Even those who know nothing about the country music industry can likely name some of its sins. Here, Morris doesn’t just call each one out and contextualize them, but she accounts for what the industry requires of artists like Kacey Musgraves, Maren Morris, and Mickey Guyton to become names we know, and what it takes from those others we’ve yet to hear of. Her precise reporting—bolstered by truly impressive access to today’s outlaws of country music—unspools across the page in a way that almost feels cinematic at times.

I had the privilege of speaking to Moss in July about the 25th anniversary of Lilith Fair and will remember her passion for chronicling the artistry of women and femmes playing all venues—from sold-out stadiums to desolate dives—for a long time. –Audra Heinrichs