New Orleans-based singer Britti is making her debut at the Newport Folk Festival, performing on a bicycle-powered stage.
The artist, originally from Baton Rouge, is set to showcase her unique blend of musical styles on a stage where audience members pedal bicycles to generate power for the amplifiers.
“I feel like I’m in a dream,” Britti said. “I feel so honored to be here and I feel like it’s going to be the beginning of a beautiful relationship and that there’s many more years to come.”
Britti’s appearance at Newport follows the release of her debut album, “Hello, I’m Britti”, produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. The album, which she describes as “genre fluid,” draws inspiration from a diverse range of artists including Dolly Parton, Donna Summer, and Otis Redding.
“It’s very genre fluid. I always say, if you haven’t had gumbo, what are you doing? Go get some,” Britti explained. “It’s a lot of seasoning, so it’s, you know, there’s a little bit of Donna Summer in there, a little bit of Otis Redding, a little bit of John Prine.”
“It was a miracle,” Britti said of her partnership with Auerbach. “He discovered me on Instagram, social media, which is really cool and funny because I’m also like a grandma sometimes when it comes to Instagram, but not that day.”
The bicycle-powered stage where Britti will perform is expected to accommodate about 1,000 people, with audience members, including children, taking turns pedaling to generate power.
“I’m so excited to sing and have a lobster roll,” she said, embracing the full Newport experience.
