Lee Bains

Lee Bains is a songwriter from Birmingham, Alabama who has, since 2012, released four studio albums of what Rolling Stone once described as “Southern gospel punk.” His work has earned critical acclaim from outlets including The New York Times, NPR, Mojo, Uncut, and The Guardian. His most recent album, Old-Time Folks (Don Giovanni Records, 2022), explores stories of people’s movements in the Deep South. A live solo album is set for release on Don Giovanni in 2026.

Bains has collaborated in both live performance and recording with artists such as Lonnie Holley, Moor Mother, Pussy Riot, and Algiers.

In 2021, his poetry debuted in The New Yorker. His first full-length collection, WORK LUNCH, will be published by Hub City Press in October 2026.

Alongside extensive touring across the U.S. and Europe, Bains has supported a range of grassroots causes, contributing his music to efforts led by striking coal miners, immigrants’ rights groups, abortion funds, and anti-racism organizations. He has also performed and read at institutions including Emory University, the University of Mississippi, Tulane University, Auburn University, and the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.