Rhiannon Giddens Shares New Album ‘Freedom Highway’

Next week Nonesuch Records will issue Freedom Highway, the second solo album from Rhiannon Giddens. NPR Music’s First Listen series has made the entire 12 song LP available to stream in advance of its official release on February 24.

Giddens co-produced Freedom Highway with Dirk Powell and recorded the follow-up to 2015’s Tomorrow Is My Turn at his studio in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana that has wooden rooms that predate the Civil War. The record takes its name from the classic song by The Staples Singers, one of two covers on the LP that also includes “Birmingham Sunday.” Giddens, who last year was awarded the Steve Martin Prize For Excellence In Banjo & Bluegrass, wrote or co-wrote the remaining album tracks.

The bulk of Freedom Highway was recorded over an eight day period with Giddens joined by members of her touring band, local musicians, a horn section and others. Giddens shared the following regarding the title track:

I am a daughter of the South; of the white working class, of the black working class; of the Democrat, and the Republican; of the gay, and the straight; and I can tell you one thing—we are far more alike than we are different. We cannot let hate divide us; we cannot let ignorance diminish us; we cannot let those whose greed fills their every waking hour take our country from us. They can’t take U.S. from US—unless we let them. I recorded this with Bhi Bhiman, all-American singer-songwriter from St. Louis, whose parents are from Sri Lanka. America’s strength are her people, whether they came 4,000, 400, or 40 years ago, and we can’t leave anyone behind. Let’s walk down Freedom Highway together. Written by Pops Staples in 1965.

Stream Freedom Highway via NPR Music’s First Listen below:

Freedom Highway Tracklist:

1. At the Purchaser’s Option
2. The Angels Laid Him Away
3. Julie
4. Birmingham Sunday
5. Better Get It Right the First Time
6. We Could Fly
7. Hey Bébé
8. Come Love Come
9. The Love We Almost Had
10. Baby Boy
11. Following the North Star
12. Freedom Highway