A year ago, Miko Marks raised her banner high with the transcendent Feel Like Going Home. The album was Marks’ confident follow-up to her return to Americana and country music, 2021’s Our Country. Going Home is a resolute protest against the racist status quo in America and, in 2024, she will release a deluxe version of the album with several rerecorded and/or reworked songs.
To give you an idea of what’s to come, Marks has released a new version of Going Home closer “Jubilee.” Appropriately enough, it features the voices of the legendary Fisk Jubilee Singers, the group that’s set the standard for preserving the legacy of spirituals since 1871. To kick off the celebration, Marks and the ensemble will perform the song Friday night on the Grand Ole Opry.
Written by Lee Bob Watson, “Jubilee” struck a chord with Marks. “It gave me hope that as I move through the ever-changing world that we live in, all will be well and I will make it to the place of peace, strength and happiness,” Marks says.
Marks grew up in Flint, Mich., with a single mother who brought her to protests as a baby. She went on to study political science at Grambling State University and planned to become a criminal defense attorney before motherhood and the allure of country music brought her to Nashville. While Marks career took her as far as performing at CMA Fest, she became dispirited after a decade of butting up against the industry’s racial barriers.
But her musical spark would not be quenched. After she had a dream about recording another album, she got to work with collaborators Justin Phipps and Steve Wyreman and Our Country was born. Marks’ determination yielded a phenomenal record, and she landed a spot among CMT’s Next Women of Country Class of 2022.
The deluxe version of Feel Like Going Home will feature three new tracks with a to-be-announced roster of all-star guest artists. In addition to “Jubilee,” there will be one song that originally appeared on Our Country as well as a take on “Nine Pound Hammer." Keep an eye on Marks’ website and Instagram profile for updates.
