Article Contributed by IVPR
Published on 2026-10-12
“Just like having pickers like Molly Tuttle and Sierra Hull out there showing little girls that there is a place for them now in bluegrass, I want to show where there always has been,” says widely beloved vocalist and guitarist Lindsay Lou about the impetus behind her latest project, Bluegrass Women.
With the ten-song collection, Lou set out not only to highlight today’s world-class crop of female pickers and singers, but also to spotlight a catalog of timeless songs penned by oft-overlooked women songwriters.
“I've Endured,” originally written and recorded by Ola Belle Reed, was popularized by Del McCoury in 1974. The traditional blues standard “C.C. Rider” was first recorded by Ma Rainey but made famous by Chuck Willis, Elvis Presley, and others. Ricky Skaggs’ rendition of “All I Ever Loved Was You” was written by his mother, Dorothy Skaggs, and the list goes on.
Perhaps the easiest way to understand the energy and purpose behind Bluegrass Women was to have been a fly on the wall during the recording sessions themselves.
Usually that would mean working in the studio or playing in the band, but for this once-in-a-generation gathering, Lou and company had the wherewithal to document the entire process.
Today, Lou released the fourth and final episode of the Bluegrass Women docuseries. Replete with behind-the-scenes studio footage, the real takeaway from each episode is the beautiful human element of the project itself: the community found by making way through a male-dominated industry and genre, the cross-generational connection of female-led bluegrass bands, the power of manifestation and seeing an idea through, and Lou and producer Shani Gandhi navigating their upcoming adventures into motherhood, to name a few.
As award season gets underway, fans can get a feel for the camaraderie and weight of these studio sessions starting with Bluegrass Women – Episode 1, then stream or purchase Bluegrass Women in its entirety.
Lindsay Lou recently wrapped up a weekend of performances at CaveFest in Pelham, Tennessee, and will next appear at the annual International Bluegrass Music Association conference in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for a special live taping of the eTown radio show.
Bluegrass Women In The News:
“An all-star album that brings together many of the women who have mastered string-band instruments… Their harmony makes its own implicit statement of solidarity.” – New York Times
“Times are different now, and with projects like Bluegrass Women, Lou has paved the way for another generation to come.” – Tennessean
“The album boasts a star-studded rotating lineup of incredible women.” – The Bluegrass Situation
“Forging a major cultural imprint.” – Nashville Scene
“Every song on Bluegrass Women sparkles with pure harmonies and shimmering instrumentation.” – Folk Alley
“A long-overdue spotlight on an older generation of women bluegrass songwriters whose musical creations have been often overlooked.” – Billboard
“A masterpiece in celebration of the women in bluegrass as writers, pickers, and singers” and “a rare gem.” – Bluegrass Unlimited
“A stellar set of music.” – Acoustic Guitar
Bluegrass Women Tracklist:
1. “All I Ever Loved Was You” (Dorothy Skaggs)
2. “Like A River” (Kate Wolf)
3. “High On A Mountain” (Ola Belle Reed)
4. “I Only Exist” (Joyce Morris & Jimmie Stanley)
5. “I’ve Endured” (Ola Belle Reed)
6. “Jubilee” (collected by Jean Ritchie)
7. “Won’t You Come And Sing For Me” (Hazel Dickens)
8. “CC Rider” (first recorded by Ma Rainey)
9. “Freight Train” (Elizabeth Cotten)
10. “Your Lone Journey” (Rosa Lee Watson & Doc Watson)
Catch Lindsay Lou On Tour:
October 23 – IBMA World of Bluegrass – Chattanooga, TN
November 19 – Newman Center for Performing Arts – Denver, CO
November 28 – Dobson Arena – Vail, CO
About Lindsay Lou
Lindsay Lou is commonly dubbed the Queen of any festivals she plays. You’re likely to see her sitting in with other bands and curating All Stars sets in addition to playing her own music.
Her roots are in Michigan, where she started making records, including the artist-defining Ionia, and touring worldwide with The Flatbellys and The Sweet Water Warblers.
Since making Nashville her home, she’s toured with her folk/rock Queen of Time Band and acoustic/harmony-driven Honey Moon Trio and has celebrated records like Southland, Queen of Time, and most recently Bluegrass Women, a ten-song album of bluegrass classics penned by women over the course of the genre’s history.
The Bluegrass Women project honors women in a predominantly male-fronted genre while featuring bands made up entirely of some of the best women and pickers in the scene today.
She’s a bringer-together-of-people and a purveyor of buttery, sweet, meaningful experience. In whatever ensemble she chooses to deliver her sound, you hear the common thread of her love for traditional music and authentic new songs inspired by it.
