With a reputation preceding them of unapologetically standing up for human rights, cross-cultural dialogue, organized labor, and women in folk music—not to mention everywhere else!—the 50% gay, 100% badass all-girl band Della Mae are one of the preeminent artists in contemporary bluegrass and Americana. Going from the only touring all-female bluegrass band to trailblazing paths for countless girl-powered folk bands, Della Mae have made a name for themselves not just for taking up and creating space in the folk music scene for people who aren’t straight and/or male, but playing high-energy, hook-filled, technically-skilled music that doubtlessly has even their most begrudging skeptics and critics impressed. With a stellar catalogue that most recently includes their most brilliant album Magic Accident, The Q is nothing but excited to ask the band about it and more!

[This interview has been edited lightly for clarity.]

I must ask about “Ain’t No Ash Will Burn” since judging by streamed playcounts, it’s one of your most popular songs, and more importantly is a beautiful tune written by the recently passed Muscle Shoals musician Walt Aldridge. What made you cover this song and what does it mean to you?

Celia: I learned the song “Ain’t No Ash Will Burn” from Anna Roberts-Gevalt of Anna & Elizabeth. We were sitting on her porch in Blacksburg, VA where I had stopped off in the middle of a countrywide tour with my first project Avi & Celia.

Something about learning that song from Anna in the place where I learned it has always stuck with me—the simple beauty of the lyrics and melody, how it makes me feel even today after singing it hundreds of times. It’s a marker of a moment in time for me, and I’m happy our version has resonated with people.

Avril was in the band for a few years near Della Mae’s beginning, but left for several years until returning. Avril, did you know that you’d eventually return or at least be involved in some way throughout your absence?

Avril: I certainly hoped there’d be an opportunity to play with Della Mae again in the future, and was very lucky and happy that the stars aligned.

I know that Celia has a good part of her based in straight up rock and roll (including her band Say Darling!), and I detect some classic, solid country and even jazz influence in Avril’s guitar playing that I don’t hear in many bluegrass guitarists. Are there any particular influences that the individual members of Della Mae take from that you think wouldn’t come from anyone else, or that you think might surprise people?

Avril: We all have diverse influences which I actually think is pretty common in the bluegrass community. I grew up listening mostly to rock, pop, and jazz so those styles appear in my playing. As a kid, I loved many of the classic rock guitar heroes like Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and Jimmy Page; singers and songwriters like Bonnie Raitt, Billy Joel, Carly Simon, James Taylor; and jazz musicians like Jim Hall, Miles Davis, Joe Pass, Clifford Brown, Lenny Breau, and Bill Evans.

In an interview with The Guardian, Kimber said that “there would be no Della Mae without The Chicks.” Are there any other foundational influences or inspirations for the band? Any perennial ones that come up during songwriting sessions?

Kimber: We love strong and outspoken women. Some major influences have been Bonnie Raitt, Mavis Staples, The Indigo Girls, and Lucinda Williams.

Was the songwriting process any different for Magic Accident compared to previous albums? Any remarkable moments, lyrics, or songs that came up?

Celia: The writing process was much more communal in Magic Accident. We had a songwriting retreat in Nashville and invited some of our favorite folks to participate. In this way we came to work with Caroline Spence, Melody Walker, and Phoebe Hunt. We’ve noticed that this album is almost like a letter to our younger selves—and because of all the different voices and experiences involved, I think the album resonates more deeply with a wider range of people. I think we all feel very connected to the album emotionally because we each had an equal hand in shaping it.

Of course, it’s not your first time working with the inimitable, prolific, and multi-talented legend Alison Brown, but please tell us (besides the immediately aforementioned obvious reasons!) why you chose her as a producer for Magic Accident! What it was like working with Alison on the new album?

Avril: Alison has long been a hero of ours. She is an incredible musician, deeply creative, a great listener and leader in the roots music community, and a big supporter of our band. We had a great time honing our arrangements with her and she brought a lot of exciting ideas to the table.

And tell us about collaborating with Alison and Steve Martin (not your first time with him either!) on “New Cluck, Old Hen” for their album Safe, Sensible and Sane!

Vickie: It’s always wild working with titans like Alison and Steve. This time felt different, however, because it felt like true collaboration. We got to be part of the creative process on studio day, especially when it comes to those gang vocals at the end. I think each member of Della Mae got to put our stamp on that one with Alison and Steve.

Overall, I hear in Magic Accident an even more pronounced country sound than your previous work. Did this happen naturally or was it deliberate?

Vickie: I’m answering this as the resident country person. My childhood was steeped in traditional country music. I’m sure my vocals, songwriting, and bass playing all nod to that. Prior to this record, the only record of Della Mae’s I recorded on was Family Reunion. I was still so fresh to the band at that time that I was pretty hesitant to bring *all* of my vibes to the recording. But this time, I knew the girls would be welcome to any and all ideas. We all respect each other’s wheelhouses and Magic Accident screams that.

Despite there being more songwriters on Magic Accident than previous albums, and perhaps because there’s only one cover on it (correct me if I’m wrong!), there seems to be a throughline in the album of accepting the vicissitudes in human existence, powering through it, and finding yourself along the way. What inspired these themes or any others on the album?

Celia: Honestly, I think it’s where we’re all at in our life journey right now! We’re at an age where we’ve stopped caring as much about what people think about our artistry and leaned into our truths and our brand. We are four women who care deeply about the rights of other women and LGBTQ folks, and we’re no longer nervous about sharing our opinions. The more we lean into who we are the closer we feel to our community, and the more liberated we are to create what we want. It’s an amazing thing to get older and more confident in yourself.

As many people know, a large contingent of the folk music scene has a reputation for adhering to socially conservative beliefs about gender and sexuality (among other things). How much and how often does this factor into deciding where and when to tour and how to write songs?

Celia: I won’t lie, it does factor into where we play and what songs we choose to put in a set. We have recorded many songs that take a deep emotional toll to perform, and we aren’t always in a place where we can take on that labor. We normally choose one song per set with a more serious tone and let the lyrics speak for themselves. Though we have had audience members in more conservative places walk out, we do feel that speaking up is an important act. For instance our song “Headlight” speaks on sexual abuse and was inspired by the testimony of Christine Blasey-Ford. I had an angry man write to me asking why I don’t write about all the Republican women who’ve suffered—and had to explain to him that nowhere in the song does it mention political affiliation. We want to make sure that people of any background can feel seen in our songs, so for us it’s important to keep traveling to places where our viewpoint might not be as welcome—you never know who in the audience needs to hear what we have to say. We’re open to dialogue as long as it’s respectful.

On the other hand, if ever, what makes you decidedly want to play to crowds that might not exactly see eye-to-eye with LGBTQ+ rights and your other political beliefs?

Kimber: We’re an outspoken band and in times like these, we feel like silence is complicity. We look for opportunities to build bridges, and of course that’s only possible if we can first make a connection with fans around a sentiment we share. But there are some issues around which there’s no middle ground and we want to be clear where we stand.

Do you ever get people telling you that they feel validated by your messages and music? In particular, I’m thinking of survivors of sexual abuse finding support in the song “Headlight.” I’m also wondering if people have told you that they’ve changed their minds about certain issues after hearing your songs and learning what Della Mae is all about.

Kimber: We like to think we’re part of a many-pronged effort to change hearts and minds. We hope our songs have an impact on listeners and certainly audience members have shared many personal stories of how they have, and it always means a lot to us when they do. The truth is, mostly we don’t know how our songs land for most listeners but we’re hopeful that they make a difference for some.

Do you have any advice for up-and-coming femme and LGBTQ+ folk, country, and Americana musicians?

Celia: Be yourself but be careful! I’d like to believe that this world is a good and caring place, but it’s simply not always the case. When Della Mae was a young band we took a self defense course because we were feeling unsafe at some moments on tour. We decided to ask a male member of staff to stand near our CD table at the end of the night because it ended up discouraging inappropriate touching or comments. Now that we’re older that doesn’t happen as much, but we share our locations with one another and never leave anyone behind. We have traveled to certain countries where it is not at all safe to be in the LGBTQ community, and it’s important to acknowledge how shitty that must feel and how sometimes you must turn down a tour or show because it doesn’t align with your humanity. It’s important to understand and use your power but also make contingency plans for when things feel unsafe.

Any up-and-coming or underappreciated artists you want to recommend?

Celia: Mark Lipman has a new album coming out: Mosaic Things. He’s hands down one of the best singers I’ve ever heard and an incredible writer.

Della Mae’s Magic Accident is out now on all major streaming platforms and physical media! 

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