Aoife O’Donovan mines a century of women’s rights on her latest album

The U.S. Constitution may not be the most obvious place to look for songwriting inspiration, but Aoife O’Donovan has found the trick. Her new album, All My Friends, draws inspiration from the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, and the fight for women’s rights over the past century.

Table of Contents

• Finding Inspiration in the 19th Amendment
• Focus on Suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt
• Connecting the Past to the Future

Finding Inspiration in the 19th Amendment

Aoife O’Donovan was commissioned to write music to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which she found overwhelming at first. Despite the initial daunting feeling, she delved into the history of women’s rights and found a unique source of inspiration.

Focus on Suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt

O’Donovan decided to focus her album on suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt, exploring her life and the challenges she faced as a woman ahead of her time. By imagining the world through Catt’s eyes, O’Donovan found a personal connection to history and the struggles of women in the past.

Connecting the Past to the Future

Reflecting on the past has influenced O’Donovan’s perspective on the future, especially concerning her daughter’s life. She contemplates the experiences of women who fought for their rights and how their stories shape the way she envisions the world for the next generation.

This episode of World Cafe was produced and edited by Kimberly Junod. The web story was created by Miguel Perez. Our engineer is Chris Williams. Our programming and booking coordinator is Chelsea Johnson and our line producer is Will Loftus.