The Downhome Sound - by Mandi Bates Bailey

About the Book

"American roots music, also known as Americana music, is comprised of many sub-genres and has long been associated with politics, diversity, and race, but political science has yet to explore its impact. Mandi Bates Bailey's 'The Downhome Sound' fills that void by considering the message, the artists, the community, and the impact of Americana music. To understand the genre's intended messages and reception, she analyzed lyrics and surveyed Americana artists, music journalists, and festival organizers. Ultimately, she suggests that her interviews with Americana artists reveal their powerful desire for inclusion and diversity and, in some cases, the need to address racial injustice directly. Her study shows that exposure to Americana music is related to positive assessments of African Americans and political policies seen as helpful to them, which cannot be said of exposure to popular country music and rap music. American roots music is challenging to define. Sub-genres include folk, bluegrass, country, blues, southern rock, rock and roll, jazz, and cowpunk. Americana has become a blanket term to cover music that fits comfortably into each of these genres or incorporates elements from a combination of them. The artists included in Bailey's analysis represent different sub-genres, a wide age range, differing educational backgrounds and geographic regions of the United States, and even international artists playing in the genre. They also represent different career stages, from neophyte to established, with several Grammy and Americana Music Association award nominees and winners included. Common themes established in her interviews with these artists are the importance of narrative, audience loyalty, and the listening environment. Using a theoretical foundation rooted in stereotyping, Bailey suggests that whites with strong negative stereotypes of African Americans will process racial messages conveyed via Americana music more positively than similar messages presented in rap music (i.e., the stereotype-confirming genre). She addresses the culture surrounding the Americana audience, revealing that the listening environment is vital to artists and fans. She shows that artists believe their audiences represent diverse occupational, regional, and socio-economic backgrounds but are more educated and socially aware than the average American. They are also primarily white and left-leaning politically. Addressing the broader implications of her study, Bailey asks whether a hypothetical increase in popularity of or exposure to Americana music would dilute the impact of the inclusivity and tolerance provided in the music"--

Book Synopsis

American roots music, also known as Americana music, can be challenging to categorize, spanning the genres of jazz, bluegrass, country, blues, rock and roll, and an assortment of variations in between. In The Downhome Sound, Mandi Bates Bailey explores the messages, artists, community, and appeal of this seemingly disparate musical collective. To understand the art form's intended meanings and typical audiences, she analyzes lyrics and interviews Americana artists, journalists, and festival organizers to uncover a desire for inclusion and diversity. Bailey also conducts an experiment to assess listener reception relative to more commercial forms of music. The result is an in-depth study of the political and cultural influence of Americana and its implications for social justice.

Review Quotes

"Drawing from research in social psychology and using an eclectic, mixed-methods approach that combines personal reflections with archival analyses, interviews with artists, and a survey-based experiment, Bailey explores the role that racial stereotypes play in the link between Americana music consumption and political attitudes (and racial attitudes in particular). I specifically appreciate that Bailey pushes against the idea that Americana is the sole province of white 'hippies' and 'cowboys, ' and The Downhome Sound demonstrates that certain racialized messages in the music can even be a vehicle for progressive thinking among its listeners."--Ray Block Jr., associate professor of political science and African American studies at Pennsylvania State University-University Park

"The Downhome Sound is extraordinary in its commitment to drawing attention to Americana's Black roots. This is an invaluable sourcebook on Americana music and a refreshing read on how it resonates as a quintessentially American experience that was born and bred in rurality, racism, poverty, and resilience."--H. L. T. Quan, author of Growth against Democracy: Savage Developmentalism in the Modern World

"Good music is often nebulous and hard to define. Americana is like that, and The Downhome Sound cleverly avoids forcing the music into a tidy category to study it. Instead, Mandi Bates Bailey focuses on messages and the people, the songwriters and those who enjoy our work, to understand how it affects others. We may seldom see the stadiums full of fans that more commercial musicians enjoy, but we know the impact of our craft, and this book demonstrates that impact can extend beyond our loyal fanbases."--John Paul White, American singer-songwriter and former member of the Grammy Award-winning duo The Civil Wars

"Using a sophisticated mixed-methods approach, Bailey elevates our understanding of Americana music, its culture and community, and the power of roots music on unfamiliar listeners. An excellent read."--Adolphus G. Belk Jr., coeditor of For the Culture: Hip-Hop and the Fight for Social Justice

About the Author

Mandi Bates Bailey is professor of political science, Africana studies, and women's and gender studies at Valdosta State University.
Guy Davis is a Grammy-nominated traditional blues guitarist.