Amy Ray and Tami Neilson

Episode 227: This week dwells on origins and growth with two artists who've had very different journeys but who had to get resourceful in their own way. Amy Ray put the Indigo Girls on the map with her partner Emily Saliers in part through a relentless focus on activism and support of causes they cherished. They were given the Americana Lifetime Award for Free Speech in September. Tami Neilson grew up in a family band playing gospel and country in and around Canada, but she had to start over from square one when she moved to New Zealand to get married 20 years ago. She found multiple ways to stand out and make her own scene, driven by her outstanding voice and her provocative feminist anthems.