Watch The Highwomen Make Their TV Debut On The Tonight Show
The Highwomen are in full blitzkrieg mode right now. The brand-new outlaw-country supergroup — Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, Amanda Shires, Natalie Hemby — only announced their existence to the world a week and a half ago. But they’ve already unveiled plans to release their debut album and dropped two singles. They’ve made their official live debut at the Newport Folk Festival, playing a blockbuster set with a Dolly Parton guest appearance. And last night, they made their TV debut on The Tonight Show.
On last night’s episode, the four women in the group stood center stage as a united front — all of them singing in harmony, none of them playing any instruments. They’re all distinct artists with their own voices, and yet none of them really took any solo turns. And while it would be great to hear, say, Carlile yet loose with one of her tremendous blood-and-thunder big notes, it’s powerful just to see all four of them holding the stage together, presenting themselves as equals and as stars.
Together, the Highwomen sang “Redesigning Women” and “Crowded Table,” the two songs that they’ve already shared with the world. (“Redesigning Women” was on the show itself; “Crowded Table” was an online bonus.) They wore bright, sparkly rhinestoned outfits that soaked up all the light in the room. In stark contrast, the members of their all-male backing band — which includes Shires’ husband Jason Isbell on guitar — wore all black and stayed out of the spotlight. Watch both performances below.
The Highwomen’s self-titled debut is out 9/6 on Low Country Sound/Elektra Records.