Kira Annalise - of The Waymores Talks Music, Hair, and Fashion | Instagram LIVE | Rugged Revival
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There's something refreshing about an artist who refuses to play the Nashville game. Kira Annalise of The Waymores—the Atlanta-based honky tonk Americana duo that's been praised by everyone from Vintage Guitar to the Austin Chronicle for keeping the old sound alive—doesn't fret about imitating anyone else. When asked about her fashion heroes, she's clear: she's her own person. It's that kind of authenticity that extends through every aspect of her artistry, from the music she makes with husband Willie Heath Neal to the very clothes she performs in.
The Waymores have earned their reputation as keepers of a genuine honky tonk flame while the rest of modern Nashville seems content with lip service to tradition. Vintage Guitar noted that "while 21st-century Nashville pays lip service to this timeless sound, the Waymores keep it alive." The Austin Chronicle went further, comparing them to June Carter and Johnny Cash—that bright and brash combination that made country music feel dangerous and alive. These aren't throwaway comparisons; they're acknowledgments that something real is happening when The Waymores take the stage.
I hate it every day. I hate it more, but thank you very much.
— Kira Annalise
What struck me most during a recent conversation with Kira was her thoughtfulness about every choice she makes—not out of pretension, but out of genuine care. When discussing her stage wardrobe, she didn't rattle off designer names for clout. Instead, she spoke passionately about Christy Dawn, a company that sources regenerative cotton from southern India, employs traditional farmers at fair wages, dyes fabrics with vegetables instead of synthetics, and works with LA designers who are similarly compensated. It's the kind of detail most artists wouldn't bother mentioning. For Kira, it matters enormously.
That ethical consciousness extends even to the dead stock fabric Christy Dawn rescues from the textile industry—the bolt ends and remnants that would otherwise warehouse away to nothing. She's not thrifting vintage because she's never had luck finding clothing that fits her frame, she explains matter-of-factly. That's not bitterness; it's just honesty. What she *does* do is wear pieces that align with her values. In an industry often obsessed with image, it's oddly rebellious.
I really care about where my clothes are coming from and it's more of a boho country style, I guess.
— Kira Annalise
Hair, it turns out, isn't where Kira gets precious. Through a transition from longer locks to something shorter, her approach is beautifully straightforward: arrowroot powder when she wants texture, heat styling tools when needed, and that's it. No elaborate routines, no sponsored product endorsements. The lack of pretension is almost jarring in an age where artists monetize every aspect of their personal maintenance. She's currently growing her hair out again—a process she admits to hating "every day," even as others tell her it looks great. It's that kind of self-aware, slightly self-deprecating honesty that makes her easy to root for.
There's a through-line connecting all of this: The Waymores succeed because they care about the substance beneath the surface. Kira's grandmother inspired her fashion sense early on, teaching her that good dressing isn't about following trends but about understanding what works. That lesson seems to have stuck. The music, the clothes, the way she carries herself—it all reflects someone who knows the difference between authenticity and performance, and chooses the former every time.
In an era where country music feels increasingly manufactured, where artists are expected to hit predetermined marks of marketability, The Waymores stand apart simply by being themselves. They don't need to reinvent honky tonk for the streaming age because they understand what made it matter in the first place. Kira Annalise represents that same ethos in every choice she makes, from the ethical brands she wears to her no-nonsense approach to beauty routines.
If you want to hear what genuine Americana sounds like in 2024—and meet the woman behind it—the full conversation is worth your time.
I'll help you. I'll help you start a reday love situation. >> Oh, hello. >> Hi, friend. >> How are you? >> Good. How are you >> doing? All right. >> I'm standing by a busy road, so it might be a little noisy, but I think I'm >> I'm in a hotel in North Carolina. So, >> your hair looks awesome. >> Thank you. I hate it. It's it's it's grown out so well and it's it looks great. I love it. >> I I hate it every day. I hate it more, but thank you very much. >> Well, you look you look better than you think. Hang in there. >> Thank you. >> So, all right. So, what we do with these, I try to keep them short and sweet, okay? And we'll we'll take the video, I'll post it, and then I'll take it down and try to chop off the little beginning part and then post again. So, uh, the Rugged Revival will take the audio and they put that on all their streaming services. >> So, they'll do their process with it. So, um, let's get into it. >> So, um, who was your first source of fashion inspiration? Who did you want to kind of mimic a little bit when you were getting into this whole thing? >> When I was getting into music or like as a child? >> Oh, let's do both. >> Okay. Um, as a kid, it was my grandma. >> Okay. Yeah. >> Uh, I used to like go and raid her closet and just put on all these, you know, she was really she was she was good. She dressed well. >> Um, >> and super flattering, too, right? Like I'm, you know, it's to mimic somebody is the ultimate form of flattery. >> Yeah, I think so. >> Yeah, she probably like that. As far as um I don't think that I have like a person that I go after trying to, you know, like mimic them or dress like them. Uh in the music industry, I really care about like where my clothes are coming from. >> And I care about it's more it's kind of like a boho country style, I guess. >> Yeah. >> But I don't think there's ever been like a specific person where I'm like, "Oh my god, I want to dress like her." >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Okay. That's cool. So, you're very much your own person. I love that. Um, tell me about your favorite onstage outfit. >> Oh, man. Um, anything from Christy Dawn. Uh, they make dress. So, I was just talking about how I care about what I wear. So, Christy Dawn is a really beautiful company. They make beautiful clothing, but they also care a lot about the earth. So, they have like a regenerative cotton farm in southern India. And they employ with fair wages. They employ um farmers down there, like traditional farmers that dye their clothes. They grow, weave, and dye the clothes all there on the cotton farm. And they dye it with like vegetables and stuff. So there's no poisons going into your clothing, no synthetic, anything. And then they also have designers in LA that help with the designs of things. And they also pay them a fair wage. So, it's a really really great company and they make the most beautiful dresses and I mostly wear those. >> Oh, that's awesome. Yeah, I like that a lot. That's really cool. I know a lot of folks are really into like thrifting and trying to like support some of like the recirculating stuff. >> I have never So, that's they call them like um they call it dead stock fabric. That's another thing that Christy Dawn does in the textile industry. uh the companies use they only use so much and then everything that they don't use just goes to like a warehouse or whatever and Chrissy Don makes a bunch of dresses and clothing out of that dead stock fabric. So they are reusing stuff. I've never had any luck uh doing the vintage thing or thrifting. It's just not I love what other I love the way other people look when they do it. >> It's not my thing. I don't know. I've always thought that uh >> back then >> clothing just wasn't made for people my size. So it's just never it's never been something that I've had any luck with. So it's not somewhere that I go to for clothing. >> Yeah. I've I've never had good luck. You know, a lot of my stuff I'll get eBay and that kind of thing, you know, shirts and stuff. And like where I'm at in DC, um they're starting to get more stores, but um you know, like finding like western wear and such out here is is a little more difficult, but I think it's getting better. >> Um so I know you are in a big change with your hair right now. >> Yeah. >> So this is a like kind of like a two-parter question. >> Okay. >> When your hair is long, >> what are some of your favorite hair products to use like shampoo, conditioner, and styling products when your hair is long versus when it's short? Okay. It's gonna be a boring answer and be the same answer for both. Nothing. >> I don't I've never I guess um I'll use the most thing that I'll ever use is like a texture powder. >> Oh, yeah. Uhhuh. >> Um and and usually that ends up just being arrowroot powder. >> Okay, cool. >> Uh because we're almond over here. Um >> but I when it was long it was like a I would style it, I guess. I use heat products like straighteners and stuff like that or curling iron. When it's short, it's kind of wake up and hope for the best. >> Well, not all of us are that lucky and it looks fantastic. I want to say when when I met with you guys uh in the winter, I thought maybe I left you with some some products, but um >> you did leave the band with some. >> Okay. >> Uh when I'm I'm certain that they I remember they smelled incredible. Yeah, >> my hair was so short then that I don't know that I Yeah, it was crazy short. Um, it is growing fast. So, I'm appreciative of that. Uh, I do. So, there's this company called um >> I'm probably going to get the name wrong. We won't say their name. Uh, they make it's like a facial oil, >> okay? >> And a hair oil. >> So, sometimes I do I will do use a hair oil. So, next time that you cut my hair, you're going to have to leave me with some product. And I'll definitely uh I'll definitely use I like if anything, my hair would be on the dry side, so I would use a hair oil. >> Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I'll have to get uh you'll have to remind me of those product brands when we get off. You can send me a message. Okay. >> The uh you said it was Aeromark was the powder you like. >> Arrow root. Um a lot of people use it in It's not a brand. A lot of people use it in cooking. Uh it's arrowroot is like a root vegetable >> and they the powder is very um texturizing. It's like you can feel it when you put it in your hand. >> It's not like flour or something like that and it works really well for you know giving your hair a little bit of texture. >> Oh, that's awesome. Um all right, so trying to trying to uh think about what else I should ask you here, but you know trying to keep this tight. Um, I do have a client waiting for me now, actually. So, >> before we hop off, let me ask you one one more thing. And I know you guys are busy busy. I know you've got some stuff coming up. >> Yeah. >> Is there anything you want to plug before we hop off of here album? >> Oh my gosh. So, we have we have the second single from our new our upcoming album. It's our fourth studio album. Second single from that. It's called Don't Know Why and it comes out October 3rd. will be in Nashville at Skinny Dennis on that date for our manager's birthday party. Hi Danielle. I'm sure she's watching somewhere. >> Um, so we'll be there for her birthday party with a big super secret headliner and we'll be promoting that song uh all weekend and then we're going to go tour out in California, New Mexico, Arizona and then come back and do a a really great Texas run where we play Green Hall for the first time and we've got a really great band behind us for that part of it. >> That's that is busy. You guys are very busy and your your social media stuff has been a lot of fun. It's been fun uh you know commenting on some of your Tik Tok stuff and going back and forth a little bit has been a good time. >> Um >> I have I have a lot of fun on Tik Tok. I don't have that much fun with our other stuff, but Tik Tok lets me get a little stupid. So, >> and I think they like that. I think that kind of, you know, feeds the algorithm a little bit. But, uh >> yeah, hopefully we can get down in North Carolina because I believe you're playing one of my favorite places, the Birds Nest listening room. that is. We're doing that. I think November 15th we're there and we've got a full band with us. I'm super excited about that. Entire run is going to be so much fun. I love being out with the full band >> most of the time. >> Yeah. Yeah. Well, hopefully I will see you there and uh if not, we'll have to chat again soon. But thank you so much for carving out a couple of minutes to talk with me and talk all things hair and fashion. And um give hubby a hug for me. Okay, >> I will. Thank you so much. We talk later. >> Bye.
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