Shires made a name for herself, both as a solo artist and as the founder of the country supergroup The Highwomen, which includes Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris and Natalie Hemby. In 2020, The Highwomen won Album of the Year at the Americana Music Honors and Awards ceremony. Shires' new album, Take it Like a Man, includes several songs she wrote during a rough period in her marriage to musician Jason Isbell.
In 2016, Springsteen spoke about New Jersey, masculinity and wishing to be his stage persona: "People see you onstage and, yeah, I'd want to be that guy. ... I want to be that guy myself very often."
The folk singer, who died in 2014, was famous for his songs about working people, unions and social justice. In this 1984 interview, Seeger cited Woody Guthrie as one his most important influences.