Lavender Country—widely acknowledged as the first openly gay country artist—is releasing his sophomore album Blackberry Rose and Other Songs and Sorrows From Lavender Country on February 18 via Don Giovanni. Today, Lavender Country has shared a new version of the song “I Can’t Shake the Stranger Out of You.” Hear it below.
In 2019, Lavender Country self-released a small run of Blackberry Rose albums on CD, which were sold at concerts. The upcoming edition of the album marks its first wide release backed by a label. (Previously-shared digital versions of the 2019 release have since been pulled from streaming by the group.) The new version of the album will include re-recorded songs as well as an updated tracklist, which you can find below.
In 2020, “I Can’t Shake the Stranger Out of You” was covered by RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant Trixie Mattel on the album Barbara. Lavender Country’s updated version of the track was laid down in Nashville with the full LC band.
Lavender Country is helmed by principal songwriter Patrick Haggerty, who issued his debut, self-titled LP under the moniker in 1973. Back in 2014, it was reissued on a much larger scale than its initial release of 1,000 copies.
Revisit Pitchfork’s 2016 interview “Lavender Country Won’t Stand for North Carolina’s Transgender Bullying.”
Blackberry Rose:
01 I Can’t Shake the Stranger Out of You
02 Gay Bar Blues
03 Leave All Disillusions Behind
04 Red Dress
05 Sweet Showman
06 Clara Fraser, Clara Fraser
07 Lament of a Wyoming Housewife
08 Blackberry Rose
09 Stand on Your Man
10 Don’t Buy Her No More Roses
