William Shatner Manfred Baumann/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Country Performances and stories featuring traditions and innovations in American roots and country music.
Country
Natalie Hemby performs for WXPN's Free At Noon Concert. Recorded live for World Cafe. WXPN hide caption
Natalie Hemby on World Cafe
Taylor Swift on the cover of Red (Taylor's Version). Courtesy of the artist hide caption
"Some of the work is deliberately remaining outside of the structure," says musician and advocate Lilli Lewis of the efforts of Black musicians to make it in country and roots music industries. "We want to center different values and it's really difficult to do that from inside." Lewis just released a new album called Americana. David Villalta/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
New roots: Black musicians and advocates are forging coalitions outside the system
Rodney Crowell Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Rodney Crowell On World Cafe
World Cafe celebrates 30 years with a 1992 playlist. WXPN hide caption
Yola Joseph Ross/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Yola on World Cafe
Erin Rae Bridgette Aikens/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Lukas Nelson Alysse Gafkjen/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Lukas Nelson on World Cafe
Paul Thorn performs on Mountain Stage at the Culture Center in Charleston, W.Va. Brian Blauser/Mountain Stage hide caption
Paul Thorn On Mountain Stage
Kacey Musgraves Adreienne Raquel/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Kacey Musgraves on World Cafe
Country singer Mickey Guyton released her latest album, Remember Her Name, on Sept. 24. Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording A hide caption
Margo Price (by Bobbi Rich), Jason Isbell (by Alysse Gafkjen), Valerie June (by Renata Raksha), Charley Crockett (by Bobby Cochran). Courtesy of the artists hide caption
"I never made judgments in my songs," Tom T. Hall said. "I had a lot of good characters, a lot of bad characters. But I never bragged on the good guys and I never condemned the losers." Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images hide caption
Country artist George Birge heard Erynn Chambers' TikTok satirizing the stereotypical country songs written by men versus women and turned it into a radio hit. Dustin Haney/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Nanci Griffith performs in London in 2012. She died Friday in Nashville at age 68. Gaelle Beri/Redferns via Getty Images hide caption
Tobacco City in the "Never On My Mind" video. YouTube hide caption
Allison Russell, center, performs during day five of the 2021 Newport Folk Festival on July 27, 2021 in Newport, R.I. Douglas Mason/Getty Images hide caption