When it comes to men and women in country music, the playing field is far from level. During this week’s episode of Rolling Stone‘s Nashville Now podcast, singer-songwriter Dasha shares her firsthand experience with the uneven balance of power in Nashville, especially when it comes to what artists can and cannot say.
“Especially in the country world, men, for the most part, can do no wrong. The more they’re outspoken and the more they express their opinions and go outside the lines, the more someone’s like, ‘Oh, he’s so cool,’” Dasha says.
But were a woman dare to be outspoken, she’d expect blowback, often from the genre’s very fans.
“Women are so cutthroat. If I saw a woman breaking the rules online a bit, in the country world, wearing some shorts that her cheeks are out, I’d be like, ‘Go queen!’ But they’re like, ‘You stupid bitch,’” Dasha says of online commenters.
After some therapy, Dasha says she’s able to better deal with the comments she receives. In the past, she’s read them and tear up. “Now, when I see those comments, I’m like, ‘Thanks, Karen from Minnesota, you’re feeding my algorithm. Appreciate you, girl.’”
Dasha, who broke out with the viral hit “Austin (Boots Stop Workin’),” is gearing up for the release of her new EP, Anna, on Oct. 10th. On Friday, she dropped the latest track from the project, “Train.”
Download and subscribe to Rolling Stone’s weekly country-music podcast, Nashville Now, hosted by senior music editor Joseph Hudak, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts). New episodes drop every Wednesday and feature interviews with artists and personalities like Charley Crockett, Gavin Adcock, Margo Price, Dusty Slay, Lukas Nelson, Ashley Monroe, Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor, and Clever.