When Ty Greenstein’s Girlyman and Ingrid Elizabeth’s Coyote Grace began touring together, they formed a relationship. When their respective bands broke up, the two women did not. What followed was a marriage, newly allowed by the Supreme Court at the time, and the formation of their own duo, Mouths of Babes
World Brand New, the album that came out of it all, is unsurprisingly full of love songs. They range from the borderline twee “I Do” to the sad and disoriented “Pictures of You.” It’s an album divided into two parts, with the first eight songs discussing relationships in some way and the last two taking on politics from a fresh angle.
Of the love songs, two with nearly opposite moods are especially striking.
“Summertime” celebrates queer love in a rural setting. It’s both a completely typical country love song when it references crops, bugs, country legends and trucks. But it’s something altogether different with the line “boys like her,” a reference to an Ivan Coyote book, and discussion of how the locals gave them funny looks.
“There are queer people everywhere including in the smallest little backwater towns and they’re finding a way to live and love and thrive best they can,” said Elizabeth, describing her type as “grown up tomboys”
The other, “Except for the Love,” is sung from the perspective of an older man nearing death and reflecting on how love was the only truly important thing in his life. Greenstein said she based the tearjerker on her grandparents’ relationship.
“My grandfather suffered from dementia. He really declined but he still had that intense love for her and every time she walked into room he’d smile. He never forgot who she was.”
The politics don’t take up nearly as much time, but they wind up leaving just as much of an impact. “My Country” is a spectacular and wide-ranging pep talk that both levels with the struggles America has been facing while simultaneously holding out immense hope for a return to normalcy.
“My approach in writing the song is to speak to the country the way I would speak to a friend who was looking worse for the wear,” said Greenstein, who admits “I have all this anger about the progress we haven’t seen yet and all the ways this country has failed us”
Still, she felt a more frustrated view on the situation that were as skeptical of the notion of American ideals as I am wasn’t warranted.
“To be hopeless would be so strange because it would dishonor everyone who came before us and did have hope and made the progress we now benefit from,” she said.
The final track, a Holly Near cover, is the source of that attitude and a perfect companion to the earlier original. It’s fascinating to hear something as deeply personal as faith in our government (or anything, for that matter) to be framed as morally correct for the collective and perhaps the only way I could get myself to believe that America’s best days are ahead. It’s still a tough sell, but certainly one worth aspiring to.
Above is the full episode as aired on WUSB’s Country Pocket, including both my interview with Ty and Ingrid and the songs we discussed, starting with Summertime, which blends country tropes with queer romance. The interview begins with the second video in the playlist. You can hear the show live every Monday at 11am on WUSB 90.1 FM or check the blog to watch it as a YouTube playlist. Visit http://www.WUSB.fm and https://www.mouthsofbabesmusic.com for more.
Press photo by Sophie Spinelle, Shameless Photography
Country Pocket 