How Becca Mancari’s conservative Christian family inspired their new album, ‘Left Hand’

Family. No matter what your relationship is with your family — good, bad, even non-existent — your family is part of what defines you. It’s part of what makes you you. For Becca Mancari, a queer person who grew up in a conservative Christian home, that family relationship has been a complicated thing to navigate.

When Becca Mancari’s conservative Christian family finally invited Becca’s longtime partner for dinner, for instance, it came with some caveats: “We want to invite to come to our house. We don’t want you to act like you’re together, but we’re going to allow you to come into our home.”

Today, Becca — who uses they/them pronouns — joins me to talk about how those experiences inspired much of the songwriting on their new album. The album, called Left Hand, includes collaborations with members of what you could call Becca’s chosen family — like Brittany Howard, Julien Baker, Zac Farro and co-producer Juan Solorzano.

But its title is also a nod to Becca’s heritage and the Mancari family crest — in which a left hand holds a dagger aloft. Our conversation is coming up — along with live performances beginning with the song “Eternity.”