Should you need convincing that queer country and folk (that is often fueled by radically liberal teachers) is totally A Thing, may I present you with Anna/Kate? As a fellow pedagogue, I am always excited to feature the artistic pursuits of humans who have a whole lot of other stuff on their plates. Anna and Kate bring us songs with an idiosyncratic mix of jazz- and blues-influenced vocals, folk-informed lyrics, and poppy melodies.
I Run With You, the duet’s studio recording, is an enjoyable, idyllic diary of my idealized twenty-something life. The SubRosa EP addresses more explicitly queer themes, such as “Find Your Beautiful,” a compassionate meditation on the travails of gender non-conforming folks. What strikes me most throughout the music is the pair’s warmth and humanity: these are songs of celebration, that focus on being present in the moment. Those are lessons to take with us no matter how old we are.