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Femmes Fatales At Finally Friday

A while back one of those business guru types wrote a book whose core idea was that you should never eat lunch alone. The idea was that meal time is simply too valuable to not be making connections and networking. What he didn’t know was that it’s even cooler to eat with friends taking in live music because it’s good for your soul. In that spirit, we hope to see you Friday at noon for an all woman bill with a charming newcomer, an acclaimed veteran and a hot new(ish) duo.

Emily McGill is a West Tennessee native raised not only in a family band but a family-owned music store. I wish I’d had that. My dad was a law professor. Anyway, she’s 23 and making her rounds as a new artist with the slow burn country soul single “Write You Out Of My Memory” and the more contemporary “Better When I’m Drinking” that debuted on CMT. She’s working with a Music Row development company managed by Irene Kelley’s daughter Justyna and soul guitar legend Steve Cropper, so it looks like she’s set up for a good year of growth.

What a treat to revisit Anne McCue’s breakout album Roll this week as I thought about how this powerhouse guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer lives here among us here in Nashville when she doesn’t have to. Home for Anne is Sydney, Australia, but she made her name internationally with Roll, a bracing blend of blues rock, jangle pop and country, with songs so good and lead guitar so spicy that the BBC’s Bob Harris called it his favorite album of 2003. Lucinda Williams took her on the road and championed her to the world as a great writer and guitarist. She did years in LA and then came to join our Nashville community in 2006, where she’s been a valued artist, session player and producer. The Scene reports that she’s debuting a new single this week - “The Loneliest Saturday Night” - ahead of an album this fall called Wholly Roller Coaster. “Set for release in October, the album promises to be a take on circa-1967 rock as practiced by The Kinks, Fairport Convention and Pink Floyd,” says Edd Hurt.

Anne will be joined by her band The Cubists, and they follow up the lunch set with a full show at Dee’s Lounge on Saturday night.

Wrapping up our two hours of free live music will be the duo Boys Club For Girls. I recognize Vanessa Olivarez from the cool history-minded group Granville Automatic and prior pursuits including season two of American Idol. She teamed up with songwriter Amie Miriello in 2019 and started releasing singles this winter, including the noirish, bluesy “The Weatherman” and a new angle on addiction called “5 O’Clock Shadow.” On show day they’re celebrating the release of their debut album, which they’ve described as “an 11-song journey through love and heartbreak, elevated by seamlessly rich harmonies and fierce roots in the rule-breaking spirit of the 70s.” The writing and singing are top tier, so we’re looking forward to this project.

Craig Havighurst is WMOT's editorial director and host of The String, a weekly interview show airing Mondays at 8 pm, repeating Sundays at 7 am. He also co-hosts The Old Fashioned on Saturdays at 9 am and Tuesdays at 8 pm. Threads and Instagram: @chavighurst. Email: craig@wmot.org