Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A) Music saved my life. I grew up on the Wiikwemkoong unceded First Nation, in the middle of inter-generational trauma, and yet surrounded by my family and love, laughter and music. All kinds. My family listened to everything from Hank Williams Senior, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline, to BB King, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters and Etta James. Throw in some Tom Petty, Dwight Yoakam, Steve Earl, and Tina Turner, and Cher, shake it up and you got Crystal Shawanda music. My family taught me that music was like cheap therapy, and that it could heal me. And it did. I wanted to make music so I could help heal others too. So I was drawn to music driven by stories, since storytelling is very much a part of Indigenous culture, naturally country and blues felt authentic to me.
Q: How are you planning on continuing to grow your fan base and share your music with the world? What message do you have for anyone who is about to discover “Crystal Shawanda”?
A) I will continue to tour and play live shows, I feel like that’s the only way for people to really “get me”! I don’t know how many times I hear people say after seeing me live “aww now I get it”. I also try to stay active with social media, I genuinely love sharing my experiences and engaging with my fans, but honestly I’m not really up in the algorithms. I’m quite boring I guess haha. I don’t pretend to be anything other than I am. I’m happily married, a devoted Mom, I go to work and then I go home. I’m not really a diva, and don’t party like a rock star (at least not anymore) I avoid drama and I’m a usually stable and optimistic person, so yes boring haha!
Q: Who is the most inspiring artist for you right now? And where do you find inspiration for making music?
A) An artist that really inspires me today is Beth Hart. She’s been around forever and has always persevered through all the obstacles in her way. She’s always been a voice that no one knew what to do with, and now she doesn’t care, she’s genre less, and sings whatever she feels like. No one limits her, because she has found her people, her fans, who don’t care about trends, they just care about undeniable talent. I find inspiration in every day life, the human spirit, love, life, the struggles and the triumphs.
Q: Can you tell us about the story or message behind the song, “Would You Know Love”
A) My new single “Would You Know Love” was written by Sonny Tackett, and I loved it from the first note. The song sounds somewhere in between, where old meets new, and the blues meets country. It’s honest, vulnerable and soulful. When I sing it I think about who wouldn’t be in my life, if I had let love slip on by. Because it happens. You know you get burned and you get weary and I think sometimes that makes people walk away from love too easily when it gets tough. We forget that’s what makes it love. It endures.
Q: How would you describe your sound in one word for potential listeners?
A) Soulful
Q: Did you face any challenges while recording “Would You Know Love”?
A) I recorded the vocals for the single and then went on the road for the summer. When I came back to it, I wasn’t happy with it. Technically it was perfect, but almost too sterile, it lacked true emotion. The day I was to re-sing it, I was warming up my vocals, and was just about to head up to our home studio to lay it down, when we received the call that my long-time (14 years) manager/agent Rob Pattee passed away, after a long battle with cancer. I was devastated and cried in my husband’s arms. While comforting me my husband, who is also my producer, said we can do the vocals another day and I agreed. But after a few minutes I said no, I’ll be right up, let’s do the vocals now. I walked up to the mic and thought about how when Rob came into my life I had major trust issues. After being dealt some dirty hands in the music business by managers, agents, I had my walls up high. However Rob was patient, and believed in me in such a big way, even when others didn’t, and he always led with his heart. He was a true friend, and watched out for my little family. So while I was singing I thought about how I would’ve missed out on knowing a truly good person, if I let a good friendship slip on by, just because I had been burned before. He was someone to dream with, and he mentored my husband and I through a lot. So I think all these emotions came out in the final vocal, and it makes it more real.
Q: What is the message of your music? And what are your goals as an artist?
A) The message in all my music is hope, and resilience. To inspire resilience in all that others have to face, and to always hope for the best through it all. To be a friend through my music. A reminder that if I can get through this to sing about it, you can too, and we’re gonna all gonna make it through to a new day
Q: Who is your dream artist to collaborate with? (dead or alive)
A) I’d love to collaborate with Joe Bonamassa, he’s an incredible contemporary blues artist, who respects the roots and origins of the Blues, but also isn’t afraid to let it grow and evolve into his own sound. That’s what I hope and strive for.
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
A) My advice is to just jump in with all your heart, be a forever student and be willing to learn from everyone who’s willing to share. You don’t know everything, and you never will if you don’t let people teach you. Instead be confident in what you know, while being eager to learn. Get out of your own way, and have some integrity.
Q: If you could go back in time and give a younger you some words of wisdom, what would they be?
A) Don’t lose yourself in trying to please everyone, because there’s the idea of happiness and than there’s really being happy, just follow your heart, you will be so happy you did.
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