If there's one segment of the music business that seems to be surging, ie, selling concert tickets and even some records, it's "Americana." You can argue all day about what the definition of that term actually means. Amongst the many Americana discussions I have had at South by Southwest 2017, two stand out. The first was a heated discussion of why the blues should be included in Americana. The second friendly-chat-turned-oddly-personal spat posited that R&B also belonged in Americana.
While the term is admittedly overly broad and in the end could indeed mean just about anything played in the 50 states, I tend it associate it with bands or singer/songwriters with a twang: Buddy Holly to Hank Williams. Of course Elvis Costello and The Rolling Stones both excel at that kind of thing as well, so again the wheel turns and the discussion goes on.
However you define it, this amorphous genre, much like jazz and rock these days, is flush with female singers. Women are bringing much needed new energies to music of all kinds, all over the world, and in Americana, along with Margo Price who has become an overnight breakout, there's Whitney Rose. Currently a resident of Austin but soon to be living in Nashville, Rose can be a bit too much of a screamer as opposed to singer for my tastes, but there's no denying her talent.
On top of having the voice and superb taste in choosing covers—she's partial to singing tunes from Emmylou Harris's early Warner Bros records—Whitney Rose has the look. Her hair, beehive in the back and long tresses down the front, has a definite Loretta Lynnesque look. Thankfully her dresses lean more hippy than classic Nashville.
Perhaps Americana's most far-reaching charm is its inclusiveness. As the climax to her set at the YETI store on South Congress, Rose launched into a very spirited cover of Lesley Gore's 1960s pop hit, "You Don't Own Me" that hit the mark.
Watch for Rose's new full-length record, coming this summer, produced by Raul Malo and featuring The Mavericks as the backing band.
