Singer-songwriter Amythyst Kiah spoke to host Jill Riley about her excitement of coming back to the Twin Cities, Dolly Parton, Tennessee, and performing at The Parkway theater on Friday the 13th.

Listen to the full interview in the player above, and find a complete transcript below.

Interview Transcript

Jill Riley: You're listening to The Current, I'm Jill Riley, and I've got a special guest, one of the leading voices in the world of Americana. We're very excited that she is coming back to the Twin Cities for a show this Friday, November 13, as in Friday the 13th. Amythyst Kiah will be at the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis with special guest Buffalo Nichols, and I've got Amythyst Kiah on the line. Amythyst, thank you so much for checking in with The Current ahead of your show.

Amythyst Kiah: Yeah, thanks for having me. I'm excited to come back to Minneapolis.

Jill Riley: You're going to be back in Minneapolis. A couple years ago when your latest record came out, Still + Bright, we had you in for an in-studio performance, which, by the way, folks can check out at The Current's YouTube channel because that session it sounds good, it looks pretty good too. Amythyst Kiah coming back to Minneapolis. What is exciting for you to be back in Minneapolis? Why are you looking forward to be being back in our city?

Amythyst Kiah: I'm looking forward to coming back because, well, one, I'm very excited to to play a Prince song there, so that'll be cool. But another thing is the last time I was there, it was the day after the murder of Renee Good, and it was just such a heavy day. And there was a moment where because of how fresh everything had happened or how new everything was, there was a discussion about is it safe to go? And in the end, where the Parkway Theater was, everything was okay, everything was fine. But it was the first time in my life that I ever had to consider not going somewhere for fear of our fascist government. And it felt really good to be able to connect and talk with people that night. It really meant a lot, and people were just so sweet and kind. And I don't know, we just were able to share that moment, and so I'm hoping that when I come back, that we can celebrate some important wins after the election, because we can't stand for what's going on right now. Our country's ongoing support of genocide, trying to genocide trans people, and the the folks over in Gaza, Palestinians, all of the things that this country is trying to destroy, marginalized people. Anyway, sorry, this is a very long answer to what you asked me, but I'll never forget that day. And regardless of what happens, I hope that we can all have some things to celebrate, you know? When I come back again, that's what I'm banking on.

Jill Riley: Yeah, Amythyst Kiah on the line with The Current, returning to the Twin Cities with Buffalo Nichols. Couldn't happen to notice that it was Friday the 13th coming up. Amythyst, are you a little superstitious about any of that?

Amythyst Kiah: You know, I wouldn't consider myself superstitious, but I love the stories that are connected with superstition. To me, superstition is a reflection of people trying to process their worst fears. Oh my gosh! Sorry, I'm sitting outside. I just saw a fox run down the street. That was really cool.

Jill Riley: Wait, what does that mean?

Amythyst Kiah: I don't know. I'd like to think it's good luck. Wow. Sorry. Anyway.

Jill Riley: No, that's okay.

Amythyst Kiah: Focus. So yeah, I think superstition is a way to for people to express their worst fears, especially in Western culture. I feel like there's this need to be in control of everything to a certain extent. A lot of religions, especially in Western religions, will look to sort of like, this idea of, God's in control. We can't have control over the universe, but at the same time, there's this cognitive dissonance of despite knowing that, we still constantly want to also try to still control. That's kind of how I see superstition, is just not so much that I find myself superstitious, but just I guess what those different things can mean in the big picture and how we express ourselves.

Jill Riley: Yeah. Amythyst Kiah on The Current, and I kind of relate that to the music that you make and the the traditions of maybe the area of Tennessee where you live, where your music is so steeped in the area and steeped in traditions and the stories of really the place where you're from. I ran across a cover that you did, and this one it popped up I think in a Netflix series. It's the what's her name from Mulder and Scully.

Amythyst Kiah: Oh yeah, Gillian Anderson.

Jill Riley: Thank you, Gillian Anderson. She's been in this newer show on Netflix. And you did a cover of well, a traditional folk and blues song "In The Pines," and I love how the influences and then your own style, the way that that comes together on a song that's been recorded by so many people. And I wonder what your inspiration was for doing the song because it seems like so steeped in the area that you are from, and then what your approach was to covering that song.

Amythyst Kiah: When I was looking into covering that song, I actually was going down a Nine Inch Nails rabbit hole while I was thinking about this song, and so initially, I came up with this sort of like palm muted, metal guitar riff that was in six eight time, and I started singing over that, and because of the nature of the label that I was on, I obviously had to figure out a different way to do that. So I worked with Butch Walker, who produced the record, and he played this rubber bridge guitar that was tuned down, and so that's what I ended up playing on that track, which you hear on the recording, and that was a way to keep it metal, but also to incorporate that acoustic sound and having that particular tone. So basically, switched out an electric guitar for a down tuned rubber bridge guitar, and then everything kind of built around from there. And I also wanted to really convey the pain of losing a spouse or a partner to such a horrific death, having your head decapitated. So I wanted to really incorporate that pain and that loneliness, and so that inspired the way that I decided to sing the song.

Jill Riley: We've been talking about Amythyst Kiah's cover of the traditional song "In The Pines." Now, Amythyst, you're from Tennessee. I happen to know that Dolly Parton also did a version of that song. I wonder, as a Tennessean, when you found out that Dolly Parton passed away, how were you feeling when you got that news?

Amythyst Kiah: I felt terrible. I mean, to put it plainly. I had three friends text me that she had passed. That's how I learned. I hadn't gone on my socials at all at that point. I stayed off the internet for like a week, and I'm not usually the kind of person to have necessarily any sort of strong emotional reactions when celebrities pass or people that I've not met personally have passed. But the connections of what she meant to us here in East Tennessee, she's one of those people that you kind of just expect that she's gonna be around forever, you know. She was just one of those kinds of artists and people. So yeah, it was really tough, and I think now I'm at that point where I'm on kind of the other side of it. I was at a point I really couldn't listen to any of her music either. I just had to totally break away, and now that I'm coming back around, a friend of mine lives down the street from this woman that makes these different wreaths, and she made like a Dolly tribute one. And my friend, she hadn't seen it yet. She had seen her other work, and she's like, "Yeah, I absolutely want one. I'll pay for it, however much money you want. And when she got the wreath, it had this huge AI photo of Charlie right the right in the middle of the wreath. And my friend was like — at first she was horrified because she was like, oh my god,, what? But then it was also like, well, at least she made the rest of the wreath by hand. So we're sitting here negotiating AI politics with this beautiful tribute to Dolly. So anyway, that just made me think of that. Just thought that was funny. I'm at the point now where I can now like have a discussion. I can listen to her music again, and really kind of celebrate her. And all of the art that I've seen, and all of the just the tributes and dedications that have been made to her, have also just been really beautiful to see.

Jill Riley: Yeah, Dolly Parton. I just really feel like she was just this American treasure, and she had this way of just uniting people. You have your own music, you have your originals, you have the records that you made. The latest, it was about two years ago that Still and Bright was released. But I also love that you kind of exercise a muscle when it comes to being an interpreter of popular songs because that gets back to so many of your influences, but really coming down to the tradition of folk music and blues music and Americana music, and it's the way that we keep those songs alive and keep interpreting them. So I guess folks that see you at the Parkway Theater this Friday will be treated to a Prince cover, which the Minneapolis audience always appreciates. So Amythyst Kiah, along with Buffalo Nichols, at the Parkway Theater this Friday. And as we wrap up, I wonder if you have a few things to say about Buffalo Nichols, who was also on the bill.

Amythyst Kiah: Yeah, I love Buffalo Nichols, Carl as I call him in day to day life. The first time I met him, he was in a duo that I opened for at Anodyne Coffee in Milwaukee in his hometown, and this was back in like 2019. I feel like we're kindred spirits creatively because he has a background in metal and punk rock and alternative music, and he's found this really cool way to blend those sounds with country blues guitar. And he uses pedals and uses all kinds of stuff. And he's actually been really inspiring for me personally because it's kind of caused me to think of new ways of how I can kind of tweak my sound, because I've always wanted to add more of those heavier elements from heavier rock music and metal, but still, balance that ability to still make it feel roots and blues based. So like blending those ideas together, I appreciate that about him that he's kind of fearless in his approach to mixing different elements. It's really inspiring. So I'm excited to be able to play the show with him. It's going to be cool.

Jill Riley: Amythyst Kiah with Buffalo Nichols, Friday at the Parkway Theater. You can find more information about that concert and others at thecurrent.org/giglist. Amythyst Kiah, thank you so much for checking in with The Current. Best wishes, and we look forward to you being back in the Twin Cities.

Amythyst Kiah: Yeah, likewise. So great to see and talk to y'all again, and looking forward to it. Yeah.

Jill Riley: All right, you are listening to The Current.

Credits

Guests – Amythyst Kiah
Host – Jill Riley
Producer – Derrick Stevens
Digital Producer - Natalia Toledo

External Link

Amythyst Kiah – Official Website
The Parkway Theater - Event Page