[20][21] In 2011, Russell's work with the second iteration of Sankofa Strings—Sankofa—recording "The Uptown Strut" (with Grammy award-winning artist Dom Flemons, the Lovin' Spoonful's John Sebastian, Grammy-nominated Professor Louie (Aaron Hurwitz), Súle Greg Wilson, and Ndidi Onukwulu), was released on the Kingswood Records label.

[22] In 2018, Russell joined the musical collective Our Native Daughters alongside fellow musicians Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla, and Amythyst Kiah.

[13][28] Russell was also featured alongside the rest of the group in a Smithsonian Channel documentary titled Reclaiming History: Our Native Daughters.

[38] Russell performed her song "Nightflyer" with guests Brandi Carlile and Brittney Spencer on an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!

[49] On August 18, 2022, she and Brandi Carlile released a re-imagining of "You're Not Alone" which previously appeared on the Songs of Our Native Daughters album.

[50] In March 2023, Russell organized Love Rising, an all-star benefit concert, at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville in response to Tennessee's anti-LGBT+ legislation.

[11] In July 2024, Russell provided the voice of Teddi Barra in the Country Bear Musical Jamboree at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.

[53] In September 2024, it was announced that Russell would be making her Broadway debut, performing the role of Persephone in the musical Hadestown.

[54] In 2013, Russell married her Birds of Chicago bandmate Jeremy Lindsay (stage name JT Nero).

One could assume that I’m straight, but I am not and especially in this time of increased polarization and bigotry, it is really important that people understand that nothing is black and white.

She stated that "Persephone", a song from her debut album, was written about her first love, a woman she met during her teenage years.

[59] In 2023, she told Out that she was a "hopeful agnostic," adding that she believed that "empathy is a superpower and that diversity is not a dirty word" and said she "resist[s] the divide-and-conquer tactics of all toxic hierarchies...Our differences are riches...Our rainbow coalition is unstoppable.