L to R: The Cowgays, Kapali Long, Tray Wellington, Lizzie No
“All-American Girl.”
“God Bless the U.S.A.”
“Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue.”
You’ll hear these songs many times this summer as we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. But those aren’t everyone’s anthems.
In Nashville, a group of musicians and songwriters are responding to this milestone with something different: unfiltered reflections on what it means to exist in America as Black, Brown, and Queer people living in the South. Through their music, visuals, fashion and performance, they are defining and embracing — or rejecting — American identity and patriotism on their own terms.
Guests
- The Cowgays (Chris Housman, Brooke Eden & Adam Mac)
- Jewly Hight, senior music writer, Nashville Public Radio
- Kapali Long, Native Hawaiian Americana Country Blues artist & songwriter
- Lizzie No, producer, guitarist and harpist
- Tray Wellington, folk, bluegrass, jazz and contemporary roots music banjo innovator
Further reading and listening
- Outlaws Almanac (Bandcamp, release date June 19, 2026)
- In their country, the flag is for everyone, (WPLN)
- New trio The Cowgays embraces the queerness of ‘90s country music sensibilities (WPLN)
- MacD on Music: Lizzie No and the Outlaws (Derry Now)
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM