Singer-songwriter Mon Rovîa’s debut album, “Bloodline,” chronicles his life from Liberia to Tennessee. His distinctive sound has been described as “Afro-Appalachian.”
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
Y’all, we made it to Friday. It’s time to kick off the weekend with some new tunes.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “HEAVY FOOT”)
MON ROVIA: (Singing) Love me now, maintain me down. And the federal government staying on heavy foot, and so they tried to maintain us all down. No, they by no means going to maintain us all down.
KELLY: That is “Heavy Foot” from the debut album “Bloodline” by Mon Rovia. The Tennessee-based artist is initially from Liberia. His sound has been described as Afro-Appalachian. It is a distinctive model, which has attracted hundreds of thousands of followers on social media. For this week’s New Music Friday phase, we’re joined by Celia Gregory of WNXP in Nashville. Celia, nice to talk to you. Completely happy Friday.
CELIA GREGORY, BYLINE: Oh, likewise, Mary Louise. So glad to be right here for this function.
KELLY: So a mix of Liberia and Tennessee makes me suspect this artist has an fascinating backstory. What’s it?
GREGORY: Oh, it’s, and the story is the entire purpose for this album. This artist was born in war-torn Liberia, adopted by U.S. missionaries when he was actually younger, moved round North America so much in his youth and finally discovered a house right here in Tennessee, the place he nonetheless lives and makes music.
So he took on Mon Rovia as a stage identify in dedication to his residence nation’s capital Metropolis, and this debut report actually begins there. You already know, it places us within the place he left as a younger boy earlier than carrying us via all these different geographies and communities that he remembers in actual vivid element.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “PRAY THE DEVIL BACK TO HELL”)
MON ROVIA: (Singing) Heroine eyes, I am unable to see you behind my disguise, the gun strap and the boots that do not match proper. The youngsters left to battle the battle once more.
KELLY: So let’s get into that sound. I simply described it as Afro-Appalachian, and I’m wondering, the place ought to we be listening for? The place do you hear the affect of each these locations on the album?
GREGORY: I do. I hear it within the rhythms and within the selections of instrumentation, proper? And to start with, the readability of his voice begs you to pay attention intently, and you’ll hear every pluck of the guitar. It takes you on the journey with him. And I feel the instrumentation varies from sparse and folky. You may hear these traditions from West Africa and/or the Southeastern United States with ukulele, solo guitar. And it goes extra lush in elements, together with a few of these stomp-and-holler sing-along tunes like “Subject Track” and “Heavy Foot,” which match him extra in trendy Americana and even nation worlds. He truly simply performed the Grand Ole Opry for the primary time final 12 months.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “FIELD SONG”)
MON ROVIA: (Singing) Making an attempt to hold on. Nonetheless bought miles to go. Do not go forgetting on me. Do not go forgetting on me. Honey, go away a light-weight on, shining for the experience residence.
KELLY: Love that one. That’s “Subject Track.” OK, the title of the entire album, although – “Bloodline” – what’s in that identify? How does it relate to the theme of the album?
GREGORY: Sure, on “Bloodline,” Mon Rovia enunciates his experiences being raised as a Black immigrant baby in a white spiritual family right here within the States. And within the title monitor, he, quote, “offers with the tangle of the place and who I’m from.” And he sings with this choir accompaniment, got here a good distance, and I am unable to discover my bloodline.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “BLOODLINE”
MON ROVIA: (Singing) Come a good distance, cannot discover my bloodline. My identify nonetheless ties my bloodline.
GREGORY: So the report highlights reminiscences of various environments from his rising up and grappling with this identification, from a day on the soccer area, which is absolutely type of shut in to someplace in Georgia. And as for the title of the report, Mon Rovia says, one’s ancestors, irrespective of the place you are from or why you got here to a brand new place, they, quote, “stay in you and your selections and the way you give your self to the world.”
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “BLOODLINE”)
MON ROVIA: (Singing) Name it my very own.
KELLY: Oh, it is stunning. Celia, thanks.
GREGORY: Thanks a lot for having me.
KELLY: “Bloodline” is the brand new album from Mon Rovia. It is out right now, and you’ll hear extra from WNXP’s Celia Gregory on right now’s episode of New Music Friday from NPR Music.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “BLOODLINE”)
MON ROVIA: (Singing) Play on, play on. Got here a good distance, cannot discover my bloodline.
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