Brittney Spencer discusses playing Pilgrimage Fest, growing stardom

For the past two years, autumn's onset has revealed moments of unexpected, humbling crossover acclaim for Baltimore-born and Nashville-based breakout country music star Brittney Spencer.

In 2022, the season finds her continuing with appearances with Willie Nelson at the Outlaw Music Festival and opening for Maren Morris at the Bridgestone Arena on December 2. As well, she's a part of Franklin, Tenn.'s September 24-25 Pilgrimage Festival event.

How she's evolved from a star on the rise to an emerging superstar -- still while working on recording her eventually forthcoming debut album -- is a tale of a continuing stream of incredible fall season moments.

During 2020's COVID quarantine, the singer-songwriter had been living in Music City for just over a half-decade and was "a girl sitting on a couch wearing a denim jumpsuit and braids, playing [her] guitar." However, in October 2020, upon posting a version of country and Americana all-female supergroup The Highwomen's (Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris, and Amanda Shires) single "Crowded Table" to Twitter, the opportunity and visibility for her career exponentially grew.

One year later, she was touring as an opener for Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Three days after the death of Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, Spencer joined Isbell and his band in paying tribute to Watts with an encore performance of the Stones' 1969 classic "Gimme Shelter."

Rolling Stone Magazine highlighted Spencer's showstopping take on Merry Clayton's "war, children/it's just a shot away" backing vocals featuring "fierce energy."

On the back of those performances, she's become a touring favorite. However, with only a four-track EP and thoughtful, critically-acclaimed single "Sober and Skinny" recently credited to her name, her live performance catalog is bolstered by her acclaim that has grown from material outside her own.

Breakout cover song moments for Spencer have been fast and furious of late, following "Crowded Table," "Gimme Shelter," and a cover of Martina McBride's "Independence Day" at the 2021 Academy of Country Music Honors.

Her pairing with Isbell for a cover of James Brown's "It's A Man's World" highlights his 2021 album "Georgia Blue." In addition, her recent take on The Chicks' "Cowboy Take Me Away" at the Grand Ole Opry resulted in a standing ovation. Also, she closed March 2022's Academy of Country Music Awards alongside the Brothers Osborne with a performance of Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made For Walking," plus performed the National Anthem on the first night of main stage festivities at June 2022's CMA Fest.

"Performing classics is always so fun, and the crowd loves it," she says.

However, there's also something in the idea that emerging as a social media-beloved artist during quarantine put her behind a metaphorical eight-ball. Without the aid of a digital barrier and click-bait type support, the idea of integrating oneself into the mainstream country conversation in real time requires familiarity building renown instead of breeding contempt.

Currently, the former -- while "meeting so many different types of fans" in the process -- is what she's excelling at the most in her career.

Being able to connect with the fans of artists she's touring, like bluesy Americana fave Nathaniel Rateliff, a retro country beloved Charley Crockett, and previously mentioned names like Isbell, Morris, and Nelson is "inspiring and rewarding" for Spencer.

"I try to make music that can expand into different sonic directions," she continues. "The fans' energy and curiosity about my sound have led many people to say they 'don't like the opening act,' but they come up to me after I perform, and they say I'm country -- and something else --  so their minds are blown."

Honing in on that "something else" presents the fascinating moment at which her career, at present, lies.

Foremost, she's an African-American female performer whose touring success mirrors that of other Black female artists of late in the country and Americana spaces, including Joy Clark, Madeline Edwards, Lilli Lewis, Miko Marks, Rissi Palmer, Allison Russell, Adia Victoria, and Yola. Their run of high-profile performances worldwide in 2022 showcases how festivals like Pilgrimage are assuming the lead in pushing for minority equity in those respective industries.

"[Festivals pushing for equity] helps us to navigate many differences in the world, together," says Spencer. "I'm on stage, and I get to help lead a conversation and a healthy, energetic exchange that becomes less unsure every day. In addition, the relationships that artists and fans are developing at these festivals is important."

Spencer also feels that the country music industry is "diversifying and progressing in such an incredible way." She adds that "correcting the pain of a century of exclusion is an intentional act" and that festivals and streaming services are excelling at proving "sustainable in leading a change-driven conversation in a beautiful way."

As well, Spencer is finishing the recording of her debut full-length release.

"Things took off for me quickly, and I've had to learn a lot. Figuring out the proper perspective on how I'm going to present myself to the world has taken me some time," Spencer says.

She feels that much of her first artist album -- and the rest of her career -- will be defined by her excellence as a live performer. Developing a discography that "people want to hear nightly" and highlighting her increased focus on approaching Willie Nelson's level of showmanship and connection to his fanbase.

Spencer feels that she's undergone "overwhelming" artistic and personal changes in the past two years. Growing from believing that "people like [herself], on paper, don't make it," to be a girl from Baltimore City who loved The Chicks and now sings their classics on the Grand Ole Opry is unquestionably impressive.

"I'm still terrified but grateful and honored to occupy the spaces and stages I occupy. I'm going to approach this space in my life with hard work, humility, and a desire to share the story of my success with people who see me as a symbol of being excited by achieving what seems impossible."

Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival 2022 features headliners Chris Stapleton and Brandi Carlile, plus Grammy-winning R&B and jazz musician Jon Batiste, folk rockers The Avett Brothers, and numerous others at The Park at Harlinsdale on September 24 and 25. Tickets for and more information about the event can be found at PilgrimageFestival.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Brittney Spencer discusses playing Pilgrimage Fest, building fanbase