to cross him.”
“I’m the only one to ease my soul/I’m the only one that’s in control,” Amythyst Kiah vows in “I Will Not Go Down.” It’s a fierce, foot-stomping song laced with backup vocals and bluegrass virtuosity — on multiple instruments — from Billy Strings. The song’s stark declarations arrive fully armored in musicianship. JON PARELES, New York Times
On her new album Still + Bright, Tennessee-bred singer/songwriter Amythyst Kiah explores the vast expanse of her inner world: her deep-rooted affinity for Eastern philosophies and spiritual traditions, a near-mystical connection with the natural environment, the life lessons learned in her formative years as a self-described “anime-nerd mall goth,” and much more. Produced by Butch Walker (Taylor Swift, Green Day, Weezer) and recorded at his Nashville studio, Kiah’s second full-length for Rounder Records merges her revelatory storytelling with a darkly cinematic twist on the rootsy alt-rock of her 2021 breakthrough Wary + Strange,an LP that landed on Rolling Stone’s list of the 25 Best Country and Americana Albums of 2021 and drew acclaim from major outlets like Pitchfork. With its sonic palette encompassing everything from fuzzed-out guitars and industrial-leaning beats to gilded pedal steel and Kiah’s exquisitely graceful banjo work, Still + Bright makes for a vital new addition to a body of work largely dedicated to exploring the struggle and joy of true self-discovery.
The latest turn in a dynamic career that’s included joining Our Native Daughters (an all-women-of-color supergroup also featuring Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell), Still + Bright emerged from a deliberate transformation of the songwriting process Kiah adopted after composing her first song on a Fender acoustic at age 13. To that end, the album marks her first time opening up her approach and working with co-writers, including punk legend Tim Armstrong, Sadler Vaden (a guitarist/vocalist for Jason Isbell’s 400 Unit), and former Pentatonix member Avi Kaplan. Although her third LP is an undeniable departure from the anguished emotionality of its predecessor (an album informed by losing her mother to suicide at age 17), Kiah imparts each track with a hypnotic intensity born from boldly stating her convictions. Revealing her rare ability to spin her fascinations into songs uncovering essential truths about human nature, Still + Bright ultimately affirms her as an artist of both daring originality and uncompromising depth.
Note: This show was originally scheduled to be held at UrbanBeat in Old Town, Lansing. Due to demand, it has been moved to the larger ULC.
“One of Americana’s great up-and-coming secrets.” – Rolling Stone
“She really is important in reminding people that there is a great tradition of African-American, old-time musicians. I love that she sings in this really rich low vocal range, just straight from the chest, resonant.” – NPR
“Her razor-sharp guitar picking alone guarantees her a place among masters, but it’s her deep-hued voice that can change on a dime from brushed steel to melted toffee that commands attention.” – The New York Times
New single “I Will Not Go Down” released August 25 featuring Billy Strings:
Listen below or on your chosen platform here.
From Kiah, about “I Will Not Go Down”: “From Avatar: The Last Airbender to Lord of the Rings to Mass Effect, I’ve always loved a great hero’s journey,” says Kiah of the track. “The hero always rides into the unknown to seek answers and destroy a larger beast. These stories emphasize the importance of reflection, resilience, and restraint. Sometimes we have to ride into the unknown to seek these answers and see what we’re truly made of, without stopping to think that perhaps the beast that we are slaying, is in fact ourselves. I was incredibly stoked to have Billy Strings join in on this track and take us on his own journey, creating the most radiant guitar tapestry that could blind any foe that dares to cross him.”
“I’m the only one to ease my soul/I’m the only one that’s in control,” Amythyst Kiah vows in “I Will Not Go Down.” It’s a fierce, foot-stomping song laced with backup vocals and bluegrass virtuosity — on multiple instruments — from Billy Strings. The song’s stark declarations arrive fully armored in musicianship. JON PARELES, New York Times
On her new album Still + Bright, Tennessee-bred singer/songwriter Amythyst Kiah explores the vast expanse of her inner world: her deep-rooted affinity for Eastern philosophies and spiritual traditions, a near-mystical connection with the natural environment, the life lessons learned in her formative years as a self-described “anime-nerd mall goth,” and much more. Produced by Butch Walker (Taylor Swift, Green Day, Weezer) and recorded at his Nashville studio, Kiah’s second full-length for Rounder Records merges her revelatory storytelling with a darkly cinematic twist on the rootsy alt-rock of her 2021 breakthrough Wary + Strange,an LP that landed on Rolling Stone’s list of the 25 Best Country and Americana Albums of 2021 and drew acclaim from major outlets like Pitchfork. With its sonic palette encompassing everything from fuzzed-out guitars and industrial-leaning beats to gilded pedal steel and Kiah’s exquisitely graceful banjo work, Still + Bright makes for a vital new addition to a body of work largely dedicated to exploring the struggle and joy of true self-discovery.
The latest turn in a dynamic career that’s included joining Our Native Daughters (an all-women-of-color supergroup also featuring Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell), Still + Bright emerged from a deliberate transformation of the songwriting process Kiah adopted after composing her first song on a Fender acoustic at age 13. To that end, the album marks her first time opening up her approach and working with co-writers, including punk legend Tim Armstrong, Sadler Vaden (a guitarist/vocalist for Jason Isbell’s 400 Unit), and former Pentatonix member Avi Kaplan. Although her third LP is an undeniable departure from the anguished emotionality of its predecessor (an album informed by losing her mother to suicide at age 17), Kiah imparts each track with a hypnotic intensity born from boldly stating her convictions. Revealing her rare ability to spin her fascinations into songs uncovering essential truths about human nature, Still + Bright ultimately affirms her as an artist of both daring originality and uncompromising depth.