Welcome to the new Country Queer!
Well howdy Country Queer Fam!
I am so mother-trucking excited to welcome you to the new and shiny countryqueer.com.
I’m writing this to you from a fellow musician’s couch as I’m in between shows – having just played a music festival in the backwoods of Vancouver Island, where 21 bands graced the stage in one day and more than half of them had queer band members. In two weeks I’m going to see Brandi Carlile who is taking the world by storm as an out queer country star. In two days Americana Fest will start and queer country musicians and allies will be rocking multiple stages while the second annual Queer Roots showcase will feature artists like Paisley Fields and Karen and the Sorrows.
My friends, we’re at an incredible place in time. Country music – an umbrella which holds roots, country, rockabilly, Americana, bluegrass, folk, and more – is opening its arms to the stories of its queer children. Those of us who grew up in rural areas and experienced the ups and downs of it with our unique filters. Those of us who grew up in cities but heard our own stories told in the deep voices and story songs that made us feel less alone.
That is why it’s time for Country Queer. A place for LGBTQ+ fans of country music to come together and find out about music, culture, and experiences that relate to their own queer experience. With a strong eye towards inclusivity, the Country Queer team is here to to give you good information, great music, and a place to come together and find community.
Let’s do this thing!
Yours in music,
Cindy Emch