READ: Indigo Girls’ Amy Ray talks about her place in country music

On the roots music site No Depression, Kim Ruehl held an enlightening interview with Amy Ray and her newest music. Talking up country music, Ray describes her perspective and sensibilities to the genre that aren’t on par with the country music people are mostly hearing on the radio these days.

The interview mostly puts her newest release Goodnight Tender on display which she previewed with this single. But Ray says so much more that explains her writing on this album. From NoDepression.com.

No, no. I couldn’t do country-pop even if I wanted to. First of all, I’m too old and too gay, too political, too masculine. Some of those pop-country artists like Faith Hill, the really good ones, they have voices that are crazy good. I’m in the Americana category – more of a singer-songwriter, the gospel thing, the mountain thing… your voice is a different kind of instrument in that case.

Read the rest of the interview here.

Listen: Amy Ray’s ‘Oyster and Pearl’

By the sounds of it, we have a little bit more of a wait before Indigo Girls’ Amy Ray puts her new album Goodnight Tender out. Her label Daemon Records posts Jan. 14 as the release date on their (temporarily down) site, but Ray gives us this tidbit as a preview.

A little bit folk, a little bit country, but all Ray, “Oyster and Pearl” is a languid front porch jam with its twangy guitar solo and that signature voice that both anchors the languid tone while also drifting along the atmospheric background. And we like it. Check it out for yourself after the jump.