Rainbow Rodeo

Hey there, cowpokes.  It's been a while since we've had a podcast episode! I just took a break to see what I wanted to do with the podcast, which parts I really liked doing, which parts I don't. I put together an audition tape for an internet radio service, and I had a lot of fun doing it. So I'm thinking this is what I wanna keep doing with the podcast. I will keep doing artist interviews when th...

Indie rock band Weakened Friends join us to discuss their powerful album Feels Like Hell . The band is tighter than ever, and that's due in large part to lead singer Sonia Sturino coming out as non-binary and feeling more confident in their voice. Sturino and bassist(and partner) Annie Hand check in to talk about what an indie rock band is doing on a country podcast, approaches to songwriting and...

Want to buy a copy of Rainbow Rodeo Issue 6 but too scared to pull the trigger? Don't worry! Rachel is here to guide you through the zine. You'll hear from Allison Russell about Hadestown, Josh Friedberg talks us through his essay about Beyonce winning the Best Country Album Grammy, Vandoliers, Glen Meadmore's glory hole, and more! Subscribe for $5 or more today and you'll also got nyan cats, lave...

Due to circumstances beyond anyone's control, this episode was delayed a bit -- but we're so happy for you all to hear my interview with Jenni Rose and Corey Graves of the Vandoliers. You can read excerpts of the interview in Good Country . Our discussion weaves from the Vandoliers' many influences to Jenni's newfound sobriety -- and how her extremely public coming out has energized her and the re...

Girls on Grass is a scrappy garage/country/cowpunk/whatever band from New York City that fearlessly follows their own arrow. Barbara Endes guides us through the creative process of the band's upcoming EP Stages , playing with a B-bender guitar (and what that is), and why writing about politics an her friends is her happy place. Track Listing Girls on Grass – Goth Punk Hillbilly Angel (1:19) Kim De...

Angie K and I scooch up to our mics to discuss her new self-titled EP. (Sorry for the horrendous audio quality on my end – I went out and got a better mic right after this interview.) We talk about Angie's incredible year: she got engaged, she's played the Grand Ole Opry twice, and Angie K was absolutely released on her terms. There's also stories of awkward teenage dating and talent shows – and s...

We're 58% of the way to our fundraising goal! Join us over at Rainbow Rodeo for exclusive podcasts, art, zines -- and a mixtape of new and unreleased queer country music! Ellen Angelico is one of my favorite people in Nashville – hands-down. They own the stage when they're absolutely shredding on guitar for artists like Brandy Clark and Cam. But everyone gets their start somewhere, and for Ellen t...

Howdy, cowpokes. I hope you're hanging in there. This episode is a little bit different. Instead of interviewing one artist, I included excerpts from interviews for an article coming up in No Depression 's Spring 2025 issue: how trans artists are drawing strength and preparing for the Trump administration. We hear from Mya Byrne, Paisley Fields, Abigail Lucas, Flamy Grant, Adrian Blake Enscoe, She...

A Note on Audio: Sorry that I sound so weird; I sat way too far away from my mic for this one. But Rett really does talk that fast -- faster than me! So much for the stereotype about fast-talking New Yorkers! It's hard enough to be in your 20s, but Rett Madison had to do it all without her mom. One More For Jackie is the deluxe re-issue of Madison's debut album last year, this time with a few extr...

** This month's episode is sponsored by Damon Beirne of Post-Transition Media Management Company . Damon can clean up your media files for $300 per terrabyte -- mention Rainbow Rodeo for a 75% discount! ** Flamy Grant is a Christian drag queen. Now, at Rainbow Rodeo, we know to revel in the contradiction of gloriously queer life and traditional expectations, and Flamy certainly embodies that. Her...

Liv Greene checks in about her album Deep Feeler , out on October 18th. We also discuss how her coming out process has reinforced her artistry, moving past imposter syndrome, and putting down roots in Nashville. For Patreon subscribers, we also get into a little astrology and a secret that's about a confession. Pre-save or preorder Deep Feeler here . Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter here !...

Rising Appalachia has always been a mission-driven, social justice-focused band. On their recent album Folk and Anchor , however, the band decided to take on a more light-hearted project. The sister duo of Leah Song and Chloe Smith went back to their roots and picked out a collection of songs that influenced them -- including some that might surprise you. Leah and I spoke about how the band settle...

Hey, there cowpokes -- remember when I did podcasts? Me, too. So...I'm thrilled that I get to interview Chris Housman for episode 22! Chris's new album Blueneck is a raucously fun and aggressively queer pop country album. Chris has been in Nashville for 16 years, and we talk about how it's been to be a queer artist in the mainstream country machine, as well as how Chris got his start and why he lo...

Hey there, cowpokes! This time around I interview River Shook about their new album with Sarah Shook and the Disarmers, Revelations . What's that now? Well, we get into River coming out as nonbinary, changing their name…and still touring under their given name. We'll also talk about their growing confidence as they continue into sobriety, taking the helm as a producer for their own projects as wel...

Howdy, cowpokes! This is a special bonus episode of Rainbow Rodeo to celebrate two different queer country shows next week. The online festival Country Soul Songbook , which is pay-what-you-can. It's a great weekend of conversations and concerts that celebrate radical intersectionality in country music. On Friday March 15th from 12 PM - 5 PM IN AUSTIN, Meanwhile in Music presents a queer country s...

Cidny Bullens is not just a rock'n'roll lifer -- he's a survivor . He toured with Elton John and Bob Dylan and was nominated for two Grammys for his own solo work. If you've listened to the Grease soundtrack, you've probably heard him -- but this is all before he transitioned. Cid's been through quite a bit as well, and not just a rock and roll lifer, but also a survivor. And his recent memoir, Tr...

This isn't Jessye DeSilva's first Rainbow Rodeo! The non-binary singer-songwriter was the very first guest on this podcast, and we're thrilled to have them back. In this episode, we talk about how DeSilva is setting intentions and seeing them through, their album Renovations as a document of coming into their own, and what's next as they tackle being an artist in a post-lockdown world. As I mentio...

Howdy, cowpokes, and welcome back to Rainbow Rodeo! This month, I interview artist and podcaster extraordinaire, Jenny Owen Youngs. I think you can hear in the interview that I'm a little bit starstruck, but of course Jenny was a pro. (We're on a first-name basis now.) We talk about her return to solo music with her new album, Avalanche, and how it's been to work in the co-writing and music licens...

Hey there, cowpokes, and welcome back to Rainbow Rodeo! This month, I speak with veteran Maia Sharp about her album Reckless Thoughts , which came out in August. I also interviewed her for the Nashville Scene. In that interview, we discussed the divorce that caused her to move to Nashville and how she brought together a trusted band to create Reckless Thoughts and her previous album, Mercy Rising...

Julian Talamantez Brolaski is a poet and country crooner but, above all else, is a careful curator of traditional country music. Brolaski's album It's Okay Honey comes out today, replete with yodeling, cowboy guitar and, of course, heartbreak. Brolaski was also on the ground floor of Brooklyn's queer country scene in the 2010s. They're too modest to say it, but that makes them an integral part of...

I'm excited to introduce you to Beau Wheeler. Beau's latest album, Flying Colours, reveals a huge generosity of spirit. They wrote these songs while they were undergoing cancer treatment -- and coming out as non-binary. We also discuss hacking it in the Canadian indie rock scene -- and, for Patreon subscribers, just what they would risk to go see Mavis Staples. Read my review of Flying Colours on...

Hey there, cowpokes, and happy Pride! We are in a real treat this month with our conversation with Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer, old time music legends. In our interview, Cathy and Marcy said they haven't done much -- but they're just being modest. They have performed with Pete Seeger, Theodore Bikel, Tom Paxton, Patsy Montana, Riders in the Sky, and a wide range of musical luminaries. They have en...

Get to know Mya Byrne now, because she is going to become a household name. Her newest album, Rhinestone Tomboy, is out now on Kill Rock Stars Records. KRS is the legendary riot grrl record label, and Rhinestone Tomboy is the first record off its brand new Nashville imprint. As I wrote in my profile in the Nashville Scene , that's not the only first for this project: the video for "It Don't Fade"...

Hey, cowpokes! This week I joined queer baseball podcast Batting Around to speak with Bryan Ruby. Bryan is the first professional baseball player to come out while actively playing. Now that he's getting ready to hang up his cleats, he's picking up his guitar and kick-starting his country music career! This episode goes more into his time in baseball and being queer in the sport, though of course...

Howdy, cowpokes! This month I speak with Zoe Boekbinder about their recent songs, "Cut My Heart In Two," and "I Am Yesterday." Both of these songs were produced by Gracie and Rachel, whom I interviewed on my previous podcast, Adobe and Teardrops. Zoe Boekbinder is a veteran, singer songwriter, born in Canada and raised in a string of Buddhist communities on the West coast they have a unique outloo...