Emily Saliers, one-half of the Atlanta folk duo the Indigo Girls, has revealed that she has been diagnosed with two incurable movement disorders that will forever change the way that she sings.
Saliers and Amy Ray posted a video on Instagram on Friday in which the singer acknowledged that many of her fans have noticed “that my voice is not what it once was.”
Saliers revealed that he had been diagnosed with cervical dystonia with torticollis, a rare neurological disorder in which the brain sends signals that cause involuntary muscle contractions in the neck.
“It’s impossible for me to hold my head centrally without shaking,” she said.
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The other disorder, described by Saliers as harder for her, is an essential tremor, which she says causes involuntary shakes and movements in her jaw, throat, and diaphragm. Because of the condition, Saliers says she now has a vibrato in her singing, which she calls “horrible.”
“I am completely physically unable to hold a straight tone the way I used to, and this is what you, our community, have come to, I think, appreciate and love about our harmonies is the way we can hold long straight tones together,” she said.
Saliers said that she was doing everything she could to mitigate the disorders, including therapeutic massage, physical therapy, acupuncture, and Botox shots in her neck and shoulders. She is also working with a vocal coach who specializes in the type of disorders.
“Unfortunately, there is no cure for these, so the honest fact is that my voice will not be what it was,” Saliers said. “That’s really hard for me.”
The announcement comes as the band is set to begin a months-long tour, which includes a free concert in Decatur, Georgia as part of the FIFA 2026 World Cup events.
The pair said that they will be doing “everything we can” to make the songs sound as good as they possibly can, including adding other singers and using digital tools.
The announcement was met with a large number of comments from fans and other artists, including Brandi Carlile, Sara Bareilles, and Chely Wright, supporting Saliers and Ray.
