Paisley Fields

James Wilson, known professionally as Paisley Fields, is a queer country music artist based between Brooklyn, NY and Nashville, TN.[1]

Paisley Fields
BornHudson, Iowa
OriginBrooklyn, New York
Genres
Years active2013 (2013) – present
Labels
  • Don Giovanni Records
Member ofLavender Country
MembersJames Wilson
Websitethepaisleyfields.com

Background

Wilson grew up in Hudson, Iowa[2] where his grandparents owned a farm.[3] They grew up listening to country music, but resisted performing in the genre until they reconnected with their country roots while living in Japan.[3]

Wilson is queer and non-binary.[4]

Career

Wilson assembled an alt-country band[4] which performed their first show as the Paisley Fields in Brooklyn on New Year's Eve 2013.[3] After the release of their first EP Oh These Urban Fences in 2015, Wilson adopted the name Paisley Fields as a stage name.[4] His first full-length album Glitter & Sawdust, released in 2018, is an exploration of the duality of the masculine and feminine.[3]

The next two albums Electric Park Ballroom and Limp Wrist were released on Don Giovanni Records.[5] Electric Park Ballroom is named after a dancehall they visited in childhood but the songs center on present-day urban narratives[6] while Limp Wrist focuses on the realities of rural queer life.[7]

In 2019, Paisley Fields toured with queer country pioneers Lavender Country and Lavender Country later guested on Paisley Fields' "Stay Away From My Man."[4] They played keyboards on Lavender Country's 2022 album Blackberry Rose.[1]

"Burn This Statehouse Down," a duet with Mya Byrne protesting Tennessee's anti-trans legislation,[8] was chosen as one of NPR music critic Ann Powers' favorite songs of 2023.[9]

As a songwriter, Wilson has written with Bob the Drag Queen ("Purse First") and Scarlet Envy ("Feeling Is Mutual," "Press On," "Is It Me?").[10]

Style

Paisley Fields combines country, rock, pop, and disco while their lyrics include explicit queer themes,[11] ranging from gay sex ("Ride Me Cowboy")[11] to being outed ("Blackhawk County Line")[7] to referencing Matthew Shepard ("Iowa").[6]

Discography
  • "Burn This Statehouse Down" with Mya Byrne (2023) (Kill Rock Stars)
  • The Field Sessions Live EP (2023) (Don Giovanni Records)
  • Limp Wrist (2022) (Don Giovanni Records)
  • Electric Park Ballroom (2020) (Don Giovanni Records)
  • Glitter & Sawdust (2018)
  • Oh These Urban Fences EP (2015)

References
  1. "LIVE MUSIC IN ARKANSAS: Groundbreaking Paisley Fields plays Little Rock tavern | Arkansas Democrat Gazette". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. 2022-09-22. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  2. "Meet four queer artists helping to shake up country music". NBC News. 2023-07-19. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  3. Domenighini, Annalise (2018-04-10). "Paisley Fields' New Album 'Glitter & Sawdust' Is One For The Queer Country Books". Vice Media. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  4. Collo-Julin, Salem (2020-07-15). "Paisley Fields makes out and open country music". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  5. "Paisley Fields, Sug Daniels, and Sean Barna kick off their journey to Texas at Ortlieb's". WXPN. 2023-03-09. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  6. Isobel, Leah (2022-08-28). ""A Straight Line is No Guarantee" Paisley Fields - Limp Wrist". Left Of The Dial. Retrieved 2023-12-23.
  7. "ALBUM REVIEW: Paisley Fields Explores Place on Campy, Confident 'Limp Wrist'". No Depression. Retrieved 2023-12-23.
  8. "The Boot's Weekly Picks: Mya Byrne + Paisley Fields, Summer Dean + More". The Boot. March 23, 2023.
  9. Powers, Ann (December 16, 2023). "ANN POWERS' FAVORITE SONGS OF 2023".
  10. Emch, Cindy (2019-06-20). "Scarlet Envy Drops Divine Dance Track • Country Queer". Country Queer. Retrieved 2023-12-23.
  11. "SXSW Music 2023: The Best Things We Saw on Thursday". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.