Kyshona makes Nashville a better place. Whether it’s through her work as a music therapist and activist, or the impressive artistic community she’s marshaled for her upcoming album Legacy (out Friday, April 26), Kyshona is always one to use her light to refract through others and create something greater than the sum of their parts. Legacy includes lyrics and performances from Caroline Spence, Ruthie Foster, Ellen Angelico, Keb Mo’, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Brittney Spencer, and more.
Ahead of the album’s release, Kyshona checks in with us to discuss the album’s title and what “legacy” means to her.
Name a perfect song and tell us why you feel that way.
“Funeral for My Past” by Liz Longley is the most perfect song that I’ve heard recently. Maybe because it has been a constant go-to for me since its release a couple of years ago. Maybe it’s because it came to me at a time when I really
needed its message. Maybe it’s because two of my favorite people on Earth (Nickie Conley and Jason Eskridge) are singing background vocals on this track and it makes me feel like this is truly a fight song made especially for me.
The beauty of this song is that the lyric reads like a poem by Dickinson but follows the structure of some of my favorite classic gospel songs. I love a song that builds not only in lyrical content and imagery, but also in arrangement and vocal delivery. After the music has taken you to the top of the emotional mountain, Liz brings it on home with a return to the opening melody and gentle guidance to let go of all of the shame and grief you have carried with
you on this journey. To quote my favorite reviewer, Lamar Burton, “But don’t take my word for it!” Go listen and tell me you don’t go on an emotional journey with Liz Longley in just three minutes and 30 seconds.
Explain the title of your album.
The word Legacy has been in my orbit for nearly 10 years. Every year it seems to have a deeper meaning. At first I was focused on Legacy in the sense of what was left behind from my elders. That understanding soon shifted after an emergency hysterectomy that left me with the stark realization that I would not have a legacy to pass down to my own children. I had to broaden my idea of what legacy means, understanding that for me it would need to center more on the contributions and impacts I can make on my family and community through my music and work.
I understand that Legacy can also be the memory of how we make people feel. I’d love nothing more than this album to brand itself in the minds of its listeners encouraging them to be present with their loved ones and soak in the feeling that they have with them. It’s amazing how a lot of my memories of the people and places that raised me are focused on
how these folks made me FEEL. When I am gone from the world, I want people to remember how I made them feel.
How do you kill the long hours in the van?
I love a little windshield time. If I’m not driving in silence and thinking, I’m either listening to podcasts, audio books, or I’m calling my friends that I haven’t spoken to in a while for some catch-up time.
The best listening choices for me are comedy or mystery podcasts and rom-com or thriller audiobooks.
What’s the first concert you ever attended? What do you remember about it?
My very first concert was the 1992 MC Hammer Tour with BoyzIIMen, Jodeci, and TLC. I was 12 years old and to this day have no idea what made my Mom get tickets for this concert. We never did ANYTHING as awesome as live concerts. My live music experiences at that point were all centered around church revivals and piano recitals. I remember sitting there in the coliseum in Columbia, SC and being overwhelmed by the amount of people that were there to experience the music. I don’t think I’d ever seen that many people in one place.
I recall being so in awe of the dancers. For anyone that remembers the 1990s, dancing was a full aerobic commitment. I couldn’t believe the amount of gymnastic level moves that every act’s dancers committed to (except BoyzIIMen of course). I was more interested in the dancers than the artists themselves. But what really stuck with me was how BoyzIIMen walked out into the audience to sing to the crowd. As I watched women in the crowd lose their minds as the group sang to them, I was simultaneously praying they would not come over to our section of the crowd because I had no idea how the people would react and worried we could get trampled. That day an introvert was born.
Do you try to make the most of being in a city, or do you prefer to just rest up?
When I’m on the road I always prefer to rest up no matter how exciting a city may be. I’m always game for a little exploring before the show or the morning after, usually finding the local thrift shops, book stores, and coffee shops. But,
if we have a full day in a city, I most definitely like to plan at least one “outing” for the trio to enjoy together. It could be a Nordic spa, a farmers’ market, or just a cute town to wander through.
Kyshona’s album Legacy will be out on April 26th
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