With an inimitable voice as John Prine described, "like you've heard, but not really," and unforgettable melodies rooted in hymns, gospel, folk and old-time country music, Iris DeMent is simply one of the finest singer-songwriters in America as well as one of our fiercest advocates for human rights.
Her rich lyrical landscapes and captivating music have earned two Grammy
nominations and the respect of many of her peers such as John Prine, Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell. Iris’ 1992 debut Infamous Angel was hailed by Rolling Stone Magazine as “an essential album of the 90’s”; NPR has called her “one of the great voices in contemporary popular music”, and The Boston Globe heralded her 2012 album Sing The Delta to be a “work of rare, unvarnished grace and power…”. In 2017, The Americana Music Association honored Iris with their Trailblazer Award, recognizing a singular artist who forged her own uncompromising path.
On her transcendent record (2023), Workin' On A World, Iris DeMent faces the modern world— with its climate catastrophe, pandemic illness, and epidemic of violence and social injustice. She not only asks us how we can keep working towards a better world, but implores us to love each other, despite our very different ways of seeing. Her songs are her way of healing our broken inner
and outer spaces.
The record was included on NPR's List of Top 50 Albums for 2023 and the title track won Song of the Year at the 2024 International Folk Music Awards.
Workin' on a World has garnered glowing press from Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, The New York Times, The New Yorker and No Depression Magazine among others.
