Photos + Article by Christie McMenamin
Queer country is finally here. This summer, Out heralded the change. Once on the
outskirts of country, if included at all, queer people are taking back a genre that has
been historically hostile to them. These attitudes certainly continue to persist, but
LGBTQ+ representation is rapidly increasing. Julien Baker and Torres (Mackenzie
Scott) are the latest queer artists to have their say.
The rollout for their country project interestingly occurred in surprise phases,
drumming up hype. First debuting a few new songs at Baker’s Webster Hall
residency, the pair announced a forthcoming album with no further information.
Soon, a smattering of festival tour dates were released for 2025, still with little
explanation. Then the website appeared, with a link to a mailing list inviting fans
to sign up, in addition to some shared Instagram posts of the two clowning around
in cowboy gear.
Baker and Scott later announced that they would be making a Jimmy Fallon
appearance on the night of Tuesday, December 10th. At that point, not even a song
had been released.
Later that afternoon, fans on the mailing list were treated to another surprise: on
the following night, there would be a promo show at the Mercury Lounge, a
thrilling, 250-capacity venue. Selling out in less than three minutes, those lucky
enough to score tickets were elated to check out the new band during their 8pm
time slot.
Kicking off the show was “Sugar in the Tank,” the single they premiered the night
before on Fallon. A buoyant, peppy tune with a big, infectious chorus, it burst the
venue into a sprawling night of new songs and covers, such as Tim McGraw’s
“Something Like That” and George Strait’s “Carrying Your Love with Me.” Fans
also had the chance to grab some unreleased merchandise.
Two days later, the official release of “Sugar in the Tank” hit the Internet,
immediately landing on featured playlists across the web. Spotify, Apple Music,
Paste, the New York Times, and more raved about the track.
At present, Baker and Scott are mum on a record release date. For now, find photos from their Mercury Lounge performance below, along with a stream of “Sugar in the Tank” ahead of the release of the video.
Mercury Lounge setlist:
Sugar in the Tank
Bottle
Dirt
Off The Wagon
The Only Marble I’ve Got Left
Tuesday
Carrying Your Love with Me
Sylvia
No Desert Flower
Tape Runs Out
Downhill Both Ways
Something Like That
Goodbye Baby
Tour Dates:
MAR 27, 2025 – MAR 30, 2025
Big Ears Festival
Knoxville, TN
MAR 27, 2025
Ohio University
Athens, OH
APR 3, 2025 – APR 5, 2025
Mission Creek Festival
Iowa City, IA
APR 26, 2025 – APR 27, 2025
High Water Music Festival
Charleston, SC
MAY 15, 2025 – MAY 18, 2025
Kilby Block Party
Salt Lake City, UT
JUN 20, 2025 – JUN 22, 2025
Mountain Jam
Highmount, NY
JUN 20, 2025 – JUN 22, 2025
Green River Festival
Greenfield, MA
JUL 4, 2025 – JUL 5, 2025
Zootown
Missoula, MT
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