Queer Country Music for Chappell Roan Fans

A gal throws up one little post on Threads about Chappell Roan and queer country music and suddenly she's got over 1200 new followers within 24 hours! Welcome to the rodeo, cowpokes!

If you loved Chappell Roan's new lesbian country song "The Giver" on SNL, then we want to help you get to know some of the queer country artists who have been slinging similar songs for quite some time! Here's a list of queer country artists who have made history, embrace drag, and combine pop and country into a deliciously queer aesthetic.

This is, of course, a very small sampling of everyone who's out there! Follow our weekly Rainbow Ruckus playlist and subscribe to the free weekly newsletter to stay up-to-date!

History Makers

There's no queer country without Lavender Country. You can listen to our podcast of Patrick Haggerty here to learn about his storied life, but he and his band Lavender Country released the first known queer country album back in 1973. Distributors wouldn't pick up the ferociously ribald and liberatory, Communist album but that didn't stop Haggerty from keeping the flame alive. In 2014, Paradise of Bachelors re-released the album and the already-vibrant queer country scene embraced him as a queer elder. Haggerty released a follow-up album, Blackberry Rose and Other Songs and Sorrows, in 2019.

Coyote Grace were pioneers in the trans music scene in the late '90s and early 2000s. The band has gone its separate ways now, with Joe Stevens performing as a solo artist and Ingrid Elizabeth as one half of Mouths of Babes, but 2009 song "Guy Named Joe" served as a beacon for trans folks across the land.

Finally, the queer country scene would not be what it is today without the tireless efforts of Karen and the Sorrows. Lead singer Karen Pittelman helped create a national network of queer country artists who would stop in at her monthly queer country shows in Brooklyn, creating a warm and welcoming place for artists and fans who otherwise did not feel safe in the country music world. Karen is not touring at the moment, but she's still making music. Her song "Take Me For a Ride" is almost certainly the first country song about eating somene out in a pickup truck.

Drag Queens

We know a big part of Chappell's appeal are her costumes and the inspiration she's taken from drag culture. Trixie Mattell has been mixing drag and country for some time, but don't sleep on these artists! For example, Flamy Grant has been tearing it up with her loving tributes – and critiques – of Christian Contemporary Music and the evangelical bubble she was raised in. Grant does so with grace, humor, and compassion, and you can hear more about her journey in our most recent podcast.

Acacia Forgot, like Roan, delights in high camp, pop divas, and strong country music storytelling. We've already got one EP from Acacia, so here's hoping for more!

Similarly, British drag queen Amiss Tori brings a true outsider eye to her country music. These heartfelt songs of belonging and yearning are sure to melt any heart.

Pop Stars

If you're into the sound as well as the look, Mercy Bell can't help herself when it comes to writing hooks that you will never, ever get out of her head. She teams up with Nashville badass Melody Walker to critique the hypocrisy of the evangelical right on "Jesus Was a Drag Queen."

Now when it comes to a little mischievous pop, we can't forget Chris Housman. Housman's viral hit "Red State Blueneck" helped him burst out of Nashville but his debut album (which we also spoke about on the podcast) is as much a celebration of his life as a gay man on Nashville's music row as it is the upbringing that shaped him into who he is today.

Lastly, Lizzie No serves up her genre-bending music with wit, hooks, heartbreak, and compelling musicianship. Lizzie No is outspoken in their rejection of country radio's assumptions of authenticity and is helping to lead the battle for reproductive rights in Tennessee. Their latest album Halfsies is their most personal to date, a rebirth after attaining sobriety.

There are so many more artists to choose from, but we hope this helped you get a head start on building your dream Pink Pony Club lineup!