Austin-based family music group Strawbitty Yops bring us an album all about “the different ways we show and receive love.” It includes their collaborative single about queer joy, “Rainbow Superpowers” (about which more here), along with other upbeat tunes and interstitial dialogues about spending time with family, building community, collaboration, listening, learning from our mistakes, being thankful, and more.
The band consists of Woody Hill and Cindy Haws, who met as drag artists in the Austin queer performance scene, plus Haws’ daughter Autumn, an interior design student at the University of Texas. All of the tracks were recorded, mixed, and mastered by queer and non-binary or marginalized-gender artists, the band said in a press statement. The album also includes guest appearances from fellow children’s musicians 123 Andrés, Uncle Jumbo, Red Yarn, Hot Toast Music Co., Ants on a Log, Lavender Blues, Carrie Ferguson, and Jam Phelps.
Haws said that the inspiration for the album comes from the many children in her family and work life. In addition to being part of the band, Haws is a long-time teacher at the Rosedale School, part of the Austin Independent School District, where she teaches music to students with disabilities and is a Social Emotional Learning facilitator. She’s also a caregiver of several biological and former foster children. “I have many conversations with my children of all ages about the different ways that we can show compassion, caring and love to ourselves and others, and I wanted to explore that further in our songwriting,” she explained.
While there are important messages in the songs, they also have catchy melodies and the band’s signature harmonies, with creative percussion and Hill’s beatboxing alongside bluegrass, folk, and indie dance influences. Interstitial dialogues between the songs elaborate on the themes but also give listeners the sense that they’re in the room chatting with the band; this may even spark additional conversations at home. What Does Love Look Like? is a fun but thoughtful album that should find many fans among queer families and others. Put it on in your home or try it on your next road trip!
- “What Does Love Look Like?” A fun beatbox section and harmonies drive this song that underscores the theme of the whole album.
- “Level Up,” featuring Uncle Jumbo. Celebrates growth, practice, and making mistakes in order to learn and improve.
- “Collaboration Nation” A bluegrass-style jam with jug band infused elements about connections, community, and working together to build a better world. Co-written with Red Yarn and 123 Andres.
- “Let’s Get Excited!” A reminder to cheer for our friends’ achievement and our own, and how we inspire each other. Co-written with Hot Toast Music Co.
- “Get it Right” Groove to this song about active listening, understanding, empathy, as well as taking responsibility when things go wrong.
- “Warm and Cozy” Here the tempo goes down a notch with a song about special moments spent with family.
- “Rainbow Superpowers” This joyous song is a collaboration between the band and several other leading queer family musicians, with a message about defining your identity and embracing your individuality. “As queer artists and activists we wanted to make sure we addressed the need for some queer joy and positive affirmations,” said Hill.
- “Good Things Take Time” Another slower song, this time about the importance of patience and waiting for things to unfold naturally.
- “Music In My Head” Here, a jazzy, bass-driven groove will make you want to dance, as it shows how we can use music as an expression of love, joy, and community.
- “So Thankful” A percussion-driven song about the countless things we have to be thankful for in life and the importance of starting each day with gratitude.
