Sometimes it takes a little while before a session gets published, and trust me, it has nothing to do with how enthusiastic I am about it. Usually it’s logistics, waiting on the right timing or an artist or me being busy. A nice little bonus that comes with that, for me personally at least, is rediscovering the joy we had while filming it. At TakeRoot 2024, Kyshona was the last artist to film a session – after her performance at the festival and after a long day for everyone involved. Yes, we were tired. But it’s simply impossible not to get inspired and happy witnessing the sheer joyfulness that appears as soon as Kyshona Armstrong starts singing. Joined by Ellen Angelico on guitar – who happened to also play on Becca Mancari‘s session for The Influences at that same festival six years earlier. The duo performed Waitin’ On The Lawd and covers of People Grinnin’ In Your Face (Ruthie Foster & Son House) and See-Line Woman (Nina Simone).
“When Kyshona sings, you feel something.”
It must have been the cover of Mississippi Goddam by Kelsey Waldon, featuring Adia Victoria, that first introduced me to Kyshona Armstrong. And trust me, that was enough to make me want to dive straight into her own music. Her voice is powerful; and not just in terms of volume. There’s a sense of wisdom in it, and many more layers besides. When Kyshona sings, you feel something. Whether it’s comfort, joy, sadness, strength… something. And we felt it in Groningen.
Family
Kyshona balances her music career with her passion to heal in community through her organization Your Song. Her latest project LEGACY focuses on family. Through stories, photos, film, ancestry and genealogy research, Kyshona shares her story while inviting listeners and concert goers to join her in exploration of self, healing and growth. The album LEGACY released in April 2024, and Kyshona has been on tour pretty much consistently ever since. Watch her upcoming Dutch and American tour dates here.
Photos
Originals
People Grinnin’ In Your Face (Ruthie Foster & Son House)
Tidal | Apple Music
See-Line Woman (Nina Simone)
Tidal | Apple Music
Kyshona
Credits
Filmed by Matthijs van der Ven & David Lawson Froggatt.
Edited by Matthijs van der Ven.
Audio recorded & mixed by Matthijs van der Ven.
Location
TakeRoot Festival
Groningen, The Netherlands
Thanks
Joey Ruchtie
TakeRoot
Arne Lampe
Eurosonic Noorderslag
There is no better way to discover music than watching great musicians cover the songs they love. The Influences has been producing these videos ever since 2008.
Read more.
Keep watching
Thank you for watching and enjoying this session. You’ll probably like some other sessions from The Influences’ archive too, like these earlier ones we filmed with Adia Victoria and Kelsey Waldon.
-
Adia Victoria
A lot of people sing the blues. Not many do it quite like Adia Victoria does. Her third record ‘A Southern Gothic’ blew me – and many others – off my feet. In June 2022, we met at Marien Dorleijn’s Studio Hiwhi and filmed ‘My Oh My’, and covers of Erykah Badu and Bukka White.
-
Kelsey Waldon
‘White Noise/White Lines’ is already Kelsey Waldon’s third record in five years time. The Kentuckian country singer has followed her own path since the start. And the cheers of her friends, colleagues and music journalists were noticeable, even from this side of the ocean, when she signed to John Prine’s label Oh Boy Records for…
