Heather Mae on social justice songwriting, the hedonic treadmill, and hearing god during a massage.

We often look at an artist's career through the lens of industry accolades: the tours, the streaming numbers, the awards. But what happens when you intentionally dismantle your creative ego to build something focused entirely on collective liberation? Heather Mae is an award-winning independent artist, the founder of Singing Resistance Nashville, and a prominent voice in organized musical activism. Following a viral arrest at the Tennessee Capitol while protesting anti-trans legislation, Heather sits down with us to discuss the profound impacts of communal singing, navigating trauma as a neurodivergent and queer creator, and how to balance radical empathy without completely burning out. It’s an expansive, deeply human conversation about moving past the modern traps of artistic productivity to discover what it truly means to be of service.

In This Episode:

• Heather Mae
• Ysaye Barnwell
• Sweet Honey in the Rock
• The Song School (Planet Bluegrass)
• National Organization for Women
• Singing Resistance Nashville
• Tennessee Equality Project
• Melody Walker
• Justin Jones
• Gloria Johnson
• WMOT
• "Just More Love"
• Alex Pretti
• Folk Alliance
• Chris Matthews
• Etta James
• MusiCares
• Music Health Alliance
• Carl Jung
• Ep 97 - Fancy Hagood

Go Deeper:

• Watch: View this entire conversation on YouTube.
• Explore: Find similar conversations in these themed playlists.
• Connect: Join the conversation on Instagram.

The Hosts:

The Other 22 Hours is hosted by Aaron Shafer-Haiss (Producer/Mixer) and Michaela Anne (Songwriter/Creative Coach).

• More about Aaron’s work.
• More about Michaela Anne’s work.

Credits: 

Produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Original music written, performed and produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Part of the Bluegrass Situation Podcast Network.