Rhiannon Giddens has announced American Tunes: Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing, a series of shows this summer with Hurray for the Riff Raff, Mavis Staples, and Mary Chapin Carpenter. The tour begins in Seattle on June 26 without Mavis Staples, followed by concerts with all of the artists in Oregon, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee. "We’re singing under open skies," Giddens says, "and hope you’ll lift your voice to join in this joyful celebration of songs that connect generations." Details below. Pre-sale starts this Wednesday, March 4 at 10am here; general on-sale begins this Friday.

Rhiannon Giddens reunited with her former Carolina Chocolate Drops bandmate Justin Robinson on the 2025 album What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow. Produced by Giddens and Joseph "joebass" DeJarnette, the album features Giddens on banjo and Robinson on fiddle, playing eighteen of their favorite North Carolina tunes. Many were learned from their late mentor, legendary North Carolina Piedmont musician Joe Thompson; one is from another musical hero, the late Etta Baker. Giddens and Robinson recorded outdoors at Thompson’s and Baker’s North Carolina homes, as well as the former plantation Mill Prong House, accompanied by the sounds of nature, including two different broods of cicadas, which had not emerged simultaneously since 1803, creating a true once-in-a-lifetime soundscape. You can get it and hear it here.

The 15th anniversary edition of Carolina Chocolate Drops' 2010 Grammy–winning album Genuine Negro Jig, featuring founding band members Dom Flemons, Rhiannon Giddens, and Justin Robinson, was released this past January. It includes the original Joe Henry–produced album and nine bonus tracks: seven previously unreleased tracks plus a 2025 remaster of “City of Refuge” and a 2025 mix of “Memphis Shakedown.” This release marks the album’s first time on vinyl since its original pressing in 2010. You can get it and hear it here.

Hurray for the Riff Raff has just announced their first-ever live album, Live Forever, due March 20 on digital and May 8 on CD and double LP. It was captured live over the course of two sold-out summer nights at the Old Town School of Folk Music in bandleader Alynda Segarra’s new home of Chicago. Spanning 14 songs, Live Forever presents their acclaimed 2024 album The Past Is Still Alive in its entirety, as well as a selection of set-defining staples, like “Pa’lante,” "Pyramid Scheme," and LIFE ON EARTH’s “Precious Cargo” and “Rhododendron." You can pre-order the album here.

AMERICAN TUNES: LIFT EV'RY VOICE AND SING TOUR