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Crys Matthews is the self-proclaimed “Poster Child for Intersectionality.” While she’ll say that with a smile, it’s actually true: she’s a black, lesbian, butch woman, formerly in an interracial marriage. Raised in North Carolina, her mother was a preacher, providing Crys with a rich backdrop of gospel music. She found music in 6th grade, first picking up the clarinet and then deciding she wanted to be a high school band director. In high school, she also came out to her mother, which caused a lot of pain and friction between her and her mom, who were otherwise very close. In college, Crys discovered performing and songwriting, which caused her to pursue performing music.

In our conversation, we talk about how she actually enjoys difficult conversations with people. Also, I asked her about the joyfulness you hear in her songs, even when they are hard topics. We touch upon her new EP, which is filled with very vulnerable and personal songs, more than her previous work. I enjoyed hearing her talk about her relationship to her gender and how her clothing choices align with those feelings. And finally, we talk about the star of the show: her dog Juice. Enjoy!

Watch Crys’ great TedTalk on difficult conversations

Crys Matthews’ latest EP