Nashville Artist of the Month Annie DiRusso really overdelivered in the “make us a playlist” charge. “My understanding was, I was making a playlist of what I was listening to when I was making the record,” she said sheepishly, for clarity, but also with a laugh. What she created is basically a full workday of music. The artist said she went through all her “Liked” songs on Spotify and what resulted was a wide-ranging list of classic and modern influences.
She trumpeted peers that are touring with her this spring in support of her debut full-length Super Pedestrian, and especially raved about Ella Williams, who performs as Squirrel Flower. “Every record she’s released has surprised me and become my favorite thing of all time. I can’t even believe she and her band are joining us for a few shows. It feels like I’m living in a dream state. I actually don’t know how I’m going to take the stage after watching her set.” (Squirrel Flower played a very early in WNXP history Sonic Cathedral session in 2021. Annie first visited to play songs from her EP in 2023.)
Canadian band Alvvays is on here — Annie said she fangirled over them in the hotel lobby last spring when DiRusso and her band played the absolutely stacked Kilby Block Party festival in Salt Lake City (Alvvays was also on the bill). This playlist includes other female-fronted rock bands like WNXP favorites Mannequin Pussy, Soccer Mommy and Slow Pulp.
On this 124-track playlist, in addition to favorite fellow indie artists of DiRusso’s, you’ll find commercial hits from all decades from chart-toppers like Sabrina Carpenter, Rihanna, Melissa Etheridge and Steely Dan. I made an incorrect assumption about some of the, should I say, “oldies” on the playlist — are these songs DiRusso grew up listening to, maybe influences from her parents’ record collections? Not really. “I grew up listening to almost exclusively Frank Sinatra, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen,” she said. “My dad was born and raised in Brooklyn and my mom’s from New Jersey.”
Stream the entire thing (in one sitting, if you dare!) here and stay tuned for more Annie DiRusso content the entire month of March.
