The Highwomen—the acclaimed collaborative movement formed by Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris and Amanda Shires—release their highly anticipated self-titled debut album today via Low Country Sound/Elektra Records. Stream/purchase HERE. Produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb, the album has already received overwhelming critical praise…
“a haunting, powerful tribute to the resilience of women through the ages.”
—The New York Times
“subject wise, timing wise; perfect and wonderful”—NPR Music
“…as powerful as musical storytelling gets.”— ★★★★ Rolling Stone
“The Highwomen is a country album for the ages, filled with joy, laughter, tears,
pain, and shit-kicking honky-tonk soul.”—Rolling Stone Country
“Raw vulnerability is a show of strength, and the Highwomen offered
up ample proof of that”—Billboard
“a debut album with instant-classic potential.” —USA Today
“The Highwomen are the country supergroup this moment demands…The album
is a creative triumph and a meaningful cultural artifact; the joy and resilience
emanating off it is worth a fortune.”—Stereogum
“a powerful and poignant message”—Grammy.com
“…hark back to the country music of the 1970s and 1980s, but with a contemporary
flair. In a genre that is largely dominated by men, they also tackle issues such as
motherhood and female identity with maturity.” —The Wall Street Journal
“…an all-female supergroup that’s just daring country radio to
shut it out.”—New York Magazine
“…will stop you dead in your tracks. With a honeyed, four-part harmony and a moving
plea for inclusivity, it’s the exact song for these uneven times.” —Esquire
“This isn’t a song. This isn’t a supergroup. It’s a motherfucking movement.” —Refinery29
“this is a much needed shot in the arm from talented female singer-songwriters.”
—American Songwriter
“‘The Highwomen’ is truly a shared endeavor…all combine their voices in unison
throughout, to thrilling, soaring harmonic effect.” —The Boston Globe
“an anthemic, catchy ode to the ever-changing role of women in society.”
—Consequence of Sound
“The supergroup we’ve been waiting for is finally here, and it’s perfect.”—Nylon
“…exemplifies the strength and spirit of The Highwomen and sets a positive tone
for what’s to come.” —Forbes
“a new supergroup that believes that if you’re going to dream, you might as well
dream big…whose sweet harmonies and straightforward melody look back into country’s
past while its empowering lyrics keep their eyes fixed on the future.” —The A.V. Club
“The Highwomen are taking the music industry by storm…a group of talented,
powerful women making their mark on music.” —Paste
“…four of the best songwriters, singers and musicians working today…”—Nashville Scene
“The project is void of any filters or artificial flash, their voices so pure as they
directly connect with the listener. The group’s poignant lyrics embrace honesty,
observation and acknowledgement of the past with a grasp on a progressive future,
making The Highwomen an important figure not only in music, but the modern
world.” —Sounds Like Nashville
“a polished melding of minds and talents...the band’s resistance lies in their very
existence as women who refuse to accept the status quo.” —Texas Observer
“a beautiful and harmonious message of love, laughter and open hands welcoming
all to the party. The music has a classic, timeless Country feel and uses poetry, storytelling
and empathy to create the sound of freedom.”—CMA Close Up
“Ace musicianship, beautiful harmonies and an important sociopolitical
message…”—Wide Open Country
In advance of the release, The Highwomen made their live concert debut at Newport Folk Festival earlier this summer. Of the landmark performance, and their only confirmed concert to date, Billboard praises, “set a sky-high standard with a performance that was the sum of its extraordinary parts,” while Rolling Stone declares, “it was clear that country music’s newest supergroup’s first time on stage had been a triumph.” The Highwomen also performed several songs with Dolly Parton at the festival as part of the all-female headline set curated by Carlile. Of the collaboration, Consequence of Sound proclaims, “now etched in legend as one of Newport Folk’s most memorable moments…a lifetime musical zenith.”
Continually demonstrating the importance of inclusion and collaboration, The Highwomen are joined by several guest musicians, vocalists and songwriters across the album. The project features Sheryl Crow (vocals, background vocals, bass), Yola (vocals, background vocals), Cobb (acoustic/electric guitar), Jason Isbell (acoustic/electric guitar), Phil Hanseroth (bass, background vocals), Tim Hanseroth (guitar, background vocals), Chris Powell (drums) and Peter Levin (piano and keyboards) with songs written by Carlile, Hemby, Morris, Shires, Isbell, the Hanseroth twins, Rodney Clawson, Lori McKenna, Miranda Lambert and Ray LaMontagne among many others.
“Anyone can be a Highwoman,” Carlile notes. “It’s about banding together, abandoning as much ego as humanly possible, holding one another up and amplifying other women every chance we get. Shoulder to shoulder. One push, one love.”
