Villain Era LP Out May 8
Via COPACO Records/Blue Élan Records
Nashville outlaw country siren India Ramey has unveiled “Scattered and Smothered,” the latest from her forthcoming LP, Villain Era, out May 8 via Copaco/Blue Élan Records. Set in a Waffle House after a drunken, wild night “being somewhere she’s not supposed to have been,” this laid-back, tongue-in-cheek tale of woe about a woman feeling stifled by a good man and needing to break free. “Scattered and Smothered” is a lighthearted, comically visual song carried by an easy train beat and laced with classic country pedal steel and twangy, bright guitars.
The new single arrives on the heels of “Welcome to My Villain Era,” a lively, toe-tapping honky-tonk burner that finds her stepping fully into her power. With hints of Loretta Lynn’s fire and Wanda Jackson’s swagger, the track pairs a sassy fiddle and twangy guitars with classic country grit. Equal parts fun and fearless, it’s a danceable declaration from a woman done suffering fools, setting boundaries with anyone who dares to cross them. “If my boundaries offend you,” Ramey says, “I’ll happily play the villain in that story.”
Following the success of her fiery 2024 LP Baptized By The Blaze, which chronicled a hard-won journey through trauma, healing, and survival, Villain Era finds Ramey firmly rooted in reckoning and self-possession. This album is more than just a collection of songs; it’s what happens when a woman stops trying to be palatable and embraces the label of “the villain,” the word that so often gets tossed around when she stops shrinking herself to please everyone else.
Recorded in Los Angeles with two-time Grammy-nominated producer Eric Corne, Villain Era features a roster of powerhouse musicians, including Eugene Edwards (Dwight Yoakam) and Chris Masterson (The Wallflowers) on guitar, and Eleanor Whitmore (Steve Earle) on fiddle, helping Ramey bring her cinematic vision to life. Written entirely by Ramey, Villain Era is a cinematic, spaghetti western-meets-honky-tonk collection that doesn’t ask for permission - it claims its ground. Fans have dubbed her “The Woman in Black” and “the Wednesday Addams of country music.” She leaned fully into that vision, telling Corne she wanted the record to sound like Johnny Cash and Loretta Lynn rose from the grave to score a Quentin Tarantino film. The result is a bold, cathartic album that balances grit, gallows humor, and joy as resistance. With Villain Era, India Ramey doesn’t ask for permission - she claims her territory, laughs loudly, and dares anyone to underestimate her.