Indie rock band Weakened Friends join us to discuss their powerful album Feels Like Hell. The band is tighter than ever, and that's due in large part to lead singer Sonia Sturino coming out as non-binary and feeling more confident in their voice. Sturino and bassist(and partner) Annie Hand check in to talk about what an indie rock band is doing on a country podcast, approaches to songwriting and recording, and our millennial skin care routines.

Subscribe or sign up to hear more about the pair's approach to astrology, bad habits, and touring. (Check Weakened Friends' tour dates here.)

Songs

4:08 – "Bargain Bin" (excerpt) – Weakened Friends

5:03 – "Tough Luck (Bleed Me Out)" – Weakened Friends

24:27 – "Not For Nothing" – Weakened Friends

28:20 – "Torn" – Weakened Friends

46:26 – "Pancho and Lefty" – Paisley Fields ft. Laura Stevenson

50:17 – "Kind of Girl" – MUNA

54:44 – "Weightless" – Weakened Friends

Want to buy a copy of Rainbow Rodeo Issue 6 but too scared to pull the trigger?

Don't worry! Rachel is here to guide you through the zine. You'll hear from Allison Russell about Hadestown, Josh Friedberg talks us through his essay about Beyonce winning the Best Country Album Grammy, Vandoliers, Glen Meadmore's glory hole, and more!

Subscribe for $5 or more today and you'll also got nyan cats, lavender coasts, and boisterous stage banter! Plus – a reminder about your FREE zine codes!

Purchase your copy of the zine here.

Sign up for our newsletter and more here!

Song List

• Willi Carlisle -- Cryin' These Cocksucking Tears (2:25)
• Low Cut Connie -- I Can't Shake the Stranger Out of You (6:54)
• Luisa Lopez -- Tired (11:02)
• Vandoliers -- Life Behind Bars (14:50)
• Hayden Stern, Elise Snoey, and Ezra Jane Landsman -- "Jig to Reel With Twin Fiddles and DADGAD Guitar" (20:42)
• Allison Rusell and Hadestown Cast -- "Livin' It Up" (24:11)
• Jeremy Dion -- "Bend in the Middle" (28:20)
• Glenmeadmore -- "Glory Hole" (30:39)
• Jake Blount and Mali Obamsawin -- "What's Ya Gonna Do When the World is on Fire?"
• Riggings -- "Big Box Black Dress" (38:56)

Due to circumstances beyond anyone's control, this episode was delayed a bit -- but we're so happy for you all to hear my interview with Jenni Rose and Corey Graves of the Vandoliers. You can read excerpts of the interview in Good Country. Our discussion weaves from the Vandoliers' many influences to Jenni's newfound sobriety -- and how her extremely public coming out has energized her and the rest of the band.

Never miss out on queer country music -- subscribe to our free newsletter or become a paid subscriber at RainbowRodeoMag.com!

Songs in This Episode

1:44 -- "Life Behind Bars" (Vandoliers)

25:22 -- "Dead Canary" (Vandoliers)

57:46 -- "Bible Belt" (Vandoliers)

1:02:02 -- "Broken Horses" (Brandi Carlile)

Girls on Grass is a scrappy garage/country/cowpunk/whatever band from New York City that fearlessly follows their own arrow. Barbara Endes guides us through the creative process of the band's upcoming EP Stages, playing with a B-bender guitar (and what that is), and why writing about politics an her friends is her happy place.

Track Listing

• Girls on Grass – Goth Punk Hillbilly Angel (1:19)
• Kim Deal – Nobody Loves You More (11:45)
• Girls on Grass – Don't Buy It (29:13)

Subscribe to Rainbow Rodeo for your free weekly queer country newsletter, or support us with a paid subscription for extra goodies!

Angie K and I scooch up to our mics to discuss her new self-titled EP. (Sorry for the horrendous audio quality on my end – I went out and got a better mic right after this interview.) We talk about Angie's incredible year: she got engaged, she's played the Grand Ole Opry twice, and Angie K was absolutely released on her terms. There's also stories of awkward teenage dating and talent shows – and she taught me about this freaky zodiac thing called Human Design.

Song List

1. Angie K – "Red Dirt on Mars" (1:24)
2. Angie K – "You And I" (14:47)
3. Angie K – "I'm Going Under" (17:26)
4. Angie K – "Games" (37:57)
5. Fancy Hagood – "American Spirit" (51:34)
6. Angie K – "Stay" (54:36)

Say up-to-date with Rainbow Rodeo as a free or paid subscriber right here!

We're 58% of the way to our fundraising goal! Join us over at Rainbow Rodeo for exclusive podcasts, art, zines -- and a mixtape of new and unreleased queer country music!

Ellen Angelico is one of my favorite people in Nashville – hands-down. They own the stage when they're absolutely shredding on guitar for artists like Brandy Clark and Cam. But everyone gets their start somewhere, and for Ellen that was on Nashville's Broadway in their legendary honky-tonks, led by a singer who was equally legendary: Shelly Bush. In Ellen's six-part series Girl in a Hurry, we learn more about Shelly, but also about the ecosystem that makes country music run: for every star headlining a stadium tour, there are hundreds of working-class musicians putting in the hours and the miles in the dreams of getting there. This is Shelly Bush's story.

Search for Girl in a Hurry to listen to the of the series!

To learn more about how the podcast was made, you can read my interview with Ellen.

Howdy, cowpokes. I hope you're hanging in there.

This episode is a little bit different. Instead of interviewing one artist, I included excerpts from interviews for an article coming up in No Depression's Spring 2025 issue: how trans artists are drawing strength and preparing for the Trump administration. We hear from Mya Byrne, Paisley Fields, Abigail Lucas, Flamy Grant, Adrian Blake Enscoe, She Returns From War.

Subscribe to No Depression to read the full article in the Spring 2025 issue.

Subscribe to Rainbow Rodeo -- paid or free - to stay up-to-date on the latest queer country news and music!

This episode was sponsored by Post Transition media company -- you, too, can sponsor Rainbow Rodeo by clicking here!

Music

Mya Byrne and Paisley Fields -- "Burn This Statehouse Down" (04:31)

Flamy Grant -- "Revenge" (11:49)

Abigail Lucas -- "Black Me Out" (19:37)

Bandits on the Run -- "Back Home" (28:46)

She Returns From War -- "Ruthless" (33:29)

A Note on Audio: Sorry that I sound so weird; I sat way too far away from my mic for this one. But Rett really does talk that fast -- faster than me! So much for the stereotype about fast-talking New Yorkers!

It's hard enough to be in your 20s, but Rett Madison had to do it all without her mom. One More For Jackie is the deluxe re-issue of Madison's debut album last year, this time with a few extra songs but the same core of love, grief, and dedication to her mother, who died by suicide in 2019. In our interview, we discuss making the album, the making-of documentary that came with it, Madison's musical roots, and taking a stand in the upcoming Trump regime.

3:09 -- "One For Jackie" (Rett Madison)

18:52 -- "Skydiving" (Rett Madison)

29:53 -- "Deep Feeler" (Liv Greene)

33:32 -- "Apocalyptic Folk Song" (Rett Madison)

Pre-order Rainbow Rodeo issue 5 here!

Subscribe to our free newsletter -- or get more stuff on the paid tiers -- on the NEW Rainbow Rodeo site!