[piano intro] "Freight Train Blues" is funded in part by Come Hear NC.

A program of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

[upbeat wistful music] [upbeat wistful music continues] [upbeat wistful music continues] ♪ Freight train freight train ♪ - [Narrator] Welcome to the annual "Freight Train Blues" concert series, celebrating the life and legacy of Piedmont Blues legend Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten.

Born in 1893 in Carrboro, North Carolina, some of Cotten's best known compositions reside in the canon of American music.

With noted covers by the Grateful Dead, Joan Baez and Doc Watson.

Today, her legacy is being discovered by a new generation of artists and performers.

This episode features rising star Amythyst Kiah.

Her standout track, "Black Myself," recorded for the lauded collaboration "Our Native Daughters", earned her a 2020 Grammy Award nomination and won song of the year at the 2019 Folk Alliance International awards.

"Rolling Stone" calls her, "One of Americana's great up-and-coming secrets."

- [Libba] Thank you so much.

[audience applauding] - [Producer] Let's go ahead and roll camera.

Speeding, rolling.

- Hi, welcome to "Freight Train Blues".

My name's Amythyst Kiah and I'm from Johnson City, Tennessee and I'm really happy to be back in the great state of North Carolina to play some songs.

Here's the first one.

It'll be off of my upcoming record entitled, "Wary and Strange".

And this one's called "Firewater".

[upbeat blues music] [upbeat blues music continues] ♪ Melancholy always seemed to work for me ♪ ♪ Wistful and uncertain are my dreams ♪ ♪ Stardust forms into shapes that never leave ♪ ♪ Strange and wary they all seem ♪ ♪ I'm a ghost in the hall a haint in the room ♪ ♪ Everywhere I go impending doom ♪ ♪ How many spirits does it take to lift a spirit ♪ ♪ I don't know ♪ ♪ I don't know ♪ ♪ 'Cause I bought every spirit and I'm still laying here ♪ ♪ Crying on the floor ♪ ♪ On the floor ♪ ♪ So can you just leave me be ♪ ♪ Being drenched in firewater won't save me ♪ ♪ I'll forsake the path of filth and fleas ♪ ♪ Can you just leave me be ♪ [upbeat blues music continues] ♪ Pensive stares are the only crowns I've ever gleaned ♪ ♪ So in the dark I find the answers that I need ♪ ♪ City lights are the only stars I ever see ♪ ♪ How many nights until I finally can breathe ♪ ♪ How many spirits does it take to lift a spirit ♪ ♪ I don't know ♪ ♪ I don't know ♪ ♪ 'Cause I got every spirit and ♪ ♪ I'm still laying here crying on the floor ♪ ♪ On the floor ♪ ♪ So can you just leave me be ♪ ♪ Bein' drenched in firewater won't save me ♪ ♪ I'll forsake the path of filth and fleas ♪ ♪ Can you just leave ♪ ♪ Can you just leave ♪ ♪ Can you just leave ♪ ♪ Me be ♪ [upbeat blues music slowing] [light speaker feedback] - All right, I'm gonna switch to the acoustic for this one.

This next song's one that I recorded a few years ago on another project called, "Amythyst Kiah & Her Chest of Glass".

It was a small EP that had a bunch of sort of blues rock style songs.

And this was one that I'd initially started or I had written it on a acoustic with a different, kinda like a, it's like a country blues inspired riff.

And I just wanted to kind of re-record it again and see what direction it went in.

So I'm excited for everyone to hear that on the new record.

So this one's called "Hangover Blues".

[slow blues music] [slow blues music continuing] [slow blues music continuing] ♪ I woke up this morning ♪ ♪ Feeling bad ♪ ♪ Had the worst hangover ♪ ♪ That I ever had ♪ ♪ And I know ♪ ♪ That my baby had it goin' on yeah ♪ ♪ And if I did it all over again ♪ ♪ I'd do the same damn thing anyhow ♪ ♪ And if I did it all over again ♪ ♪ I'd do the same damn thing anyhow ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ Hmmm ♪ ♪ Hmmm ♪ ♪ Hmmm ♪ ♪ Eyes are like switchblades ♪ ♪ Breath of cigarettes ♪ ♪ Lord knows I'd like to look ♪ ♪ But I was scared to death ♪ ♪ And I know that my baby had it going on yeah ♪ ♪ You had my hands and knees and loins shaking ♪ ♪ I end up speechless every time ♪ ♪ You had my hands and knees and loins shaking ♪ ♪ I end up speechless every time yeah ♪ ♪ Hmmm ♪ ♪ Hmmm ♪ ♪ Hmmm ♪ ♪ And I know ♪ ♪ That my baby had it going on ♪ ♪ And if I did it all over again ♪ ♪ I'd do the same damn thing anyhow ♪ ♪ And if I did all over again ♪ ♪ I'd do the same damn thing anyhow ♪ ♪ Same damn thing anyhow ♪ ♪ Same damn thing anyhow ♪ - All right.

So I'll do another one from the record, soon as I find my guitar pick and here she is.

[guitar strumming] This one is one that I'd written a while ago, or I'd started writing it years ago, and finally finished recording it.

And I was fortunate and very lucky to have Amy Ray from the Indigo Girls sing the background vocals for this, which I feel is kind of a crime to say that she sang back up vocals on my album.

But she's just a very down-to-earth, humble person and was really happy to hear what she did.

So try to imagine a chorus of Amy Ray's in the background if you can, so.

This one's called "The Ballad of Lost".

[slow country music] [slow country music continues] ♪ Every time the wind blows ♪ ♪ My mind goes too ♪ ♪ My heart keeps on wandering ♪ ♪ And my head is in the clouds ♪ ♪ When your name slips through my lips ♪ ♪ My heart falls through ♪ ♪ Don't you know my eyes were brown ♪ ♪ Oh but now they've turned to blue ♪ ♪ And I am lost ♪ ♪ Maybe I have always been ♪ ♪ And I believe ♪ ♪ That I can forgive ♪ ♪ But can I forget ♪ ♪ Never ♪ ♪ Mmmm ♪ ♪ Oh your eyes went wide ♪ ♪ When I saw you with her ♪ ♪ You wanted to explain ♪ ♪ Well I just turned and walked away ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ And I am lost ♪ ♪ Maybe I have always been ♪ ♪ And I believe ♪ ♪ That I can forgive ♪ ♪ But can I forget ♪ ♪ Never ♪ ♪ Mmmm ♪ ♪ Someday ♪ ♪ You gonna find me ♪ ♪ Once ashes ♪ ♪ Turn to doves ♪ ♪ May peace ♪ ♪ Bring me shelter ♪ ♪ To defeat the pain ♪ ♪ You cause me ♪ ♪ But until then I'll still be ♪ ♪ But I am lost ♪ ♪ Maybe I have always been ♪ ♪ And I believe ♪ ♪ That I can forgive ♪ ♪ But can I forget ♪ ♪ Never ♪ ♪ Mmmm ♪ - A big way or a big part of the style that I play on acoustic guitar, I owe a lot to the Piedmont style finger picking tradition which is what Libba Cotten was so famously known for.

And I remember "Freight Train Blues" was one of the first songs that I learned when I was learning how to do this.

And a lot of the different songs that I've written, like "Hangover Blues" and especially "Firewater" attribute a lot to that style.

So it really is awesome to be able to be part of this series and to honor Libba Cotten and all of the other great Piedmont Blues players.

So this next one is called "Wild Turkey".

[guitar tuning] [guitar tuning continues] [calm blues music] [calm blues music continues] ♪ Late at night ♪ ♪ When I feel alone ♪ ♪ I cry in darkness scream into the unknown ♪ ♪ 'Cause she's never coming back ♪ ♪ No she's never coming back ♪ ♪ Body in water for days and days ♪ ♪ Hopes for a safe return my hope's in vain ♪ ♪ 'Cause she's never coming back ♪ ♪ No she's never coming back ♪ ♪ When I was seventeen ♪ ♪ I pretended not to care ♪ ♪ Stayed numb for years to escape despair ♪ ♪ When your soul dies ♪ ♪ You just can't hide it ♪ ♪ Everyone can tell ♪ ♪ Oh Lord will I ever feel right again ♪ ♪ Tried so hard to be an automaton ♪ ♪ Body of steel and wired circuits for my backbone ♪ ♪ 'Cause she's never coming back ♪ ♪ No she's never coming back ♪ ♪ Wild Turkey in the car seat ♪ ♪ The bottle's empty ♪ ♪ I hope it gave her some relief ♪ ♪ 'Cause she's never coming back ♪ ♪ No she's never coming back ♪ ♪ When I was seventeen ♪ ♪ I pretended not to care ♪ ♪ Stayed numb for years to escape despair ♪ ♪ When your soul dies ♪ ♪ You just can't hide it ♪ ♪ Everyone can tell ♪ ♪ Oh Lord will I ever feel ♪ [calm blues music continues] ♪ When I was seventeen I pretended not to care ♪ ♪ Stayed numb for years to escape despair ♪ ♪ When your soul dies ♪ ♪ You just can't hide it ♪ ♪ Everyone can tell ♪ ♪ Oh Lord will I ever feel ♪ ♪ Will I ever feel ♪ ♪ Right again ♪ [calm blues music slowing] [light speaker feedback] - All right, I got one more for y'all.

Thanks again so much for tuning in.

My name's Amythyst Kiah.

Thanks for having me again for the "Freight Train Blues".

This last one is currently my first single off of my album "Wary and Strange".

But I recorded it a couple years ago now on a project called "Songs of Our Native Daughters" which included Rhiannon Giddens and Leyla McCalla and Allison Russell.

And it was such an incredible experience and it was that experience where I really had the courage to write this song, which is called "Black Myself".

With recording "Our Native Daughters", it really gave us all an opportunity to really tell the stories of our ancestors, to talk about the transatlantic slave trade and the havoc that it wreaked on all of us.

And to be able to have the opportunity to perform and travel the world and play these songs is really a testament to the shoulders that we stand on.

People like Libba Cotten, Etta Baker and the people before them and before them.

So it's really awesome to be able to have the opportunities that we're all having in our careers and to just keep pushing for equality and ending white supremacy.

And that's what this song is, hopes to be part of that.

So thanks so much for listening.

[upbeat country music] [upbeat country music continues] ♪ I'm going to jump the fence ♪ ♪ And wash my face in the creek ♪ ♪ But I'm Black myself ♪ ♪ I wanna sweep that gal right off her feet ♪ ♪ But I'm Black myself ♪ ♪ I'm tired of walkin' 'round with no shoes on ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'm Black myself ♪ ♪ And your precious God ain't gonna bless me ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'm Black myself ♪ ♪ Is you washed in the blood of your chattel ♪ ♪ 'Cause the lamb's rotted away ♪ ♪ When they stopped shipping work horses ♪ ♪ They bred their own anyway ♪ ♪ Woohoo ♪ ♪ I don't pass the test of the paper bag ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'm Black myself ♪ ♪ I picked a banjo up and they sneered at me ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'm Black myself ♪ ♪ You better lock your doors when I walk by ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'm Black myself ♪ ♪ You look me in my eyes but you don't see me ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'm Black myself ♪ ♪ Is you washed in the blood of your chattel ♪ ♪ 'Cause the lamb's rotted away ♪ ♪ When they stopped shipping work horses ♪ ♪ They bred their own anyway ♪ ♪ Oohoo ♪ ♪ I don't creep around ♪ ♪ I stand proud and free ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'm Black myself ♪ ♪ I go anywhere that I wanna go ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'm Black myself ♪ ♪ And I'm surrounded by many loving arms ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'm Black myself ♪ ♪ And I stand my ground and smile in your face ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'm Black myself ♪ ♪ I wash away the blood and tears ♪ ♪ I've been born brand new ♪ ♪ There's no more work horses but still some work to do ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'm Black myself ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'm Black myself ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'm Black myself Black myself ♪ ♪ Black myself Black myself Black myself ♪ ♪ Black myself ♪ ♪ Black myself ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'm Black my ♪ ♪ Black my ♪ ♪ Black myself ♪ - Alright, thanks so much.

[upbeat country music] [upbeat country music continues] ♪ Oh freight train freight train ♪ ♪ Down the line ♪ ♪ Freight train freight train ♪ ♪ Down the line ♪ ♪ Please don't tell ♪ ♪ What train I'm on ♪ ♪ Don't know what route I'm gone ♪ [upbeat country music continues] ♪ Please don't tell what train I'm on ♪ ♪ Don't know what route I'm gone ♪ - [Libba] Freight train.

[laughing] "Freight Train Blues" is funded in part by Come Hear NC.

A program of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.