Hurray for the Riff Raff, whose latest LP Small Town Heroes made SPIN’s picks for the 50 Best Albums of 2014 So Far, have long been strong supporters of feminism and the LGBT cause. Singer Alynda Lee Segarra identifies as queer, and fiddler Yosi Perlstein is transgender, and they used their new video for “I Know It’s Wrong (But It’s Alright)” to have a bit of fun with their friends in those communities. The clip, which premiered at Rookie, sees Hurray and co. portraying two gangs, the Gaslight Girls and the Morrisons, sometimes battling it out but mostly just hanging at the roller rink or with their sweet old cars. It’s looks like a geniune good time — the perfect complement to the cheerful country tune.
Speaking to SPIN contributor Paula Mejia at Rookie, Segarra talked about how she’s moved by trans women like Laverne Cox, one of the breakout stars of Orange Is the New Black. “I feel so inspired by people like Janet Mock and Laverne Cox, these really proud trans women of color who are so open about themselves. Their backgrounds are important to them, and they bring their race and their class [to their work] and put it all together. It’s been really inspiring for me to see that and then to do this as a queer Hispanic woman playing country music. Yesterday at the airport Yosi and me each bought a copy of Time magazine because Laverne Cox was on the cover. I obsessively watch her speeches — I love her so much.”
Enjoy the video up top, and pick up Small Town Heroes via ATO.
