Nine Volt Heart featured three new songs from the feminist folk quartet, Ruby Mack, from their upcoming release “Devil Told Me”. Emma Ayres and Zoe Young from Ruby Mack were my guests for this premier of the new material. We begin with the harmony-filled acapella “Breadwinner” which questions gender roles in society. As it turns out this song only points toward more of Emma’s songs regarding this theme.

The new album features on it’s cover an apple (presumably a Ruby Mack) and a serpent; representing the disc’s dominant themes of gender and expectations. The concept turns the story of Eve in the Garden of Eden on it’s axis, embracing the forbidden fruit from the “tree of knowledge of good and evil”. Instead of shame and “original sin”, these descendents of Eve want to spread the “new gospel’ of feminist empowerment. Gender roles are questioned and abandoned in these songs.

Our conversation covers these themes and more. We chronicle the origin story of these musicians and their experience of being “discovered” at a jam at GreyFox bluegrass festival. Our segment includes the songs “Odysseus” and “Milktooth”

Ruby Mack consists of Emma Ayres (vocals and guitar), Zoe Young (vocals and guitar) Abs Kahler (fiddle) and Abbie Duquette (bass uke).

They can be found at rubymackfolk.com and you can pre-save their upcoming single and album on Spotify.