ASHEVILLE, NC – With CHURCH, her new full-length studio album arriving today via Shamus Records, award-winning and Billboard-charting Flamy Grant is once again poised to set the worlds of Christian music and queer culture ablaze with a message that is incendiary to some, a cauterizing balm to others.
A shame-slaying, hip-swaying, singing-songwriting drag queen from Asheville, North Carolina, Flamy Grant made her introduction in 2022 with the debut Bible Belt Baby, that garnered international attention when it reached the #1 spot on the iTunes Christian Charts.
“I absolutely love and am super proud of my first album, but Bible Belt Baby was unexpected offspring. It was my first opportunity to compose an entire album in Flamy’s voice,” she recalls.
Flamy grew up on Christian singer/songwriters like Jennifer Knapp, Margaret Becker and of course, Amy Grant. When she was later allowed to listen outside the confines of CCM, it was Alanis, Natalie Merchant and Sheryl Crow who captured her imagination. “That’s where my musical arrested development starts and ends: anyone who would have fit in on a Lilith Fair stage in 1998. That’s what I do… I just do it in a corset and rhinestone boots.”
CHURCH features 10 country-disco, Americana, and roots-rock songs that tell a story of queer resilience, recovery from religious trauma, and self-discovery. It features guest appearances from rising country artist Chris Housman as well as Ricky Braddy (The Voice) and Crys Matthews.
“Artistically, [CHURCH] is the album I’ve always dreamt of making. I wanted to share moments from across the spectrum of someone who is queer and gender-nonconforming and recovering from religious trauma and still deeply spiritual. That means everything from joyful defiance to the ache of isolation and heartbreak.”
“On this, her sophomore album, Grant embraces her artistry while guiding us to a queer utopia of loving kindness with the ferocious vision of a prophet and the ironic zingers of a RuPaul’s Drag Race panel… Inspired by 1990s country and Christian Contemporary Music (CCM), Grant’s air-tight lyrics and soaring tenor make CHURCH reckon with religious trauma, queer role models, and fully embracing the light within oneself.” – No Depression
Due to Hurricane Helene, Flamy had to pause her No More Trauma Tour to return home Asheville. In a message to fans online, she wrote “The past month as been one of the hardest of my life… Every step of the way, y’all have been there to support us, show up, cheer us on from afar and spread the word… With all of my exhausted, overwhelming, irrepressible gratitude and love…”
The tour continues later this month with additional touring confirmed into 2025. For those looking to help/donate in the recovery effort from Hurricane Helene, please consider supporting www.belovedasheville.com
About Flamt Grant
It’s no accident that Flamy’s drag name is an homage to Amy Grant, the undisputed queen of Christian music and 90s chart-topping pop artist. Much of Flamy’s music centers on the queer spiritual journey, telling stories of resilience and recovery from religious trauma in a world where LGBTQ+ people are frequently ignored by, harmed in, or ejected from religious spaces. With a bold lip, a big lash, and a blistering voice, Flamy drags audiences to a soulful, uplifting church of her own making.
Her music has over 750,000 streams on Spotify, Apple, and Amazon music. A powerhouse vocalist and intrepid songwriter who blends folk, gospel, and roots, Flamy drags you into a therapeutic, theatrical mix of storytelling and song.