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Spotlight: Crystal Shawanda – A Journey of Soulful Storytelling

In this edition of Spotlight: Crystal Shawanda, we sit down with the multi-talented artist to discuss her passion for music and her latest release, Would You Know Love. Known for her powerful voice and storytelling, Crystal shares insights into the creative process behind her new single, her journey through the music industry, and how her unique blend of blues and country continues to captivate audiences worldwide. With an undeniable knack for crafting songs that resonate deeply, Crystal Shawanda remains a force to be reckoned with in the music scene.

How was your holiday?

My holiday was beautiful, we spent some time in our home in Nashville, which is still a rare thing for us as in the past we used to tour right through December. The last couple of years we have opted not to tour through the holiday, instead we only do a handful of shows, so we can create traditions and memories for our daughter who is now 7. We also spent several days back in my hometown of Wiikwemkoong on Manitoulin island with my family. We played outside, ate a lot and stayed in our cozy pj’s every day, just chilling with my parents and watching my daughter spend time with her grandparents, it’s a special time in life. So I’m treasuring it, and that’s my priority these days. 

After a busy year, what did you do to prepare yourself to jump into 2025?

I was ready for 2025. The year of 2024 was one of grief after losing a friend to overdose, and the passing of my long-time (as in 14 years) manager/agent Rob Pattee after a long battle with cancer. So I took time to grieve, to mourn and to heal. I spent that time digging back into the music we had been recording, and ended up re-recording most of it. Then as the year came to a close, I nurtured my spirit by doing things I love with the ones I love in the places I love. I rested and found my way back into routine and took better care of myself and my health. So I’m in a really great place to be starting off this new year.  

You have a new release on deck called Would you know Love. Can you tell us the story behind this piece?

My new single “Would You Know Love” was written by Sonny Tackett, and I just 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 get burned and you get weary and sometimes it makes people walk away from love too easily when it gets tough. We forget that’s what makes it love. It endures.

How do you think your music has evolved from previous work going into this new track?

My music has evolved into a really “comfortable in its own skin” place. When I was singing country music, my voice struggled to fit into a box, when I switched to blues music I felt like I suddenly had to ignore all this other stuff I love to do musically, vocally and artistically. Now I’ve gotten confident in my own Bluesy country, or country blues style, but it’s all a reflection of the amazing music I grew up on. 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, Stevie Nicks and Cher, shake it up and you got Crystal Shawanda music.

You’ve explored both country and blues genres deeply. What do you think these two styles can teach each other, musically and culturally?

Musically and culturally country music and blues music are actually quite similar, whether they want to acknowledge that or not. A lot of people don’t realize that blues music has a big influence on country music. Due to singers like Hank Williams Senior, who learned everything he knew from an old blues man named Tea Tot, he taught him to sing, play guitar, write a song, and entertain, and then Hank went on to become a legend with songs like “Love sick blues”, “Long gone lonesome blues”, etc, and influenced so many other country music singers,songwriters and musicians. Then there’s Patsy Cline who by the growl and soul in her voice, had to have been listening to more than just country. Blues music was very much apart of shaping country music. The stories, it’s the stories that are told in both country and blues, honest and real stories of a life that’s not always easy or good, and sometimes it is good, because it’s a celebration of our resilience. It’s comforting to know we aren’t alone in our hardships and struggles, and in music we discover we are more the same than we are different, same goes for country and blues.

Your voice is incredibly dynamic and soulful. What’s one unexpected moment in your life that taught you something new about your voice or its power?

In 2011 I went on tour with Reba, and she invited me to sing her infamous duet with her “Does he love you”! When I was a kid I actually dreamed of singing that song with her, and then here I was about to do that very thing. I was so nervous, and in the moment Reba kicked it up with her power and I had 2 choices, either I could suck, or I could sing with Reba! I rose to the occasion and I sang with Reba, and the arena applauded with approval, and she gave me a big hug after we were done, and we did it a dozen more times on that tour! From that moment on I carried myself with a little more confidence. 

Your songs often carry a sense of resilience and empowerment. How do you personally stay grounded and motivated during challenging times in your career?

During difficult times I lean on the ones who love me, my husband and my parents, I talk to them and they are like my therapists haha! I also pray a lot, my culture and roots keep me grounded. Also the last 7 years my daughter Zhaawande, has become my most beautiful distraction. When something stressful is happening, I look at her and I focus on her, I ask her to play tag, paint a picture, or go for a walk and bake some cookies, and I focus on her, the pure excitement and love for life in her eyes, she inspires me not to lose that, and then it just leaves me grateful for the life I’m living, despite the hardships, I’m blessed.

What story or theme have you wanted to explore in your music but haven’t had the chance to yet?

A story or theme I’ve wanted to explore is telling my story “from the Rez to the city” like a guide to surviving inter-generational trauma, in a concept album, with more of an organic indigenous storytelling style. I’m actually working on it right now , and it’s been kind of like therapy and has uncovered some old trauma. So it’s taking longer than I had planned. I’m also working on a lullaby album. I’d love to do more collaborations, they are my favorite and I really hope to do more of that.

What is one thing you learned about yourself during your career that surprised you the most?

The thing I learned that surprised me the most is how resilient I truly am. I’ve had some pretty heavy obstacles, and some nightmarish experiences in the music business, but I’m still here and I’m just grateful.

A big part of Indigenous culture is about telling stories. How do you balance telling your story and keeping the music authentic in this very commercial industry?

Songwriting has always been like cheap therapy for me, it’s very real and raw, and so can only be authentic. I’ve been a published professional songwriter in Nashville, since I was 23, but I try not to write for radio like I was taught, rather I serve the song. When I write with my guitar player and husband Dewayne Strobel, sometimes we butt heads, but we always remove the ego and let the song tell us what it needs.

If you could create a mentorship program for young Indigenous artists, what unique elements would you include to help them navigate the industry?

I think some elements I would include would be some type of mental support. A lot of indigenous artists are dealing and working their way through inter generational trauma. They can’t even focus on being an artist, because their trauma takes precedence, and they need guidance to help navigate all that and get out of their own way.

If you had to introduce your music to a new fan for the first time what is the first song they need to listen to and why?

I would say the first song they should listen to would be “Church House Blues”, because it really tells my story, I started singing when I was 3, and jumped on stage when I was 6 and started getting paid to do it when I was 10, so it’s all I’ve ever done, there was no plan b. My parents didn’t know anything about the music business. They just knew that I needed to sing, my dad was a truck driver and my mom worked with special-needs children, and they just did what they could think of. So my mom took me to local churches to sing, and my dad would take me to local bars and grills, pubs, road houses, and whatever honky-tonk or House Party he could sneak me into. So I am a product of those two worlds, and they both helped develop my style and sound, and who I am as a human being. This song also has that bluesy country sound, and shows my range in my voice, and it was the title track of my album that won a JUNO Award for “Blues Album of the Year”, the first time that this category was won by an Indigenous artist.

With the new release happening, what are some of your milestones you hope to hit in 2025

Some milestones would be to just continue to grow my fan base out on the road and continue to be the best Mom I can be. To balance it all. I want my live show to evolve with all this new music, and I’m excited to get my new album out and play some new stages this year.

Spotlight: Crystal Shawanda has come to an end. Big thanks to Crystal for chatting

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