DECORAH, IA. – Namoli Brennet remembers well the release of her 2002 debut album.
“’Boy in a dress’ was my coming out album,” she said. “It was very freeing for me to make that, to trust my skills as a producer and recording engineer. But I also realized I was taking a huge risk.”
Twenty-three years later, Brennet is an accomplished performer, having received four OUTMusic Award nominations, toured Germany a dozen times, and been featured on NPR and PBS.
Brennet, pictured above left with guitarist Amelie Protscher in Germany, will soon release her sixteenth studio album, Moving Pictures, a work she describes as, “The queerest thing I’ve done since my first album.”
“It’s kind of like going to see a drag show and the queens have turned it up to 10 or 11. This album isn’t halfway–it’s all in!”
An Iowa resident since 2008, Brennet feels that creating art is her way of pushing back. The state has passed laws in recent years targeting trans communities, something Brennet says she can’t ignore.
“If you’re going to squash people and keep them down, you’ll also deprive yourself of the gifts they have to offer,” she said.
Brennet says she couldn’t make the music she’s creating today if it weren’t for her ability to transition. “I needed the opportunity to answer the tough questions and to know myself fully.”
Knowing herself fully, she says, allows her to create better art. “Creating meaningful content with depth is a way of pushing back. There’s so much in the world in terms of shallow content, and this is how I can contribute.”
At just three years old, Brennet’s parents got her a toy drum set, an early indication of the musician she would become. While the drums didn’t last long (Brennet jumped through the bass and wore it as a hula hoop), she later began experimenting with other instruments like the saxophone and piano.
She took inspiration from Canadian pop radio and artists like Kate Bush. Over time, these influences and her own sense of identity would help drive her music.
“What sets Namoli apart from other musicians is her incredible songwriting,” said longtime friend and fellow musician Kari Newhouse. The two have performed and collaborated, even appearing on each other’s albums.
“She’s an incredible artist who not only has powerful songs that move me and many others but has also this ability to craft parts and come up with these beautiful guitar swells and harmonies. Namoli’s music is constantly evolving because she always pushes herself to grow creatively.”
Brennet says she puts a lot of herself into all her albums, and Moving Pictures is no exception, despite being inspired by individual painters and paintings.
“With the paintings, it’s like I gave myself little assignments,” she said. “Write something about Monet or Vang Gogh — so I’m not really trying to write about myself. But when I look back, I find parts of myself anyway.”
“My whole life I’ve worked really hard to get rid of blocks to being authentic,” Brennet said, reflecting on her songwriting process and how she’s gotten where she is today.
“I have to really let my full self show up. I kind of thought I was there, but then a few things happened with this album, and now I realize I’m even more uninhibited.”
Below, Brennet’s social justice-themed reworking of the National Anthem is streaming on major services now.
Brennet says she’s also allowing herself to have fun with this album and not taking herself too seriously as an artist. “I find myself in the production using so much color. I actually stop and laugh sometimes while making this album,” Brennet said. “It’s colorful and adventurous in a way I haven’t felt in quite awhile.”
Brennet is known for her folk and country songwriter tracks, but Moving Pictures will vary in style spanning from a ‘40s jazz ballad style to “straight out of 1985,” Brennet says.
“This album is so fun. I’m not putting a lot of pressure on myself.”
Fans of Brennet recently shared their excitement for the upcoming project by helping to fund the album’s expenses via a Kickstarter campaign, easily exceeding the $7,200 goal in less than a month.
Besides making music, Brennet enjoys touring and connecting with fans in person. She began touring in 2002 and has since played shows in venues across the country and in Europe. She has been nominated for two German Music Critics awards and toured there are recently as May 2024.
She schedules her shows in Germany through a mutual connection she met through a friend. “Touring in Germany has been incredible,” she said. “When I get up on stage, it’s like a switch flips. Performing is like doing magic: it’s wonderful, intense, and can take a lot out of you.”
Above all else, Brennet says she’s focused on creating a good experience for the audience. “I want to create an experience where people can feel something deeper and connect with their humanity. If they happen to know I’m trans, that’s a bonus because it helps to humanize trans people.”
As for the future, Brennet plans to keep being herself and creating art.
“You don’t have to try hard to be original if you just allow yourself to like what you like. It’s really about showing up with your instrument, having a bit of a chat with it, and just seeing what happens. You have to let your imagination take over.”
This article originally appeared in MainStream’s March 2025 print magazine.
