Crys Matthews’ latest “The Difference Between” is not just another track but a powerful declaration of identity and resistance that demands attention. With a dynamic blend of country, Americana, and folk, Crys delivers a riveting exploration of her personal and cultural landscapes.
Crys’ response to Jason Aldean‘s controversial song “Try That in a Small Town” is both fiery and heartfelt. She confronts the exclusionary rhetoric that marginalises Black and LGBTQ+ individuals and asserts,
“This is Country too, it looks like you and it looks like me.”
This sentiment underpins her entire new album Reclamation, where she boldly reclaims spaces traditionally closed off to marginalised voices.
Produced by Levi Lowry at Nashville’s esteemed Sound Emporium Studios, the track marries traditional country and Americana with contemporary social justice themes. Crys’ signature style that is marked by her rich and resonant voice and unflinching honesty transforms “The Difference Between” into an anthem of unity and resistance.
In Crys’ view, this song is more than a musical statement but a cultural assertion.
“This is a reclamation not just of the space Black artists have been denied in Country and Americana music, not just of the space LGBTQ people have been denied in communities of faith, not just of the autonomy women have been denied over our own bodies, but a reclamation of the South that raised me.”
Her intent to not only challenge but redefine the boundaries of traditional genres and communities with “The Difference Between,” underscores her role as a pivotal figure in modern social justice music. She invites one to witness a groundbreaking fusion of genre and activism and to listen to a trailblazing anthem of identity and justice that speaks to both heart and mind.
Catch Crys Matthews on tour
Mon – 9/23/24 Austin, TX Nevertheless She Preached
Thu – 9/26/24 Boothbay Harbor, ME The Opera House at Boothbay Harbor
Fri – 9/27/24 Northampton, MA Iron Horse
Sat – 9/28/24 Boston, MA The Burren
Sun – 9/29 – 10/5/24 Roots on the Rails w/ Seth Glier & Vance Gilbert
Sat – 10/5/24 Oxford, NY 6 On the Square
Sun – 10/6/24 Philadelphia, PA The Fallser Club
Wed – 10/9/24 Asheville, NC Grey Eagle
Thu – 10/10/24 Nashville, TN John Prine Tribute
Fri – 10/11/24 Atlanta, GA St. Luke Lutheran Church
Sun – 10/13/24 New Haven, CT Oasis Room @ Grande Arts Center
Fri – 10/18 – 19/24 Asheville, NC LEAF Global Arts Festival
Sun – 10/20/24 Durham, NC Seance
