You're born with the story when you're Southern.

You're born with the song.

It's like, oh, you're going to be born in the South.

Here's your song and here's your story.

Welcome to Biscuits and Jam from Southern Living. I'm Sid Evans, editor-in-chief of Southern Living magazine.

My guest this week is one of the most exciting new voices from the South, an acclaimed singer-songwriter who followed her heart to Memphis at the age of 18. She also followed a calling

to country music despite not seeing many black artists in the genre. Like I could have given up a

long time ago because everybody in the world is like, don't you know you black? Why are you

want the same country? I'm like, it's not a question, it's who I am. You know? Valerie June split time as a kid

between the rural towns of Humboldt and Jackson, Tennessee, hunting in the creeks for

crawdads and connecting to other wildlife around her. When she began making music, she would do open

mics at night while working at

coffee shops or cleaning houses during the day. Along the way, legends began to take notice of her

unique style and voice, like Booker T. Jones, Carla Thomas, and even Bob Dylan, who mentioned

in an interview that Valerie is one of his favorite new artists.

With a range that spans from rhythm and blues to Appalachian and Bluegrass,

she's even penned songs for Mavis Staples and the Blind Boys of Alabama.

On today's show, Valerie tells me that attending both black and white churches as a child helped her find her voice.

I learned how to sing the same songs from the same book in two different ways.

And then I found my voice in the middle.

And I found also in my life that I'm always in the middle of the room when it comes to races.

I'm like, come on, y'all. Let's get together.

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