Last Days
By Hannah Van Vlack
Singer-songwriter and drag queen Flamy Grant’s hallmark combination of faith and queerness in her music has earned awards and Billboard-charting commercial success. This signature is not lost on her newest song, Last Days, featuring country singer Chris Housman.
“I grew up on mountain music in addition to everything I heard at church,” Flamy says, “and I really was forced to listen to ‘90s Contemporary Christian music. I later found artists like Cheryl Crow, Natalie Merchant, Tracy Chapman and Sara McLaughlin, who very much still influence my lyrics. My music is a fun mix of gospel and female singer-songwriters.”
Flamy Grant’s local roots are threaded throughout her artistry. “When I was a teenager, I picked up a compilation CD in Black Mountain made up of local singer-songwriters, one of whom was David LaMotte,” she says. “I fell in love with his music, and that was my first introduction to the Asheville music scene.” She kept exploring from there. Flamy has done a rare, and often difficult, task: holding on to all parts of her upbringing to create her sound and spread powerful messages.
Last Days takes Flamy’s signature style and uses it to respond to pointed hatred and bigotry. “I hope Last Days will serve as a celebratory rally cry for Christians who are tired of their faith being used to tyrannize and politically persecute the LGBTQ+ community, women, BIPOC folks and everyone else currently suffering at the hands of evangelicals who have sold their integrity for political power,” Flamy says. Hear Last Days on Flamy Grant’s upcoming album, CHURCH, releasing on Friday, September 27.
Flamy Grant’s sophomore album, CHURCH, will be available on Friday, September 27, on all platforms. Flamy’s No More Trauma Tour in support of this album features 32 shows across the US, stopping in Asheville on Wednesday, October 2. For tickets and information, visit FlamyGrant.com and find Flamy on Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok @flamygrant. Hannah Van Vlack is a senior at Western Carolina University studying Writing and Editing in Professional Environments and Music.