Second Cup Café: Indigo Girls
Amy Ray and Emily Saliers have been recording and performing together for more than 20 years as the Indigo Girls.
The folk-rock duo have earned a Grammy and a loyal fan base for their hard work.
They visit Second Cup to sing songs from their 10th studio album, "Despite Our Differences."
Ray and Saliers have known each other since they were in elementary school in Decatur, Ga. They began performing together in high school and evolved into the Indigo Girls while students at Emory University in Atlanta.
They self-released their first full-length album, "Strange Fire," in 1987 and signed a deal with Epic Records the following year.
Their eponymous album debut on Epic earned them a Grammy in 1989 for best contemporary folk recording and a best new artist nomination that same year. The album contained their first hit, "Closer to Fine."
Throughout the '90s, Indigo Girls continued to release albums roughly every two years, including 1994's platinum "Swamp Ophelia" and a live double album, "1200 Curfews."
Indigo Girls shared the bill with several other top female performers on all three Lilith Fair tours from 1997 to 1999.
After recording for Epic for more than a decade, they signed a deal with Hollywood Records. "Despite Our Differences" is their first album for their new label.
The album features a guest appearance by edgy pop singer Pink. The Indigo Girls also collaborated on Pink's protest song, "Dear Mr. President," from her 2006 album "I'm Not Dead."
The Indigo Girls are active politically, speaking out on a variety of issues including gay rights, the environment, the death penalty and Native American rights.
After so many years of being friends and making music together, the two women still marvel at their successful partnership.
"I think it's remarkable that Amy's life and my life coincided like this," Saliers says in press notes for their new album, "that we've been able to make music and stay dear friends through all these years."
"I remind myself that we've been together for such a long time and that we're lucky to still be together," Ray agrees.