Amythyst Kiah Releases Live, Direct-To-Disc 7-Inch Vinyl Single

On Tour Now 

In early August of 2021, singer and songwriter Amythyst Kiah booked a session at The Earnest Tube, a studio in Bristol, Virginia that eschews modern technology and specializes in live, direct-to-disc recordings. Today, her new single – a riveting solo recording of “Wild Turkey” b/w “Firewater” – is released. The 7-inch vinyl single, available exclusively at independent record stores, was recorded and engineered by Clint Holley.

Kiah, a graduate of East Tennessee State University's Bluegrass, Old Time, & Country Music program, has always had a deep affinity for history. “I really had a great time recording this! I've often wondered what it would have been like to literally cut a record, sans studio with dozens of microphones, amps, and gargantuan mixing console – all the things we normally associate with studio recording today. It gave me a greater appreciation for the history of recording, because despite all of the challenges that may come from recording with less technology, it lays the artist out in raw form,” she observed. “There’s no post-production magic to hide behind, so the song and performance just have to stand on their own. It was a fascinating and humbling experience, to say the least, and I’m really excited to have been part of this with The Earnest Tube!”

Watch the live recording session for “Firewater” HERE.

“Being able to watch a local artist developing into a nationally recognized artist has been exciting as we see the boundaries of country music become more inclusive,” said Clint Holley, a mastering and recording engineer and co-founder of the studio. “Since the 1927 Bristol Sessions are recognized as a pivotal moment in the development of the genre, and because The Earnest Tube records using the methods used in 1927, we feel this session is really important – not only tell the story of Bristol, but to prove that the circle is truly unbroken, and that country music has a bright and expanding future.”

He explains, “Direct to disc recording is an immediate process based on capturing the essence of any given performance. There are no overdubs or ‘fixing it in the mix.’ Much like a Polaroid picture, it is a moment frozen in time, revealing the core of an artist through their performance. Almost all music was recorded in this fashion before 1950 and it imparts its own essence to each performance that we record.”

Earlier this year, Kiah – who was recently named one of CMT’s Next Women of Country – opened a run of shows with The Who and will be headed out on the road with CAM later this month. Additionally, Kiah was featured in Amazon Music’s For Love & Country documentary and is one of the faces of Gibson’s Sister Rosetta Tharpe & Generation Acoustic campaigns. 

Kiah has confirmed appearances at music festivals throughout the end of the year. In early November, she will reunite with Our Native Daughters for a special performance at New York City’s Carnegie Hall before embarking on a brief run of dates in the United Kingdom and Europe. In 2023, she will return to the UK to take part in the new season of acclaimed roots music series Transatlantic Sessions. A full list of confirmed shows is below, and more dates will be announced in the coming weeks.

Tour Dates:

Saturday, Sept. 10 - Mountain Song Festival - Brevard, NC 

Thursday, Sept. 15 - Scoot Inn - Austin, TX&

Friday, Sept. 16 - The Echo Lounge and Music Hall - Dallas, TX& 

Friday, Sept. 23 - Neighborhood Theatre - Charlotte, NC&

Saturday, Sept. 24 - Variety Playhouse - Atlanta, GA& 

Sunday, Sept. 25 - Ryman Auditorium - Nashville, TN&

Thursday, Sept. 29 - World Cafe Live - Philadelphia, PA&

Wednesday, Oct. 5 - Patricia Reser Center for the Arts - Beaverton, OR

Friday, Oct. 21 - Brooklyn Folk Festival - Brooklyn, NY

Saturday, Oct. 22 - Kennedy Center - Washington, DC

Sunday, Oct. 23 - Metro Gallery - Baltimore, MD

Monday, Oct. 24 - Webster Hall - New York, NY&

Friday, Nov. 4 - Carnegie Hall - New York%

Friday, Nov. 11 - EFG London Jazz Festival: Jazz Voice, Royal Festival Hall - London UK

Saturday, Nov. 12 - EFG London Jazz Festival: Bush Hall - London, UK 

Sunday, Nov. 13 - The Jam Jar - Bristol, UK

Tuesday, Nov. 15 - The Voodoo Rooms - Edinburgh, UK

Wednesday, Nov. 16 - Day & Night - Manchester, UK

Friday, Nov. 18 - Privatclub - Berlin, Germany

Saturday, Nov. 19 - Kranhalle - Munich, Germany

Sunday, Nov. 20 - Legend Club - Milan, Italy

Tuesday, Nov. 22 - Point Ephemere - Paris, France 

Friday, Dec. 2 - Only The Wild Ones Weekend 2022 - Puerto Morelos, MX

Friday, Feb. 3 – Transatlantic Sessions – Glasgow, UK

Sunday, Feb. 5 – Transatlantic Sessions – Glasgow, UK

Monday, Feb. 6 – Transatlantic Sessions – Edinburgh, UK

Tuesday, Feb. 7 – Transatlantic Sessions – Buxton, UK

Wednesday, Feb. 8 – Transatlantic Sessions – Gateshead, UK

Thursday, Feb. 9 – Transatlantic Sessions – Birmingham, UK

Friday, Feb. 10 – Transatlantic Sessions – Liverpool, UK

& denotes show with CAM

% denotes show with Our Native Daughters