Watch Out for Rhiannon Giddens
We’re not screwing around anymore here folks. This is no longer all about playing side stages at MerleFest so bluegrass gawkers can remark, “Oh, look at that, it’s a black old time band.” It’s no longer just about coming to your local college town to play and assembly that’s simulcast on the local NPR affiliate.
Not to downplay the contributions of the Carolina Chocolate Drops over their now 10+ year run (or MerleFest side stages). Hell, how could you? Rhiannon Giddens and the Carolina Chocolate Drops offer a burst of creativity and diversity in a many times stuffy and insular music space, and do it with conviction, authenticity, and in a way that’s like a living history lesson to the contributions African Americans made to American roots music.
But the talents of Rhiannon Giddens are bigger than any one band, any one song or album, or even any one medium. We first saw her as the humble yet keen front person of a cool band, but in a forum that was somewhat limiting, or at least not as flattering as it could have been to flaunt her true vocal and songwriting talents.
And now, all of a sudden, certainly overdue but definitely warranted, and completely on her own terms, Rhiannon Giddens is taking off, or at least she could be very shortly, and in a big way.
She’s not doing it through slithering her way into pop country songwriting circles, or selling out with some big single that may impact country radio. She’s doing it by being her own badass self, and in a way that gives the music and entertainment industry no choice but to pay attention, and figure out how to apply her talents to whatever they’re doing because she’s just so damn good and they want to be a part of it. And it could all result in the shot diversity country roots music and maybe even the mainstream has long been looking for, but failed to deliver through other avenues.
On Monday (9/13) it was officially announced that Rhiannon Giddens would be the latest recipient of the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass. Selected by namesake Steve Martin, along with banjo maestros Bela Fleck, Tony Trischka, and J.D. Crowe, it bestowed a $50,000 bounty to the North Carolina native.
But that is just the beginning. A couple of weeks ago it was announced that Rhiannon Giddens would be the latest cast member of the former ABC, now CMT drama Nashville. Just how significant her role will be we’ll have to wait and see, but if nothing else, it will give her some nationally-televised face time, and hopefully a forum to showcase her musical talents at least once or twice.
But television viewers didn’t have to wait for the season premiere of Nashville to see Rhiannon on the screen. On Monday night she appeared with Eric Church on The Tonight Show singing her duet with the country superstar, “Kill A Word”—a song that was just released as a radio single, and some think could be headed for #1 and a host of distinctions for its forward-thinking message.
If any of this will translate into a more intense focus on the music of Rhiannon Giddens and the Carolina Chocolate Drops remains to be seen, but it certainly can’t hurt.
So when you’re looking around for who could be that next female to rise up out of the ranks and really make a positive impact on country music, you damn better consider Rhiannon Giddens in that conversation.
September 13, 2016 @ 11:22 am
I’m not sure anything would make me happier in country music than Rhiannon Giddens breaking out…I do hope she has a (new) single/album she is ready to drop to take advantage of the exposure.
September 13, 2016 @ 11:27 am
I’m glad to see Rhiannon Giddens getting some attention. I saw her on Jools Holland’s New Years Eve hootenanny last year and I was very impressed. She has talent, I just hope she gets the breaks she needs to get big.
September 13, 2016 @ 1:19 pm
Radio companies have a chance to pull their head out of their asses and give her some radio play and if they can’t even do that, then the fault lies on them.
September 13, 2016 @ 12:01 pm
She’s a wonderful performer, whether with the Chocolate Drops or on her own. I can’t think of too many better champions of roots inspired music out there in today’s scene.
September 13, 2016 @ 12:09 pm
Nothing but respect However, I seriously doubt we will hear her in any mainstream country outlet.
Americana format should embrace her.
September 13, 2016 @ 12:33 pm
We already are through “Kill A Word.” And as it climbs the charts, folks will be Googling her name left and right.
Will she have her own single on corporate radio at some point? That might be a much harder task, but who knows what the future holds.
September 13, 2016 @ 12:53 pm
To me, she is more of a background singer on this. Not sure if people will be that interested.
I think she had more exposure when Church brought her on stage for “Loves Me Like Jesus Does”.
I am 100% hoping her star shines a lil brighter. She deserves it.
I just don’t think Mainstream Country will be open to her.
September 13, 2016 @ 3:26 pm
Kyle, have you ever been compelled to cover Sean McConnell in a review or this kind of way (like giddens, I think he is turning heads)? I know he comes across your desk but I haven’t seen you write about him directly.
September 13, 2016 @ 4:25 pm
I’m aware of Sean McConnell’s music. I’m not really sure how his story or his music is similar to Rhiannon Giddens’. There is some interest in his music. I found it hard to form an opinion about it, except that I could have done without all the “ooh ooh!’s”. I may cover him in the future.
September 13, 2016 @ 12:27 pm
So happy for her. 🙂 (As much as I still question the decision to give ‘Nashville’ one more full season — as opposed to a two-hour TV movie, or even a half-season, to wrap up the Juliette-and-Avery cliffhanger — there’s now at least one aspect I can look forward to…)
September 13, 2016 @ 12:32 pm
Damn nice playing and singing….
They are also singing “Hello Stranger” (with Rhiannon on the banjo) in a short sequence in the DVD documentary about the Carter Family, “The Winding Stream”.
That was also nice to see and listening to..
September 13, 2016 @ 1:22 pm
Whatever “mainstream country music” does with her (if anything), only good can come of her ascent. Think of all the young kids watching her play a *fiddle* and her husband a (gasp) *banjo.*
All for it.
September 13, 2016 @ 1:28 pm
The Eric Church video no worky. Refreshed a few times with no success
September 13, 2016 @ 1:40 pm
Not sure what to tell you. Working for me. Take it up with General Electric. Perhaps you’re out of the US and it’s a country rights issue?
September 13, 2016 @ 1:34 pm
I have to say, as a guy 4 years ago who jammed out to Luke, Jason, Eric, Blake etc. I have suddenly come to going way back to the 70’s to even saying Sturgil is my favorite artist. And I despise bro-country. This right here for some reason reminds me of the music that actually tells the story the suppose “old farts etc” are wanting back on radio. I for one who is still in his mid-20’s can say this voice/performer is making me appreciate actual talent.
Thank you Mrs. Giddens
September 13, 2016 @ 2:37 pm
I hope it also helps to take Eric off that list of artists you included. I would argue that by virtue of his recent work and frequent collaborations with artists like Rhiannon Giddens, he should not be included on such a list 😉
September 13, 2016 @ 3:43 pm
Mark Eric’s name off your shortlist there. Eric writes songs with deeper meaning, way beyond drinking beer on tailgates, dirt roads, and cutoff jeans.
September 13, 2016 @ 6:23 pm
I will have to listen to more Eric Church. All I’m trying to say is I am one who listened to nothing but bro country while in college but couple years ago stumbled on Wayne Mills band and never looked back. I will say this lady would put Miranda and Carrie to shame. Even all the male artists. Last thing, don’t let people my age detour you from thinking all we like is cold beer etc. some of us cities boys have ventured out and never looked back.
Thank you trig, for opening up my mind lol
September 14, 2016 @ 8:34 am
Eric Church seems to be evolving in the right direction.
September 14, 2016 @ 6:37 am
I see Rhiannon Giddens as an eclectic roots music artist. I think she has the talent, integrity and charisma to be a great standard bearer for American roots music, especially now that her profile has been rising.
I guess she became available for the Nashville show after a previous opportunity fell through. She was supposed to fill in for big time Broadway star Audra McDonald in the hit Broadway musical Shuffle Along during the time that McDonald would be on maternity leave. However, when advance ticket sales decreased for shows to be performed during that time, the powers that be decided to close down the show. So she never got the chance.
September 14, 2016 @ 9:30 am
She’s pretty awful.