Americana/Folk Songwriter Allison Russell Celebrates Her Unyielding Joy with The Rainbow Coalition, In-Studio

Montreal-born Americana/Folk singer Allison Russell is a multi-instrumentalist who spent nearly two decades performing with music groups like Po’ Girl and Birds of Chicago, before launching her solo career in 2021 with her monumental debut record, Outside Child. A survivor of abuse, Russell poured her emotions into her songs not to revisit her darkest memories, but to celebrate her resilience and eagerness to live a fulfilling life, surrounded by the people she loved. In “Nightflyer”, she sang, “I’m the wounded bird, I’m the screaming hawk, I’m the one who can’t be counted out,” elegantly summarizing the journey it took her to get to a place she’s immensely proud of — and rightfully so. Now back with her latest and third album, In the Hour of Chaos, Russell readily shares her joy and unyielding hope, celebrating humanity and her community, one collaborative song at a time.

The record is filled with a wide range of guest artists including Brittney Spencer and Norah Jones. And though they’re not present for Russell’s exclusive live performance for Soundcheck, The Rainbow Coalition is, with Caoi de Barra on drums, Caoimhe Hopkinson on guitar, and Ganessa James on bass. All band members also join Russell on vocals, sometimes even singing the lead parts, as Russell also plays the clarinet. - Sırma Munyar

(Photo of Allison Russell by Mason Poole)

Setlist: 1.No Springtime  2.Black Lavender  3.Really Real