Lizzie No Commands Their Space on ‘Halfsies’

Lizzie No makes taking the world by storm look easy. Maybe it’s because their new album Halfsies is effortlessly beautiful: a commanding examination of trauma and self-liberation that draws influences from country music, indie rock and contemporary classical music. 

No’s soothing voice and razor-sharp lyrics carry us through the semi-autobiographical world of a character named Miss Freedomland. No hopes that listeners will experience the immersive story like a video game, in which we inhabit Miss Freedomland’s decision points: How do we turn toward the potential we know we have, the life we deserve? There are no easy answers. No brings that to their music and their approach to navigating Nashville, where they recently moved.

“There are so many great artists and professionals working in mainstream country, but the process of getting a song on radio airplay relies so much on politicking and money,” says No. “And that’s one of the biggest reasons why we don’t see more women, Black artists or queer artists on the radio.” 

No observes that the “filtering process” privileges people who are “able to fit an image of what some of the most powerful capitalists in America think represent country music,” they say. “It’s not about what listeners want to hear or what artists want to say. It’s about a particular segregated vision of Southern white artistry that maybe never existed and certainly doesn’t exist now.”

Nashville, of course, has its own rich history of Black culture and Black music. No points to Making Noise, Nashville Public Radio’s new podcast series hosted by Jewly Hight, which offers proof that Nashville music has long been far more than what Lower Broadway has to offer.

On Halfsies, No demonstrates one way to break barriers by playing alongside the Attacca Quartet, one of the most in-demand ensembles in the contemporary classical world. Initially, No and producer Graham Richman arranged the songs to have a more traditional bluegrass sound, but No hoped to take advantage of the quartet’s cinematic approach to music, leading to the otherworldly results on Halfsies.

That decision was a flying leap for No, and so was their recent relocation to Nashville. They moved to Music City in December, though they barely had time to get settled before they headed back to New York to kick off their tour. No chose to move to Nashville both for the musical community they have found here and to dive into their new role as president of the board of directors of Abortion Care Tennessee. The nonprofit distributes funds to clinics in neighboring states specifically to assist in providing abortions for clients coming from Tennessee. Abortion has been banned in Tennessee with very limited exceptions since 2022.

No became involved with the organization when they played Third Man Records’ Blue Room during AmericanaFest in 2022. The organization approached No about sending volunteers out with her on tour to help spread information and awareness. This experience deepened No’s commitment from “being pro-abortion to being for reproductive justice, which includes access to health care and affordable child care.”

No will be back at The Blue Room on March 14, their first hometown show as a Nashvillian. Their band is electrifying, transforming the spacious explorations on the album into tight arrangements that will make your hair stand on end. 

“I want people to step into my shoes and see there’s so much that we have in common, even though these stories are specific to my life and cultural context. I hope that the live versions bring it closer to home for people.”