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 recording, and our millennial skin care routines.

Subscribe or sign up to hear more about the pair's approach to astrology, bad habits, and touring. (Check Weakened Friends' tour dates here.)

Songs

4:08 – "Bargain Bin" (excerpt) – Weakened Friends

5:03 – "Tough Luck (Bleed Me Out)" – Weakened Friends

24:27 – "Not For Nothing" – Weakened Friends

28:20 – "Torn" – Weakened Friends

46:26 – "Pancho and Lefty" – Paisley Fields ft. Laura Stevenson

50:17 – "Kind of Girl" – MUNA

54:44 – "Weightless" – Weakened Friends

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Song List

• Willi Carlisle -- Cryin' These Cocksucking Tears (2:25)
• Low Cut Connie -- I Can't Shake the Stranger Out of You (6:54)
• Luisa Lopez -- Tired (11:02)
• Vandoliers -- Life Behind Bars (14:50)
• Hayden Stern, Elise Snoey, and Ezra Jane Landsman -- "Jig to Reel With Twin Fiddles and DADGAD Guitar" (20:42)
• Allison Rusell and Hadestown Cast -- "Livin' It Up" (24:11)
• Jeremy Dion -- "Bend in the Middle" (28:20)
• Glenmeadmore -- "Glory Hole" (30:39)
• Jake Blount and Mali Obamsawin -- "What's Ya Gonna Do When the World is on Fire?"
• Riggings -- "Big Box Black Dress" (38:56)

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 rest of the band.

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Songs in This Episode

1:44 -- "Life Behind Bars" (Vandoliers)

25:22 -- "Dead Canary" (Vandoliers)

57:46 -- "Bible Belt" (Vandoliers)

1:02:02 -- "Broken Horses" (Brandi Carlile)

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 Deal – Nobody Loves You More (11:45)
• Girls on Grass – Don't Buy It (29:13)

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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 she taught me about this freaky zodiac thing called Human Design.

Song List

1. Angie K – "Red Dirt on Mars" (1:24)
2. Angie K – "You And I" (14:47)
3. Angie K – "I'm Going Under" (17:26)
4. Angie K – "Games" (37:57)
5. Fancy Hagood – "American Spirit" (51:34)
6. Angie K – "Stay" (54:36)

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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 that was on Nashville's Broadway in their legendary honky-tonks, led by a singer who was equally legendary: Shelly Bush. In Ellen's six-part series Girl in a Hurry, we learn more about Shelly, but also about the ecosystem that makes country music run: for every star headlining a stadium tour, there are hundreds of working-class musicians putting in the hours and the miles in the dreams of getting there. This is Shelly Bush's story.

Search for Girl in a Hurry to listen to the of the series!

To learn more about how the podcast was made, you can read my interview with Ellen.

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 Returns From War.

Subscribe to No Depression to read the full article in the Spring 2025 issue.

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This episode was sponsored by Post Transition media company -- you, too, can sponsor Rainbow Rodeo by clicking here!

Music

Mya Byrne and Paisley Fields -- "Burn This Statehouse Down" (04:31)

Flamy Grant -- "Revenge" (11:49)

Abigail Lucas -- "Black Me Out" (19:37)

Bandits on the Run -- "Back Home" (28:46)

She Returns From War -- "Ruthless" (33:29)

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 extra songs but the same core of love, grief, and dedication to her mother, who died by suicide in 2019. In our interview, we discuss making the album, the making-of documentary that came with it, Madison's musical roots, and taking a stand in the upcoming Trump regime.

3:09 -- "One For Jackie" (Rett Madison)

18:52 -- "Skydiving" (Rett Madison)

29:53 -- "Deep Feeler" (Liv Greene)

33:32 -- "Apocalyptic Folk Song" (Rett Madison)

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** 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 first album Bible Belt Baby hit #1 on the iTunes Christian chart and her new album, CHURCH, which we'll be talking about today, is currently in the top 10 of the iTunes country chart. This is a big deal because iTunes charts are based on purchases, not passive streams — so there are real people propelling these songs up the charts!

You can read my album review on No Depression.

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Songs

Flamy Grant -- "Last Days" (01:59)

Flamy Grant -- "SPRKL" (23:06)

Flamy Grant -- "Revenge" (39:21)

Crys Matthews -- "Waking Up the Dead" (42:51)

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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!

Music

Liv Greene -- "Katie" (2:25)

Liv Greene -- "Deep Feeler" (14:23)

Liv Greene -- "Flowers" (25:30)

Brittany Ann Tranbaugh -- "We Could Be Comets" (36:16)

Liv Greene -- "Wild Geese" (41:10)