Weekly Roundup, December 5
By Madeleine Tomasoa
Welcome to another installment of our Weekly Roundup, where we bring you the freshest tracks from LGBTQ+ artists in country, folk, and Americana. This week we’ve got new tunes by Sara Gougeon and Carly Thomas, with a couple of new holiday tidbits from the fabulous Mya Byrne and Leslie Jordan.
– Madeleine
Song of the week: “Frosted Soil Sun” by Sara Gougeon
In this CQ exclusive – a song Sara says was “never meant for other people” – she defines its sound as “warm and earthy but tainted.” “I don’t know / If I can let go,” Gougeon confesses, and we’re left with soft sighs that have us wondering what the future holds. This funky yet ethereal track portrays an expansive soundscape, with its swelling synths and beautiful harmonies. Sara Gougeon’s new single “Frosted Soil Sun” drops next Friday, 12/10/2021, but you heard it here first!
“Stay With Me” by Carly Thomas
“Pull me close / Is that okay?” This tender track by Carly Thomas asks life’s greatest questions. Accompanied by lush strings and emotional vocals, in a song Thomas describes as “what vulnerability looks like in relationships,” this one will have you sniffling into your tissue.
“Inflatable Menorah” by Mya Byrne
When Mya Byrne and her friend Lindsey Graves noticed there weren’t any fun Chanukah songs by queer country artists, they decided to write one! Featuring Fureigh, Scott Stein, and Reilley Vegh, the eight-foot yard decoration in this hysterically quirky jaunt is really about being proudly Jewish in a small town; it reminds us that when it comes to standing out, it’s best to “Go big or go home.”
“Little Drummer Boy” by Leslie Jordan ft. Cheyenne Jackson
Who doesn’t love Leslie Jordan? In this surprisingly epic “Little Drummer Boy / Peace on Earth” mashup, Jordan teams up with fellow queer Call Me Kat co-star Cheyenne Jackson. Jackson’s Disney-esque heroic vocals deliver the perfect optimistic counterpoint to Jordan’s charming kitsch. How could this pair not bring joy to the world? Maybe that should be their next collab! CQ would certainly be here for it.
Stay tuned in for the CQ 2021 Holiday round-up featuring these tunes alongside new recordings from Allison Russell and Lilli Lewis, with some throwbacks from Sweet Honey in the Rock, Dar Williams, Mark Rubin and more!
Got a great new song? Send it along to submissions@countryqueer.com.