Allison Russell: KCRW Live from Apogee Studio
Intimate performances, fresh sounds, and candid conversations with a view.
Montreal native Allison Russell has spent her career collecting serious Americana bonafides. From her early work with alt-country hybrid Po’Girl, to her folk collab Birds of Chicago with partner JT Nero, to her tenure with roots music supergroup Our Native Daughters, Russell has built a foundation as a guileless songwriter, a playfully spirited interpreter, and a skilled multi-instrumentalist (banjo, guitar, ukulele, and clarinet, to name a few).
In 2021, Russell struck out on her own with her solo debut Outside Child. It’s an unflinching reflection on childhood abuse and lingering trauma, shot through with resilient bursts of joy — at once spare and raucous. For this, she received three Grammy nominations, including Best Americana Album.
More: Allison Russell on telegraphing her journey out of abuse with ‘Outside Child’
On 2023’s The Returner — up for four Grammy Awards — Russell levels up yet again by getting downright funky. See: “Stay Right Here,” with its echoes of Irene Cara’s iconic theme song for the musical Fame, and “Demons,” with its fierce music video directed by Ethan Tobman (creative director of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and set designer of Beyoncé’s Lemonade, nbd).
More: Will Beyoncé and Taylor Swift save the movie theater?
“What gives me joy right now — in the midst of everything that is so traumatic for everyone, all this loss, this uncertainty, this fear, and violence — is my circle of chosen family,” Russell tells KCRW’s Anne Litt. “I survived my childhood because of chosen family. I thrive as an artist because of chosen family.”
She explains that The Returner is volume two in a spiritually linear trilogy, with a third installation forthcoming.
“Outside Child, volume one, is reconciling the past. The Returner is present, it's re-embodiment,” Russell says. “Reach your arms out and hold your circle close. And grow it, and grow it, and grow it.”
Russell and her band — Elenna Canlas (keys), Ganessa James (bass & guitar), Megan Coleman (drums) — bring their combined starpower to Bob Clearmountain’s Apogee Studio. Get into the session video above for Returner highlights “Springtime,” Eve Was Black,” and “Demons,” and click into the interview video for more on Russell’s expanding creative process and the many folks that continue to help her along the way (Kermit the Frog included).
This KCRW Live From session was recorded and mixed by Brandon Duncan at Apogee Studio. Learn more at Apogeedigital.com
Credits:
KCRW Music Director and Interviewer: Anne Litt
Director, Editor, Color: Angie Scarpa
Directors of Photography: Dalton Blanco and Vice Cooler
Camera Operators: Dalton Blanco, Vice Cooler, Angie Scarpa
KCRW Engineer: Katie Gilchrest
Executive Producer: Ariana Morgenstern
Producers: Anna Chang and Krissy Barker
Broadcast Editor: Zeke Reid
Digital Producer: Marion Hodges
Digital Editorial Manager: Andrea Domanick
Art Director: Evan Solano
More from KCRW
CHLA to end gender-affirming care. Where will trans youth go?
LGBTQAmid federal pressure, Children’s Hospital LA is ending its gender-affirming care in July. Thousands of trans youth and families are scrambling for new options.
Salton Sea is a saga of environmental change at high speed
EnvironmentThe Salton Sea is shrinking, which is harming both humans and birds. A plan to create pop-up wetlands may help both.
Wildfire victims turn to photo detective to recover images
WildfiresThe winds that whipped the Eaton Fire into infernos spared precious things: old family photos, postcards, and kids’ art. One Altadena resident tracks down the lost ephemera.
How mistrust and misunderstanding fuel the processed food debate
Food & DrinkCharlotte Biltekoff explores the public's mistrust of processed foods and the food industry's misunderstanding of these concerns.
Yaya Bey: ‘raisins’
Best New MusicYaya Bey’s “raisins” is all about the bravery required to pursue a career as an artist; dreaming big and keeping the faith through the more sobering realities of the job.
Morning Becomes Eclectic playlist: June 16, 2025
Best New MusicKCRW's signature music program, Morning Becomes Eclectic, is hosted by Novena Carmel and features a thoughtfully curated mix of new releases, timeless classics, offbeat gems, live…