Lizzie No’s discography is an eclectic mix of everything from country ballads to folksy foot-tappers to alt-rock imbued with righteous anger — the kind of music that perfectly soundtracks a summer drive down a country highway. The expressive voice of No (the stage name of the band’s lead singer, Lizzie Quinlan, but also the band itself) connects the genres in seamless fashion.
“It’s fun to surprise myself with the number of influences I can fit into my own work and still have it sound like myself,” she told the Rolling Stone last March, as her acclaimed third album Halfsies debuted.
It made me excited for my own conversation with No, who will perform at the Englert Theatre on Friday, July 18, in an intimate show in which the audience will join the artists on the stage. Opening for No is Michael Schodin of the Iowa City electric indie-folk outfit Joytrip.
Born in New Jersey and raised in the Bronx, No began her songwriting career as a child. “I grew up hearing my mother play James Taylor and Peter, Paul & Mary,” she recalled.
Her biggest inspirations came in the ’90s, with the women No affectionately calls “the Lilith Fair girls”: Natalie Merchant, Jewel, Liz Phair. Although this era of music held a predominant white feminine aesthetic, No never felt out of place in the genre as a Black woman.
“It’s the same as being a Black woman in any space, in any world,” No said. “We may be seen as the ‘stereotype threat,’ but we have always been present in folk and country music. There’s a huge spectrum and so much interesting change in country over the past 25 years.”
Still, until Halfsies in 2024, No said she “didn’t ever allow a synthesizer” into her songs “because I knew that as a Black artist, I was going to be held to a much higher, stricter standard if I wanted to be included in folk or country. People already call me a soul and R&B singer out of nowhere, so I was like, ‘I’m going to do everything I can to fit into this folk-y category,’” she told the Rolling Stone.
As No expanded her career as a songwriter, she realized it wasn’t healthy to create while worrying about genre gatekeepers. As she expanded her sound, No joined the Black Opry Revue, a new touring collective “for Black artists, fans and industry professionals working in country, Americana, blues, and homefolk music,” according to the org.
When she’s not touring with her four-piece band, No, a Stanford University graduate, is active in politics and advocacy in Nashville, including the fight for reproductive rights. She’s a card-carrying member of the Democratic Socialists of America; her live album, released in January, is cheekily titled Commie Country.
“I’m counting up my tips / Is there enough for half a tank? / ‘Cause little Black girls better move along when the sun goes down in this part of the country / Waiting by the side of the highway,” she sings on the Halfsies track “Annie Oakley.”
“We all feel the weight of the dominant culture and white supremacy,” No told me. “So, I hope my songs can be a moment of self-reflection.”
As a Black woman who is also a creative, I know firsthand how exhausting it can be to constantly fight for what’s fair and just. I asked No how she avoids burnout. “I keep my safety and my health a priority, making my home space peaceful,” she said.
Home isn’t far from her mind as she continues her world tour.
“It’s been so much fun,” said No, who’s been on and off the road since 2017. “As an artist, I hope that our performances expand the circles of intimacy and change in a very tentative world.”
In addition to wrapping up her tour this summer, No will continue as the co-host of the podcast Basic Folk, hosting conversations with underrepresented voices in the folk, bluegrass and Americana sphere. She also has a new album in the works, due for release later this year.
Her top priority? “I’m challenging myself to stay the fuck home.”
Let that be motivation for us all to catch Lizzie No before she takes her much-deserved rest.
Upcoming event:
Intimate at The Englert: Lizzie No, Friday, July 18 at 6:30 p.m., The Englert, Iowa City
This article was originally published in Little Village’s July 2025 issue.
