Indigo Girls' Moving 'Country Radio' Is for Gay Kids Trying to Relate

Ahead of their upcoming album Look Long out on May 22, the Indigo Girls have shared their song "Country Radio," about "a gay kid in a small town who loves country radio."

Following the success of their livestreamed performance early during shelter-in-place orders on March 19 that garnered about 80,000 viewers, Amy Ray and Emily Saliers have announced they'll be livestreaming concerts every Thursday in May leading up to Look Long's release. The concert on May 14 will also be a fundraiser for a charity of the longtime activists' choice.

"We were amazed and honored to have so many folks tuning in the last time we did a livestream," Ray said in a press release. "Especially cool is the way the community comments to each other and gets super connected and engaged. We need that kind of connection in this world and we feel so lucky to have all y'all! So glad Emily and I can do this and have access to some internet."

Regarding her song "Country Radio," which chronicles the life of a young outsider looking to feel represented, Saliers said, "This song is the way I felt doing those four-hour drives from Nashville to Atlanta, listening to country music radio."

"I could almost put my own life story in these songs, but I can't. There are gender divisions and heteronormative realities. There's a lot of self-homophobia that I've had to work on in my own life that plays into this as well," she added.

In an upcoming episode of The Advocate's new talk show Inside With the Advocate, Saliers will share more about the impetus for "Country Radio," including that she and Ray discussed what it would have meant to them to have a song like that when they were growing up and coming out.

Listen to the recorded version of "Country Radio" or watch Saliers and Ray perform it on Live From Here With Chris Thile below.