Welcome to Don't Rock The Inbox

Alternate title: Two Jews, One Country Newsletter

Hello from Marissa R. Moss and Natalie Weiner, co-founders of the latest and greatest entry into the newsletter abyss: Don’t Rock The Inbox! We both love country music and write about it (Marissa’s even working on a book about it!), but finding places to do the latter — especially in the thoughtful, inclusive, nuanced way we aim to — has become increasingly challenging. Also challenging? Going solo, hence why we thought we’d approach this traditionally solitary effort in a traditionally country way: as a duo.

So we’re going to try to make something new: specifically, a bi-weekly newsletter with essays, interviews and reviews that reflect what’s happening now in country music, using that term’s broadest possible definition. Sure, there will be some country music for people who don’t like country music, some Americana (a term Natalie hates), some folk, some alt-country (another doozy of a genre name). But both of us are as interested in the music’s more commercially-oriented side, who is and isn’t being promoted on Music Row — and what genuinely great music is being made there…or anywhere.

We’re hoping, to paraphrase our faves the Highwomen, to help make yours a more pleasantly crowded stereo — and to shed light on the various forces in Nashville and the country music industry as a whole that try to stifle that kind of diversity and inclusion.

Sign up now so you don’t miss the first issue.

In the meantime, tell your friends!