The Record Room

These days, every artist�s album needs to have a story. The music can�t speak for itself.

But after 22 records, why can�t Ani DiFranco�s work speak for itself? Yes, her forthcoming album is shaped by stories � ones about reproductive freedom, the double-edged sword of the pandemic, identity and ever-evolving belief systems that have shaped each of its 11 songs. It was paramount to the folk-feminist hero that listeners not be saddled with preconceived notions while diving into her 23rd album Unprecedented Sh!t. �I believe there is a rhyme and a reason as to why these songs have come together in this way now and I want people to experience this album as a journey, a piece of art, without being influenced by a cacophony of surrounding narratives.�

While many of DiFranco�s albums were made more insularly, she�s opened herself up to collaboration in recent years. For 21 of DiFranco�s 22 albums, she opted to self-produce. With Unprecedented Sh!t, she wanted to try working with a producer and tapped BJ Burton, who produced one of her favorite albums, Bon Iver�s 22, A Million.

The title Unprecedented Sh!t is not only representative of how much of a sonic departure the 11-track album is from Ani�s other work, but also a political and social commentary on the current state of the world. �We find ourselves in unprecedented times in many ways, faced with unprecedented challenges. So, our responses to them and our discourse around them, need to rise to that level.�