Cosmic Cowgirls & Female Outlaws 1951 – 1979 / Var (Red Vinyl)

Various Artists' Cosmic Cowgirls & Female Outlaws 1951-1979 brings together women who pushed against the expected borders of country and folk between 1951 and 1979, tracing a line through psychedelic country, acid-folk and other stranger frontier sounds. Presented by Two Piers with Hackney shop Stranger Than Paradise, it frames these singers and songwriters not as a tidy scene but as fiercely individual artists working in a male-dominated landscape.

The set's appeal is in that breadth: alongside better-known names such as Bobbie Gentry and Loretta Lynn, it pulls in cult figures including Connie Converse, Susan Christie, Linda Perhacs, Bridget St John and Nancy Priddy, plus Linda Martell, whose presence adds an important dimension to the story of women making space in country music on their own terms. Across the compilation, themes of independence, mysticism, nature and life beyond the margins come through clearly.

Rather than treating "female outlaws" as a slogan, this collection focuses on songs that still feel unusual, self-possessed and a little unruly. For listeners who like their country and folk with a drift toward the uncanny, Cosmic Cowgirls & Female Outlaws 1951-1979 works as both a rewarding introduction and a sharply curated alternative history.

Features

• Red Vinyl, Limited Edition
• Includes insert