The new seven-episode series My Music with Rhiannon Giddens premiered on PBS stations across the US this week. In the inaugural episode, host Rhiannon Giddens visits with three lifelong friends: Justin Robinson, one of her fellow Carolina Chocolate Drops co-founders; her sister, singer Lalenja Harrington; and singer-songwriter Laurelyn Dossett. You can watch the episode here:

My Music with Rhiannon Giddens celebrates the United States’ rich and varied musical traditions and its modern offshoots. The new series is produced by the Will and Deni McIntyre Foundation, the creative force behind the long-running PBS series David Holt’s State of Music. In seven half-hour weekly episodes, Giddens hosts musical performances and conversations with guest artists filmed on location around the South.

"I'm thrilled to be taking the reins from David Holt to host a new series inspired by a PBS favorite,” Giddens says. “On a series that celebrates the intersection of music and storytelling, I’m joined by some amazing artists—fellow collaborators, chosen family and friends—who have forged unconventional paths to find their voices. I hope you'll be a part of this new journey with me; this is only the beginning!"

Future guests this season include singer-songwriter and activist Allison Russell, country music artist and artist advocate Rissi Palmer, Indigenous Lumbee/Tuscarora singer Charly Lowry, Southern gothic blues artist Adia Victoria, virtuoso guitarist and singer Joy Clark, and Giddens’ life partner and collaborator Francesco Turrisi.