Amythyst Kiah should not need an introduction on these pages. A member of Our Native Daughters and a powerful live act, Kiah is a rising singer-songwriter whose defiant anthem ‘Black Myself’ has resonated with audiences worldwide. Kiah has announced the release of her latest album “Still + Bright”, via Rounder Records, on 25th October 2024. Produced by Butch Walker (Taylor Swift, Green Day, Weezer) and recorded at his Nashville studio, the 12-track album features her impressive storytelling with the roots –> alt-rock of its predecessor “Wary + Strange” (2021).
The record includes collaborations with S.G. Goodman, Billy Strings and Avi Kaplan (Pentatonix) and marks a change to Kiah’s songwriting process: for the first time she is working with co-writers on an album. Writing partners include Tim Armstrong (Rancid), Sadler Vaden (Jason Isbell’s 400 Unit) and Sean McConnell (Brittney Spencer, Bethany Cosentino).
“On the last record it felt so cathartic to write about all the pain I was dealing with, but this time the songs came from a place of finding joy in the music,” says Kiah. “In the past I felt so mired down with anxiety that I sometimes held back from what I really wanted to write about; I felt like I needed to play it safe and keep certain thoughts to myself. But now I’m at a point where I’m confident in what I value and love, and because of that I’ve made the album I’ve always wanted to make.” You can pre-save / pre-order “Still + Bright” here.
Kiah has shared the album’s first preview, ‘Play God and Destroy the World (feat. S.G. Goodman)’ which you can listen to below. Written by Kiah, it takes its title from a song she wrote aged 15, and inspired by The Matrix. The track dispenses a searing commentary on the hypocrisy Kiah witnessed throughout her childhood in Appalachia – and ultimately speaks to the sense of hope and possibility she found in unexpected places.
