The Highwomen Set a 'Crowded Table' [Fresh Vid]

Among the most important things about The Highwomen — the group organized around the core of phenomenal country- and country-adjacent songsmiths Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris and Amanda Shires — is that they're focused on inclusion. In some situations, a spirit of competition is a good and healthy thing. But when women in the music business are forced to compete against each other because someone has made the arbitrary decision that they're only going to get access to a very limited amount of resources for them, everyone loses.

That's an overarching theme of The Highwomen's work as a whole, and it's an undercurrent of "Crowded Table," a standout song on their all-killer, no-filler album The Highwomen. The song focuses on all the benefits you get when you do the work to let yourself be vulnerable and draw strength from other people: "If we want a garden, then we're gonna have to sow the seed," goes one verse. A music video the group released today features footage from inside historic RCA Studio A, filmed during sessions for the album, and it gives you an idea of how many people they relied on to bring the album together.

Among many others, you'll see producer Dave Cobb and drummer Chris Powell, and guest performers including Jason Isbell, Sheryl Crow and Yola. There's plenty of family there, including Carlile's wife Catherine Shepherd and their daughter Evangeline, and Shires and Isbell's daughter Mercy. And there's a bit of footage of Carlile and others getting Highwomen tattoos ( there are even temporary ones for the young'uns). It's a strong reminder that a singular achievement, like this album, isn't diminished by bringing more folks to the table.