Remaking Country’s Gender Politics, One Barroom Weeper at a Time
To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android. Monday morning at the office: Shane McAnally was writing a country song with Josh Osborne, a regular collaborator.
McAnally, compact and tight-strung in jeans and T-shirt, sat on a chair with his sneakered feet up and a laptop balanced on his thighs, an acoustic guitar and an enormous carryout cup of iced tea within reach.
Osborne, mellower, in a purple hoodie, sat on a couch cradling another guitar, on which he picked out a loping groove in the key of A.
They started with a line they heard spoken at a songwriters’ gathering, “I drank alone a long time,” when someone raised a glass in appreciation of getting together with fellow musicians after pandemic-induced isolation.
