Black Opry Resident Spotlight: Denitia

Denitia (she/her), one of March’s Artist To Watch, is a singer-songwriter who exemplifies American cultural enlightenment. Born and raised outside Houston, Denitia’s southern heritage forms a canvas for her evolving musical portrait. As a child, she performed in church choirs, and taught herself to play piano and guitar from her family’s trailer in the woods. She carried those experiences with her as she made her way around the country, moving to Nashville for college, and Brooklyn thereafter.

Denitia’s portfolio of work reveals melodic stories spanning states, cities, and times. Fusing elements of country, folk and rock, Denitia establishes a newfound American utopia, ongoing and indefinite, uplifted by wistful vocals and the chimes of a tambourine. With her songs as mantras, Denitia aims to reimagine what it means to be home.

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An extension of the WXPN Artist To Watch program, Black Opry Residency is a six-week artist development program that aims to help Black Americana artists build sustainable careers and broaden their audiences. Black Opry Residency has been supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.

Get to know Denitia:

Who are your favorite artists right now?

SZA, Cocteau Twins, Eagles, The 1975, Beyonce, Fleetwood Mac

Do you have any pre-show rituals? 

I like to drink a lot of tea in general, but definitely have a cup or two before the show. Something I started doing a long time ago is taking a solo walk before stage time just to take some deep breaths and enjoy some silence to get grounded.

Who is your dream artist to work with?

There are quite a few. But to name one, I’d love to work with Leon Bridges, he’s incredible and makes such beautiful music. I think our styles and voices would work really cool together. Leon’s so versatile in style and genre but the heart of it all is soulful, I really vibe with that.

Where do you draw inspiration for your lyrics?

One of the things I love most about music is how it highlights the universal human experience told through specific stories. I take most of my inspiration from my own life and people around me. I’m often inspired by a visual, like a mental film still, something that I see or imagine and then I start to sort of contextualize that within my life and what’s currently happening.

When I tell my own story, often other people will relate to it, because even in our individual life paths and our lenses, we share this commonality of humanity. And that’s what drives me to keep writing.

What is one stand out memory in your career thus far?

Listen to the Denitia below!