Ani DiFranco talks about the importance of ‘showing up’ in these unprecedented times

The iconic independent artist talks about the importance of ‘showing up’ in these unprecedented times

Hey there, music lovers. 

Welcome to Why Music Matters, a podcast where we examine the power and influence that music can wield in our lives. 

I’m your host, Jeff Miers.

Today’s episode is a very meaningful one for me, because it features a musician, poet, activist, and independent music icon whose life’s work was an inspiration for the creation of this podcast. 

If anyone can stand as a representative of 'why music matters', it’s Ani DiFranco. 

Over the course of nearly 35 years and the release of 23 albums, DiFranco has carved a path that is wholly her own. A dyed-in-the-wool independent artist, Ani has never taken the knee, steadfastly refusing to follow trends or bend to the will of self-appointed tastemakers and music industry gatekeepers, all while crafting a body of work that speaks truth to power, spits fire, and embraces the beauty found in simplicity, in equal measure. 

When I spoke with Ani, she was enjoying a brief break in her current tour, supporting her brilliant, groundbreaking newest album, Unprecedented Shit. That tour brings Ani back home to Buffalo on August 31, at the Terminal B Amphitheater on the Outer Harbor, for her first hometown gig since 2016. 

During our chat, we talked about the new record; about the disturbingly strident march toward authoritarianism in this country and around the world; about the importance of, in Ani’s words, showing up for the job at hand; and about music’s unerring ability to speak to what is good and true in all of us. 

It’s an absolute honor to welcome Ani DiFranco to Why Music Matters…