Mitski Kicks Off Four-Night Residency at The Ryman, April 10-14

Born in Japan to an American father and Japanese mother- dual identities which have long informed her personal and artistic ethos- beloved indie, art pop, and folk rock artist Mitski spent her youth moving from country to country around the world due to her father’s job at the U.S. State Department, ultimately settling in New York for college to study music. During her time in school, she self-released her first two albums, Lush and Retired from Sad, New Career in Business, setting an early foundation for the genre-bending, deeply personal, and layered pop sound she’d come to perfect. By 2014’s Bury Me at Makeout Creek she had begun attracting more buzz and inked an independent record deal, flexing even more adventurous and subversive influences, but it was subsequent two records Puberty 2 and Be the Cowboy, released in 2016 and 2018 through buzzy label Dead Oceans, that truly made Mitski an indie darling, critically beloved new musical fixture, and amassed a fervent following and ubiquitous acclaim.

A whirlwind of attention, touring, opening spots for major acts like Pixies and Lorde would follow, and, in part due to the attention, qualms with the capitalistic nature of the industry itself and the tendency of passionate fanbases to get a little carried away with hero worship, Mitski briefly considered stepping away from music entirely, even announcing this intention in 2019, before rescinding that decision. Instead, she ultimately left social media, moved here to Nashville (where, as far as we can tell, she’s remained ever since), and took a well-earned break, before ultimately returning in 2022 with her first LP in four years, the synth-infused Laurel Hell, largely written during the pandemic lockdowns. As great as that record was, its swift followup, last year’s This Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We, proved to be an even more impressive, intimate, folky, and focused work- perhaps’s Mitski’s best album yet- largely recorded at Nashville’s Bomb Shelter studio, and the first wholly conceived since her move to Music City.

It wasn’t so long ago that Mitski was playing more intimate Nashville venues like The End, The High Watt, and The Basement, though most recently she headlined The Ryman in 2022, and last year made a surprise appearance a fan listening event for her new album at The Belcourt. In support of her latest though, the acclaimed artist will return to The Ryman Auditorium tonight, April 10, kicking off a four consecutive nights of shows which run through Saturday, April 13, with different openers at each- Sarah Kinsley on Wednesday, Sunny War on Thursday, and Julia Jacklin on Friday, all young pop singers with a complimentary vibe to Mitski, then famed, long-running Americana rock group Cowboy Junkies for Saturday’s final show. This four-night residency at the Mother Church is an impressive feat for any artist, and a testament to the singer’s rising popularity and the brilliance of The Land Is Inhospitable, which our entire team ranked as one of last year’s best and most important releases.

Though these shows sold quickly, a handful of tickets remain available (or have been recently released) right here, with many resale tickets available for each night as well. While the fact that she’s a Nashville transplant makes us all the more proud of Mitski’s impressive feats and stunning recent work, she’s one of the most gifted and profound and resonant songwriters not just in Nashville, but in the world right now, and a chance to see her bring her earnest and intimate music to life in person is one you don’t want to pass up!

Mitski will perform at The Ryman Auditorium April 10-14 with Sarah Kinsley (4/10), Sunny War (4/11), Julia Jacklin (4/12) and Cowboy Junkies (4/13). The shows are all ages, begin at 8 p.m., and tickets are available for $55.00-89.50.