Milly Raccoon’s unique take on Nashville is all over Frankincense and Myrrh, an album that deftly displays her ability to weave the stark reality of modern life over historical toe-tappers. “I played classical violin as a kid, and I became a big fan of 90s rock and pop, early 20th-century musical theater, traditional Irish music, and zydeco — and I briefly had a Grateful Dead cover band in high school,” she says. Her eclecticism followed her to Seattle after college, where she discovered the bluegrass scene. “After my first tavern bluegrass jam, I was enchanted by the musical style and fellowship. I dove into teaching myself bluegrass fiddle, mandolin, and ukulele.” In addition to busking regularly, Milly tested her burgeoning abilities by performing as often as possible, playing in several bands at a time: an all-female bluegrass band, a honky tonk band, a band that played Turkish and Egyptian music for a belly dance troupe, an Irish band, a band that played the traditional music of Mexico and South America… and many more. “I didn’t have a home for about a year and a half and just went from town to town, making a living by busking,” she says. “Eventually it seemed like the next step was to move to Nashville where I quickly learned that, instead of busking, I would have to focus on more structured realms of performance work.”
It was a tough adjustment. Her new peers saw her as “strange and woo-woo,” and that the standards of musicianship in Nashville were daunting. She eventually found confidence by writing songs that embraced her “uncommon-to-Nashville bent” and by connecting with collaborators including Grammy®–winning producer Misa Arriaga, known for work with Kasey Musgraves. “The recording scene in Nashville really opened my eyes to a level of artistry and excellence I never imagined being a part of,” she says, and Frankincense and Myrrh is “an ode to sacred collaborations. The two related plants have been considered a sacred duet since before biblical times.” The record also embodies the ancient process of alchemy, like “turning lead into gold, or turning poison into medicine. What do people use heartbreak, challenges, tragedies, difficult emotions, religious experiences, taboo subjects, and other strong feelings for? Making compelling writing, painting, and music. Making an album is an alchemical process.”
“One of Americana’s best kept secrets. The fiddle player and singer has been eccentrically reimagining bluegrass, jazz and old timey country as feminist anthems for a world on fire ever since she first appeared on the scene.” – Holler Country
“Brilliant string playing, long winding old time jams… timeless.” – Americana Highways
“Milly conjures spirits through her lyrics while musically combining bluegrass, folk, old timey music, hymns, tribal percussion, and her Celtic roots to make for a sound that is completely unique.” – Glide Magazine
RIYL: Lillie Mae, Patsy Cline, The Secret Sisters, Angela Autumn
FCC WARNING: Track 7, “That Girl I Left Behind Me,” Track 10, “Complicated Gifts.” Digital servicing includes clean edits.
Recommended Tracks: Track 11, “That Girl I Left Behind Me (radio edit),” Track 1, “The Fine Art Of Takin’ It Slow,” Track 6, “Offering To The Fae,” Track 5, “This Ancient Love”
Goes For Adds 7/11
