Kelly McCartney inhabits a purposefully intersectional corner of the roots music space with a style that is equal parts personal, political, and philosophical, making her one of the format’s favorite commentators and curators. As a journalist, she has contributed to No Depression, NPR Music, Folk Alley, Stereogum, and other outlets. She also spent over four years hosting and producing the Hangin’ & Sangin’ podcast/radio show and now hosts Apple Music’s Record Bin Radio. When not promoting artists in a public-facing way, she continues that work as cofounder and director of the Rainey Day Fund, supporting roots artists with marginalized identities. Kelly McCartney also regularly organizes benefit projects to support social justice causes and serves on the board of directors for both the Color Me Country Foundation and the Hello in There Foundation.
Rissi Palmer is the host of the Apple Music Country show Color Me Country Radio. She describes her musical style as “Southern Soul” and has made numerous national appearances on Oprah & Friends, CNN, CBS Mornings, GMA, Entertainment Tonight, and FOX Soul’s Book of Sean. She has also been featured in publications and news outlets including the Associated Press, Ebony, Essence, HuffPost, The New York Times, Newsweek, NPR’s All Things Considered, People magazine, Rolling Stone, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. She has performed at the White House, New York’s Lincoln Center, and the Grand Ole Opry and has toured extensively across the country, sharing stages with Taylor Swift, the Eagles, Chris Young, Charley Crockett, and many others.
Rhiannon Giddens is the author of Build a House, illustrated by Monica Mikai, and We Could Fly, illustrated by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu. A musician, singer, songwriter, illustrator, MacArthur Fellow, Pulitzer Prize winner, founding member of the traditional African American string band the Carolina Chocolate Drops, and the artistic director at Silkroad, she has won two Grammy Awards and been nominated for an additional six for her work as both a soloist and a collaborator. Her lifelong mission is to uplift people, particularly Black Americans, whose contributions to American musical history previously have been ignored or erased, and to work toward a more accurate understanding of the country’s musical origins. Rhiannon Giddens lives in Limerick, Ireland.
