Many songs have been written about the state of Tennessee, but this one – the opener for the upcoming live set by Bonnie & the Mere Mortals, Live & Unplugged, (out August 4) – is surely a first. Written by frontwoman Bonnie Ramone, the track takes a southern gothic musical approach to a tale about loss of belonging. To have a queer identifying artist write about Tennessee as a place they’ve felt embraced is progress… even if the song is lamenting the loss of that feeling in the wake of challenges to freedoms we all hold dear.