KYSHONA CELEBRATES WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH WITH NEW SINGLE "THE ECHO"
LEGACY LP OUT APRIL 26 VIA SOUNDLY MUSIC
NEW TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED
TOUR DATES:
3/1-3/8 Miami, FL - Cayamo Cruise
3/28 Statesville, NC - Iredell Arts Council
3/30 Atlanta, GA - The Tabernacle (w/ Jason Isbell)
4/19 - Athens, TN - Sue E. Trotter Black Box Theatre
4/26 - Wilkesboro, NC - Merlefest
4/27 - Charlottesville, VA - Front Porch
5/9 - Sarasota, FL - Fogartyville Cafe
5/10 - Ocala, FL - Levitt Amp Ocala Music Series
5/12 - Greenville, SC - Artisphere
5/26 - 5/26 Nashville, TN - 3rd & Lindsley
5/29 - Evanston, IL - Evanston Space
5/30 - Ann Arbor, MI - The Ark
6/1 - Grand Rapids, MI - Midtown Live
6/5 - Columbus, OH - Natalie's Grandview Charlie's Stage
6/6 - Pittsburgh PA - Club Cafe
6/7 - North Bethesda, MD - Amp by Strathmore
6/11 - New York, NY - Joe’s Pub
6/12 - Woodbridge, NJ - Woodbridge Wednesdays
6/13 Saratoga Springs, NY - Caffe Lena
6/15 Cambridge, MA - Club Passim
6/19 - Durham, NC - Duke Gardens
6/22 - St. Augustine, FL - Live from the Waterworks: A Gamble Rogers Concert Series
7/25 - Whitesburg, KY - Levitt Amp Whitesburg
8/11 - Oconomowoc, WI - Twilight Concerts at Fowler Park
9/20 - Chicago, IL - Northeastern Illinois University
9/23-9/29 - Sisters, OR - Sisters Folk Festival and Song Academy
Nashville-based artist/music therapist/activist Kyshona has released “The Echo,” the latest from her highly-anticipated, forthcoming LP, Legacy, due out April 26th via Soundly Music. “The Echo,” co-written with Caroline Spence, tells the story of Kyshona’s Great Grandparents' commitment to the land and how they showed their families the importance of land ownership and seed planting, celebrating her legacy as she sings, “You are the song / I am the echo.” “Every action they committed to has led to my existence, and my parents’ existence and their parent's and theirs, and…,” she says. “I may not know where our tree began or who their names are, but I do know that a small piece of them runs through my veins to this day.”
The single follows the release of "Comin' Out Swingin' (ft. Kelvin Armstrong)," which The Tennessean called “funk-driven soul.” It was imagined as an anthem for those moments when we need a boost of confidence, inspired by Kyshona’s cousin, Crystal C. “But in truth, I feel like I wrote this song for myself as well,” Kyshona says. “When I'm feeling my lowest, I think of Crystal and all the women that came before us that made hard decisions and sacrifices in the name of love, home and purpose."
STREAM: “COMIN’ OUT SWINGIN’ (ft. KELVIN ARMSTRONG)”
Co-produced with GRAMMY-nominated producer/engineer/mixer Rachael Moore, Legacy houses 13 songs and features guest contributions from Keb Mo', Ruthie Foster, Odessa Settles, and more, along with songs co-written with Aaron Lee Tasjan, Brittney Spencer, Caroline Spence, and others, including her late grandfather, Hawthorne “H.T.” Armstrong.
Realizing how fragile and fragmented our society is, and as our access to the people and places who shaped us can grow weaker and more distant the older we get, Kyshona crafted this album about legacy to capture the history, character, essence, and honest stories of her ancestors and family so generations that come after will have something to hold onto. “This project is an invitation to others to do the same, in their own way. Maybe tracking my family’s stories into song will be a healing for not only me, but others who feel untethered or isolated, removed from their origins,” she says.” My hope is we can rediscover the past together, and in doing so understand more about ourselves in the future.”
To bring the album’s vision to life, Kyshona and Moore assembled an intersectional team of engineers, musicians, singers, and featured guests to record in Memphis, Tennessee at Matt Ross-Spang’s Southern Grooves Studio.
Legacy, however, is not only an album — it is a multi-faceted project. In preparation, Kyshona worked with a genealogist at the Robert Frederick Smith Explore Your Family History Center at The Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of African American History & Culture. She and her family have traced five generations, the oldest record dating back to the 1860 US Census Slave Schedules. Searching for information and its meaning, studying records, photographs, and gathering stories has been a rich part of this album’s creation. Developing relationships with organizations that support communities seeking to do this type of research has also been a part of the process. Kyshona hopes to connect followers and fans with resources and experienced professionals dedicated to helping black Americans trace their ancestry and collect their stories, too. She wants to create a platform for those who wish to share their stories and experiences, so they can be heard by others through song. She documents stories of legacy to encourage, inspire, and support the next generation to come.
Kyshona has also announced new tour dates, see a full list of upcoming shows below. Pre-save Legacy HERE, and be sure to follow Kyshona at the links below for the latest news and updates.
