The Highwomen
The Highwomen
The Highwomen are a country supergroup formed by Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris, and Amanda Shires in 2019. The name of the project is a reference to the collaboration of Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, and Willie Nelson called The Highwaymen, which was established in 1985.
Shires first came up with the idea for the group in 2016 as a response to how few women were being played on country radio. With help from producer Dave Cobb, she soon recruited Carlile and eventually rounded out the lineup with the additions of Morris and Hemby. The four first performed together at a celebration of country legend Loretta Lynn. Their first single, “Redesigning Women”, was released in July 2019. Their self-titled album was released on September 6, 2019.
The group considers the project a movement, not just a band. Carlile says, ”anyone can be a Highwoman. It’s about banding together, abandoning as much ego as humanly possible, holding one another up and amplifying other women every chance we get. Shoulder to shoulder. One push, one love."