Blues singer Crystal Shawanda says she's done a lot of living since her last album
Shawanda releases her latest record, Sing Pretty Blues, on April 11
Crystal Shawanda says she's done a lot of living since she released her last album three years ago.
The blues artist, originally from Wiikwemkoong on Manitoulin Island, releases her latest record, Sing Pretty Blues, on April 11.
"The songs are about, you know, hope and resilience," she said. "And unfortunately, I've experienced some loss in the past couple years."
Shawanda said a couple of songs on the album touch on addiction, following a friend's death to a drug overdose.
"When somebody has an addiction, it's not just that person, it's everybody who loves them," she said.
A family affair
But along with recent losses in her life, Shawanda says she's also had a lot of happy moments performing on stage with her husband and collaborator Dewayne Strobel.
"He believed in me so much right from the very start," she said. "And when you have somebody who believes in you, it's like wings to fly."
More recently, their daughter has also taken to the stage during their shows.
"This isn't something that we push on her. This is what she wants to do. She loves to sing," Shawanda said.
"And I think in this life, the most important thing to do is to be happy. And if this is something that makes her happy, then I'm glad that I have the experience to tell her and warn her about what's in store."
Strobel said their musical partnership compliments their marriage.
"She's an amazing songwriter," he said.
"But sometimes she'll write an idea and it'll be seven minutes worth of this idea and I have to convince her into turning that into a three-and-a-half minute song."
Shawanda and Strobel live in Nashville, where they also run a music label, New Sun Records.
The label takes its name from the English meaning of Shawanda's last name.
With files from Markus Schwabe