Interview with Shelly Colvin

One of the perks of getting to cover this year's AmericanaFest was getting introduced to new artists that I wasn't familiar with before. This year, one of the biggest surprises for me was hearing the 70's California country twang of singer-songwriter Shelly Colvin. I was blown away at her happily unhappy, melancholic songwriting and her breezy, laid-back vocals. Her debut album, Up the Hickory Down the Pine, is set for release on October 30 and you can be sure to check back here for a full review closer to the release date. In the meantime, I was lucky enough to be able to interview her for CMT Edge and you can follow the link below to hear about her background and what you can look forward to from her debut.

Full interview with Shelly Colvin: CMT Edge

Here's a sneak peek sampling:
Your songs have a cool, distinctly 1970s California country vibe surrounding them. What artists are responsible for planting those hazy, sun-kissed seeds into your music?

I’ve got every Emmylou Harris and Byrds record you can get your hands on …Flying Burrito Brothers, Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Linda Ronstadt, Karla Bonoff and Neil Young. Those writers and artists helped shape my sense of melody and lyric, without question. I’ve had the privilege to work and perform onstage with Chris Hillman [Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers], as well as Jackson Browne. I’ve also co-written songs with J.D. Souther. Those experiences with some of my heroes are my favorite musical memories to date. I’m hoping there will be an Emmylou memory to make at some point.