For this episode of Pass the Mic: Creating a Stage for Change, we talked to songwriter, activist, and multi-instrumentalist Leyla McCalla during the 2024 Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee. Previously, Leyla performed as part of the GRAMMY award winning Carolina Chocolate Drops. She is also a founding member of the Black, all-female American roots ensemble, Our Native Daughters. Her previous solo work includes her 2022 album Breaking the Thermometer, which explores the history of Radio Haiti and the journalists who risked their lives to report the news in Haitian Kreyol. The album was part of a multidisciplinary dance, theater, and music project commissioned by Duke Performances. Leyla's most recent album, Sun Without the Heat (2024), draws inspiration from Black feminist Afrofuturist writers. Leyla describes her new album as a reflection of her experiences as an activist trying to also embrace joy and pleasure, and a celebration of "thriving against all odds." In this conversation, Leyla reflects on the inspiration behind her new record, life as a working musician while parenting three young children, and what it means to be effective as an activist while also nurturing oneself.

All music featured on this episode was composed by William Wright.