Beyond the Boys Club is the latest addition to the Consequence Podcast Network, featuring journalist and radio host Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio. Spinning off from the interview column of the same name, the series highlights women and non-binary musicians as they offer their perspectives on the industry and discuss their personal experiences. For episode No. 5, Erickson is joined by singer Brittney Spencer. Follow BTBC wherever you get your podcasts.
Brittney Spencer is taking Nashville by storm. The multitalented singer and songwriter makes soulful music that crosses genre boundaries, from country to rock ‘n’ roll to pop.
Spencer is set to release her much-anticipated debut album, My Stupid Life, on January 19th via Elektra (pre-order here). She recorded the majority of the LP at Sound Emporium Studios and Blackbird Studio in Nashville with Grammy winner Daniel Tashian. The project also features a bevy of collaborators, including Grace Potter, Maren Morris, Abbey Cone & Sarah Buxton, and guitar contributions by Jason Isbell.
My Stupid Life encompasses her experience of years trying to break through the music barriers in Nashville and finding herself in the process. Spencer, a Baltimore native, relocated to Nashville a decade ago. As she tried to “make it,” she also insisted on making music that was only true to her. She also wanted there to be a voice in country music that didn’t look like most of the other country stars.
“My family … they love country music. They do. They just — we just haven’t listened to it a whole lot,” Spencer says. “Growing up, we went where we saw ourselves and where we heard our stories. And until now, that’s not always been the case for people that look like me.”
She continues, “I just have this burning desire to make the songs in my head that … it’s a lot of stuff that I’ve heard growing up, but I always wished that it was somebody that looked like me.”
While Spencer is seeing country music open up a bit in terms of diversity, she still feels that there are barriers to break. “I constantly feel like a plus-size black woman in Nashville, and that’s not even just a music thing. In general, I constantly feel that. And I find that when I’m reminded of that, that means that something is happening here that makes me feel like who I am has a limit on it, a limitation of how far you can go, what you can do, or, you know, if you can even go as far as someone else.”
She adds, “The good news is that it’s not hard to find hope … especially in regards to … being a woman in this town. It’s not hard because there’s so many women who feel the same exact way.”
Brittney Spencer will be opening for Grace Potter on a winter 2024 tour that kicks off January 14th in Port Chester, New York, and runs through a March 16th show in Del Mar, California. Tickets are available here.
Listen to the entire Beyond the Boys Club podcast episode via the media player above and watch a video clip below. Make sure to like, review, and subscribe to BTBC wherever you get your podcasts to keep up with each new episode, and pick up a “Beyond the Boys Club” T-shirt via the Consequence Shop or by clicking below.
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