Singer-songwriter Anna Rose Baker shares her faves for our ‘Queer Up Your Playlist’ series
This story was featured in our print and digital July/August issue.
Queer Up Your Playlist is our series featuring awesome music by LGBTQ artists and allies—many of them local, all of them southern. In this installment, singer songwriter Anna Rose Baker shares some of her fave artists and recent singles.
Anna Rose Baker (she/her) is a 17-year-old queer singer songwriter born and raised in Memphis, TN. She writes about her experiences with queer relationships in the south, and her struggles with anxiety.
Anna Rose takes inspiration from folk songstresses like Joni Mitchell and Carole King for her songwriting. However, she also infuses heavier and more dissonant sounds derived from genres like shoegaze into her songs. Anna Rose’s first EP Clarity featuring her new single ‘Don’t You Think So?’ will be out this summer.
LISTEN TO THE PLAYLIST HERE >>>
Blvck Hippie
Memphis, TN
‘Sport House’
‘Sport House’ is the most recent release from nonbinary Memphis artist, Blvck Hippie. The conglomeration of fuzzy guitars and raw vocals make this track feel like it belongs on a coming-of-age movie soundtrack. The song features AWFM (which stands for A Weirdo From Memphis), who delivers an intensely honest verse which truly ties the emotion and energy of the song together. If you’re looking for some new things to add to your summer bucket list—drive down the highway with the windows rolled down and ‘Sport House’ on full volume.
Caroline Carter
Nashville, TN
‘Good Friend’
This bubbly indie rock song tells the story of having a relationship that lives in between friendship and romance. Caroline Carter is a Nashville-based artist whose songs often portray the complexity of queer love, and the pining that comes with it. I would highly recommend checking out this song if you are a fan of Lizzy Mcalpine, Shallow Alcove, Soccer Mommy, or Grace Gardner, who collaborated on ‘Lubbock’ with Carter back in January. My personal favorite lyric is,“Does it mean something to you? ‘Cause it will if you want it to,” which I feel truly encapsulates the feeling of uncertainty and subtle desperation that you experience when in such a complex relationship.
Fosterfalls
Memphis, TN
‘Ask the Cards’
Fosterfalls is a project led by nonbinary singer songwriter Sherrod Falls. This dreamy folk track is filled with somber vocals from Falls and soft and vivid instrumentation. Jason Cooper, another Memphis folk artist, is featured on the track. Falls and Cooper’s harmonies create a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that lingers far after the song is finished. If you’re a fan of Bon Iver, Florence & The Machine, Boygenius, or Big Thief, you will surely enjoy (cry to) this song.
Kitty Coen
Nashville, TN
‘Yellow Light’
Kitty Coen is an alternative singer songwriter based in Nashville, TN. Her sound feels like a blend of indie, rock, pop, and country, and has previously been referred to as “country witch rock”. Her 2023 single, ‘Yellow Light’ is a dreamy indie pop song with a soft country feel to it. Coen said on an Instagram post that this song is about “her first queer love and all the magic associated with being unequivocally in love with someone,” and that is exactly how this song feels. This song lives on her new record HELLCAT which is a must listen. I would recommend this song to anyone who is a fan of Faye Webster, Julia Jacklin, or Clairo.
Mya Byrne
Nashville, TN
‘Autumn Sun’
Mya Byrne is an Americana extraordinaire and proud transgender woman. The singer splits her time living in New York and Nashville, sharing her music across the US. ‘Autumn Sun’ was the lead single off her 2023 album, Rhinestone Tomboy, which I absolutely adore. Not only is the title cool as hell, but the music is amazing, too. This track is one of my favorites because of the message of gratitude that it presents. My personal favorite lyric from this song is “time to love what you have sown, embrace what you’ve disowned.” To me, that lyric describes what it is like to finally let yourself—to be queer, openly and unapologetically.
CHECK OUT ALL THESE SONG ON OUR ‘QUEER UP YOUR PLAYLIST’
Be sure to pre-save Anna Rose Baker’s debut EP ‘Clarity’ and follow her at @annarosebmusic on Instagram!
