Amythyst Kiah: Basalt Summer Concert Series

On her new album Still + Bright, Tennessee-bred singer/songwriter Amythyst Kiah explores the vast
expanse of her inner world: her deep-rooted affinity for Eastern philosophies and spiritual
traditions, a near-mystical connection with the natural environment, the life lessons learned in her
formative years as a self-described “anime-nerd mall goth,” and much more. Produced by Butch
Walker (Taylor Swift, Green Day, Weezer) and recorded at his Nashville studio, Kiah’s second full-
length for Rounder Records merges her revelatory storytelling with a darkly cinematic twist on the
rootsy alt-rock of her 2021 breakthrough Wary + Strange—an LP that landed on Rolling Stone’s list
of the 25 Best Country and Americana Albums of 2021 and drew acclaim from major outlets like
Pitchfork. With its sonic palette encompassing everything from fuzzed-out guitars and industrial-
leaning beats to gilded pedal steel and Kiah’s exquisitely graceful banjo work, Still + Bright makes for
a vital new addition to a body of work largely dedicated to exploring the struggle and joy of true self-
discovery.

The latest turn in a dynamic career that’s included joining Our Native Daughters (an all-women-of-
color supergroup also featuring Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell), Still + Bright
emerged from a deliberate transformation of the songwriting process Kiah adopted after composing
her first song on a Fender acoustic at age 13. To that end, the album marks her first time opening up
her approach and working with co-writers, including punk legend Tim Armstrong, Sadler Vaden (a
guitarist/vocalist for Jason Isbell’s 400 Unit), and former Pentatonix member Avi Kaplan. Although
her third LP is an undeniable departure from the anguished emotionality of its predecessor (an
album informed by losing her mother to suicide at age 17), Kiah imparts each track with a hypnotic
intensity born from boldly stating her convictions. Revealing her rare ability to spin her fascinations
into songs uncovering essential truths about human nature, Still + Bright ultimately affirms her as an
artist of both daring originality and uncompromising depth.