Ani DiFranco Delves Into Healing and Social Justice on New Album, ‘Revolutionary Love’

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco got her first guitar at nine years old and it quickly became her “best friend.” At that time, DiFranco made the acquaintance of a local musician in Buffalo, New York, where she grew up. He worked in a guitar shop in town and decided to take the young, enthusiastic DiFranco under his wing. It was an important early mentorship for the eventual Grammy winner, helping to set her on her long, creative path. He introduced DiFranco to other working musicians, brought her around to sing with him at gigs, where she soon learned to forgo her feelings of shyness and lean into the scary proposition of singing in public. Today, some four decades later, DiFranco is one of the most recognizable names in songwriting. She’s released dozens of albums and worked at almost every stage of the industry along the way. On January 29th, the New York native will release her newest LP, Revolutionary Love.