One of the most celebrated country-folk performers of today, Iris DeMent’s country, folk, gospel, and R&B – infused songwriting style is truly unique. She has been described by Merle Haggard as "the greatest singer I have ever heard”. Love, family life, death of loved ones, forgiveness and the warmth of human companionship are constant themes in DeMent's songs; such subjects, of course, are common to all popular music, but the emotional richness of DeMent's singing, the simple lyricism of her poetry, underpinned by the deep musical tradition of Loretta Lynn, the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers and Southern gospel music, transform these everyday themes into profoundly moving comments on society and the human condition in general.