Iris DeMent

Legendary singer, songwriter, and activist Iris DeMent has spent a lifetime raising her pure, singular voice in recognition of the lives and struggles of ordinary people. She is both an extraordinary storyteller and a fierce advocate for human rights and social justice.

NPR says she “makes music that celebrates humanity’s efforts toward salvation . . . grounded in hymns, early country songs, gospel and folk, DeMent’s work is treasured . . . for its insight and unabashed beauty.” Rolling Stone wrote that she takes “secular, spiritual strength from gospel music, telling mystical stories about community and perseverance, and finding meaning amid modern alienation.” She says, “It’s just not an option to throw your hands up. And things can turn around in history, and we have to keep holding on and fighting for the good.”

Her 2023 release, Workin’ On A World started with the fear triggered by the 2016 US elections: how can we survive this? “Every day some new trauma was being added to the old ones that kept repeating themselves, and like everybody else, I was just trying to bear up under it all”. She returned to a truth she’s known since childhood: music is medicine. Having not played VFMF since 2007, we’re overdue for some healing time with Iris DeMent. 

– EM