Amythyst Kiah w. Max Morton

Amythyst Kiah, a singer-songwriter born in Tennessee, delves into the broad landscape of her internal world on her latest album Still + Bright. The record examines her profound connection to Eastern spiritual practices and nature, insights gained from her childhood as an anime enthusiast and gothic individual, and additional personal revelations. Crafted by Butch Walker at his Nashville studio, this second full-length release for Rounder Records blends her narrative storytelling with a dark cinematic style reminiscent of the rootsy alternative rock found on her 2021 debut Wary + Strangean album, which received praise from major publications including Rolling Stone and Pitchfork. The albums sound ranges from distorted guitars and industrial rhythms to polished pedal steel and Kiahs delicate banjo playing, making it a significant addition to a career focused on the challenges and pleasures of authentic self-exploration. This latest phase in her evolving artistic journey includes collaborating with Our Native Daughtersa supergroup of women of color featuring Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russelland Still + Bright represents Kiahs first time opening up her songwriting process to co-writers such as punk icon Tim Armstrong, Sadler Vaden from Jason Isbells 400 Unit, and former Pentatonix member Avi Kaplan. While the album shows a clear shift from the raw emotional intensity of its predecessorshaped by the loss of her mother to suicide when she was seventeenit maintains a hypnotic power through the direct expression of her beliefs. Kiah demonstrates her unique talent for transforming personal interests into songs that reveal fundamental truths about humanity, and Still + Bright ultimately confirms her as an artist who combines bold originality with unwavering depth.