Girls Just Wanna Weekend 4 - The Unofficial Archivist

January 9 – 12 2023

The ‘Rainbow collective’ of women supporting women in the music space

As a mini-special of The Unofficial Archivist – we are featuring daily aligned artists to the band, who are performing in the 4 day festival lineup for 2023 of Brandi Carlile’s Girls Just Wanna Weekend. The festival is held in Mexico in January, and features all female headliners.

The artists are all connected and supportive of each other, and circle in each other’s musical orbit. Let’s call the base Nashville, with a couple of outliers of New York and Seattle and LA. The following connects some of the dots as to their universal link to Brandi Carlile and each other. (this is not a wiki of everything these artists have ever done!, more like a ‘how are they all connected musically?’ overview.) You know – because The Unofficial Archivists likes lists.

Featuring artists ordered by appearance at GJWW 4:

Monday Jan 9
Allison Russell
Allison Russell is a Canadian Singer Songwriter, living in Nashville. After featuring in a number of musical groups, Allison Russell released a ground-breaking debut solo album Outside Child in 2021 which has subsequently been nominated for three Grammy awards in November 2022 – Best American Roots Performance; Best American Roots Song; Best Americana Album. It also won best album in 2021 Americana Music Awards.

On the 20th March 2021, Brandi Carlile’s Instagram posted a photo of the album cover with the song Nightflyer, saying “This is shaping up to be my favorite song of the last 5 years. This record is going to change everything. You should be so proud Allison Russell. I’m proud to know you and I can’t wait to watch this unfold. This single Nightflyer is out today and the full album, Outside Child, is avilable for preorder now.”

Brandi Carlile and Brittany Spencer (a fellow GJWW4 performer) joined Allison Russell performing Nightflyer on live TV on Jimmi Kimmel in 2021.

Yola (a fellow GJWW4 performer) sang back up vocals on the album.

Throughout the concert season of 2021/22 Brandi Carlile had Allison Russell support many of her concerts, where Allison thanked and credited Brandi Carlile with ‘making calls’ and securing her record deal to release the acclaimed album. Together they released a re-recording of her song from Native Daughters, You Are Not Alone. (read about that here.)

Allison Russell was on stage at the Newport Folk Festival 2021 legendary return of Joni Mitchell, curated by Brandi Carlile. She joined in with vocals and clarinet on many tracks.

Allison Russell coined her extensive music family the ‘rainbow collective’ which includes her band, industry women, and friends who lift each other up.

Allison Russell’s touring band included,

Allison Russell – vocals, guitar, banjo, clarinet
Larissa Maestro – cello, backing vocals
Sista Strings (Monique and Chauntee Ross) – cello and violin, backing vocals
Joy Clark – acoustic guitar, backing vocals
Mandy Fer – electric guitar, backing vocals
Megan Coleman/Elizabeth Goodfellow – drums

Tuesday Jan 10

Natalie Hemby
Natalie Hemby is one of the Highwomen supergroup, along with Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris and Amanda Shires. She is a successful songwriter in Nashville, and released her debut album, Puxico in 2017, followed by Pins and Needles in 2021. She has performed with The Highwomen on several ocassions, with Brandi Carlile at times, and is a previous attendee of GJWW. She’s also co-written several tracks with Maren Morris for her albums, and featured on albums with Brandy Clarke amongst the credits of other albums for artists such as Kasey Musgraves.

Brandy Clark
Brandy Clark is an American country singer and songwriter. Brandy Clark featured Brandi Carlile on her single Same Devil in 2021. Brandi Carlile is also producer of her upcoming 2023 new album. Brandy Clark was also a co-writer of the Alicia Keys, Brandi Carlile song – A Beautiful Noise

Ruby Amanfu
Ruby Amanfu is also a co-writer on the aforementioned A Beautiful Noise. She’s an establised singer and songwriter based in Nashville, and in 2015 released her album Standing Still which features a cover of Brandi Carlile and Tim Hanseroth penned tune ‘Shadow On The Wall’ from their album The Story. She was also co-writer on Yola’s song, Be My Friend below.

Ruby Amanfu also featured in cooking segment (!) on Brandi Carlile’s 2020 Compound Quarentine series streamed from her barn. Ruby Amanfu is also treating GJWW4 attendees to some cooking goodness.

Yola
Yola is an English Singer and Songwriter with a base in Nashville. She was involved in The Highwomen project and provided backing vocals on tracks. She also released a single “Hold On” which was recorded during those sessions and credits The Highwomen with accompanying vocals. Yola has performed live with the group a few times. Brandi Carlile also provided vocals on the track Be My Friend on Yolas’ album Stand For Myself. (co-written with Ruby Amanfu)

As mentioned she also provided backing vocals on Allison Russells album Outside Child.

Wynonna
Wyonnna Judd was one half of the famous country mother daughter group The Judds during the 80’s 90s’. After her mother’s (Naomi Judd) passing in 2022, she set out on her own, on a “final tour” slated originally for The Judds. She was accompanied in every concert by guest performers supporting her. Brandi Carlile was one of the artists that stepped in for a few of the concerts, and will be doing so again in early 2023 concerts. Wynonna was also on stage (along with fellow GJWW performer Allisson Russell) during Joni Mitchell’s return to Newport Folk Festival in 2022.

Brandi Carlile has stated many times that her first three concerts were The Judds.

Wednesday Jan 11

Joy Oladokun
Joy Oladokun is an American singer-songwriter based in Nashville. She has released three albums (digitally and CD) and during the Black Lives Matter era of 2020 co-wrote a ballad with fellow GJWW performer Natalie Hemby – ‘Who Do I Turn To?”

Sara Bareilles
Sara Bareilles is a New York based singer and songwriter and actress, who wrote and starred in the Broadway musical Waitress, and the TV show Girls5Eva. There is no obvious public record of Sara and Brandi Carlile having recorded or officially performed together, however paths have crossed on performances in tribute shows and featuring on the same compilations. (if there are other connections between them – please drop a note in the comments – The Unofficial Archivist would like to learn more).

Maren Morris
Maren Morris is a country singer based in Nashville and is one of the supergroup The Highwomen, along with Amanda Shires, Natalie Hemby and Brandi Carlile. Brandi Carlile also sang on Maren Morris’s song Common from her album “Girl”.

Thursday Jan 12

Brittany Spencer
Brittany Spencer is a country music singer and songwriter. She gained attention in 2020 when she did a cover of The Highwomen’s Crowded Table. She was nominated as Emerging Artist of the Year at the 2022 American Music Awards.

Brittany also performed with Allison Russell at 2022 Farm Aid.

Lucius
Lucius are a four piece indie pop band with the core members being Jess Wolfe & Holly Laessig. Their 2021 album Second Nature was produced by Brandi Carlile. Lucius also provided backing vocals on the Brandi Carlile track “You and Me On The Rock” on the 2021 album In These Silent Days as well as supporting the band on a few dates during the 2022 tour.

Lucius (along with fellow GJWW4 performers, Wynonna and Allison Russell) featured prominantly on vocals during Joni Mitchell’s 2022 return to the Newport Folk Festival.

Lucius have traditionally hosted the infamous “hot tub time machine” pool party to close out GJWW.