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CQ Corral: Bonnie & the Mere Mortals – “Tennessee” (Live & Unplugged)

By Christopher Treacy

Photo Credit: Veronica Baron

Many songs have been written about the state of Tennessee, but this one – the opener for the upcoming live set by Bonnie & the Mere Mortals, Live & Unplugged, (out August 4) – is surely a first. Written by frontwoman Bonnie Ramone, the track takes a southern gothic musical approach to a tale about loss of belonging. To have a queer identifying artist write about Tennessee as a place they’ve felt embraced is progress… even if the song is lamenting the loss of that feeling in the wake of challenges to freedoms we all hold dear.

“Nashville was my haven in the Queer community, and I have spent so much time benefiting from their strength,” Ramone explained in a statement. “To see them being attacked like this is unbelievable, and I want to give back to this community that has given me so much strength.”

When she’s not using her wit to write lines like, “And I feel so all alone in all these bars that felt like home/But the liquor that I order gets me staring at my phone…,” Ramone is a gifted tattoo artist with Dolly-meets-Elvira flair. There’s another single between now and when Live & Unplugged arrives… you’ll surely be hearing more from Bonnie & the Mere Mortals in the near future.

To find out more about Bonnie & the Mere Mortals, listen online and follow them on their socials.

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CQ Corral is an emerging feature at Country Queer that will bring you new music several times weekly, culminating every two weeks in the CQ Roundup our readers have come to expect. If you think your work could be a good fit for coverage at CQ, fill out our submission form!!

Christopher Treacy has been writing about music and the music industry for 20 years. He’s contributed to The Boston Phoenix, The Boston Herald, Nashville Scene, and Berklee College of Music’s quarterly journal, as well as myriad LGBTQ+ outlets including the Edge Media Network, Between the Lines/Pride Source, Bay Windows and In Newsweekly. He’s the Managing Editor for CQ and lives in Waitsfield, VT.