90s country might be her thing, but Mae Estes isn’t interested in gatekeeping.
The “Mr. Fix It” singer joined the Whiskey Riff Raff podcast to discuss her latest project – The 90’s Called – and how she feels about other artists dipping into the sound of the “Golden Era of Country.” Estes also touched on her theory that the only way to get people’s attention on social media these days is to… well, piss them off.
The country singer went on to explain the financial realities of making music and touring, talked about how much Dolly Parton meant to her as an artist (and inspired her to move to Nashville), and even detailed how she strives to be her authentic self even in the midst of occasional criticism.
Topics varied throughout the conversation, but the through line during our time with Mae was 90s country. That shouldn’t come as a surprise… Estes has been very successful in tapping into that sound, and leading country music fans to dive into and possibly rediscover some of the great songs and artists of yesteryear.
She’s been doing that since she released her first song in 2019, so if she wanted to, she could take credit for this more-recent movement of artists leaning into the 90s sound. However, rather than be upset at other artists, she’s welcoming them into the 90s style with open arms:
“I think it’s awesome, so it makes sense that they would want to be a part of it if they weren’t originally. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been in town so long, but I’m not protective over the stuff that I love. I do well.
In fact, this ‘The 90s Called’ project that I just got to make, the reason I’ve had so much fun is because I mentally put it in a place where it’s like… I use the example of ‘Mean Girls’ where she wins the crown and starts breaking it off and throwing it to other people.
I had to do that with this project. This is to celebrate a whole decade of music.”
From Estes’ perspective, she’s more so waving the flag and welcoming others in rather than planting the flag and telling others to stay away.
In doing so, she’s been able to meet and work with plenty of her 90s country heroes. Even on her most recent project, Estes was able to release her version of Shenandoah’s “Moon Over Georgia.” And when Shenandoah decided to jump on the song with her, it was a pinch-me moment for Mae:
“Truly, not even on my dream list that it would be a duet with Shenandoah. That exceeded anything I could have thought of. To give Mark Narmore’s song (new life), which he wrote by himself… it’s classic, it’s timeless, it’s 2026 and we’re all so connected to it.
I think they recorded it in 1989. I wasn’t even here, wasn’t even born then. And I’m still so attached to that song.”
That’s when she made the argument that 90s country is just as relevant today as it was back then.
Estes has a point. Neotraditional artists are having a moment, and the sound is circling back to modern day music. She makes an effort to shine a light on the people that paved the way for country to be where it is today, and in doing so, Estes has been able to work side-by-side with some of the artists that she idolized growing up – like Vince Gill:
“It’s about finding the people you like and seeing who their inspirations are. You’re likely to find something else you like. It just boiled down to me, mentally, if my job is to brag about how much I love this and make people feel as important as they were to me, and shine a light on the songwriters… to be in the studio cutting songs with those people, I don’t even know how that’s reality.”
You can hear about all of that and a whole lot more from Mae Estes by checking out the interview on YouTube or making sure to download the podcast on Apple Podcasts by searching “Whiskey Riff Raff.”
We’re also available on Spotify and wherever else you can listen to podcasts.
Cheers, y’all.
