India Ramey has been quietly building a catalogue to be proud of, & her newest release, Villain Era, is no exception. From the opening track, Ramey & her band march through the record with a ferocity that signals a clear shift into self preservation – and a sharpened sense of what she will & won’t tolerate.
Fueled by that conviction & a fresh set of songs, Ramey left the South for the first time & traveled to Los Angeles to record with two-time Grammy-nominated producer Eric Corne. Together, they crafted a soundscape that is both cinematic and cathartic.
Ramey described her vision to Corne as “Johnny Cash & Loretta Lynn rising from the dead to score a Quentin Tarantino film,” & the sessions fully deliver on that concept. To bring the project to life, Corne assembled an all-star band, including Ted Russell Kamp, Eugene Edwards, Chris Masterson, Eleanor Whitmore, Kevin Brown, Boo Bernstein, and Haley Spence Brown.
Villain Era arrives with all the bumps & bruises you’d expect from a dusty road of potholes & fractured relationships, but Ramey transforms them into something almost celebratory. With a sly sense of humor, she whips some of life’s toughest defeats into deceptively sweet, harmonious lashings of the tongue.
The record moves fluidly through country noir textures – drifting between psychedelic high desert haze, snake-charming spaghetti western energy & rockabilly swagger – all anchored by a voice that’s not only powerful but laced with intentional wit & attitude. There’s a constant undercurrent of charm that reads like a smiling “fuck you very much.” That grin is not only consistent but contagious, as you can’t help but mirror it when listening to tracks like “Cryin’ In My Lingerie,” echoing the storytelling spirit of John Prine. The song feels like it could have been a natural duet for the two – sharp, funny, and soaked in devastating truth.
Villain Era rewards repeat listens, revealing more of its clever wordplay & layered one-liners each time – best experienced loud and often. ? ?
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