“symphony”
Yola is a singer/songwriter and actor. She released her debut album in 2019, which was nominated for four Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist and Best American Album, and Rolling Stone named it one of the best country albums of the year. But the thing is, Yola’s music career isn’t new, and her background isn’t country music. Originally from Bristol, UK, she has been a singer recording for DJs and electronic music producers since the early 2000s. Therefore, in January 2025, Yola released an EP titled my way. As you’ll hear her explain in this episode, a lot of her new music was motivated by a desire to assert her own identity outside the boundaries of Americana and country music. Aside from music, she’s also into acting — she plays Sister Rosetta Tharpe in the 2022 film Elvis Presleyshe starred on Broadway in the musical Hadestown. In this episode, I talk with Yola and co-writer and co-producer Sean Douglas about her song “Symphony.” As Yola and Sean trace the journey of the song “Symphony,” Yola traces her own journey.
You can purchase or stream “Symphony” here .
Illustration by Carlos Lerma.
PRVLG – Collaborator
Zach Skelton – Co-Producer
Howard Artis – drums
Divinity Roxx – Bassist
broken beat
Bugs in the attic
Shania Twain
dolly parton
hip hop 50
parliamentary funk
Rhodes Piano
gold digger
james brown
