Shelby Lynne

Artist Information

In the world of music, Shelby Lynne stands as an enigmatic force, a petite frame belying the immense power that resonates with humanity's collective heartache. Her voice is not just a personal expression; it's a universal channel, connecting with the depths of our shared experiences. Her wisdom is profound and hard-earned, her spirit ethereal. Her next musical endeavor, to be announced later this year, is not just an album; it's a haunting exploration of the labyrinth of human pain that emerges with grace.

Woven together by the universal and inevitable heartbreak inherent in the human experience, Lynne's lyrics, both in what she calls ‘spoken blues’ and sung, delve into the agony of love lost and found and the lessons learned from both. The harmony of her bluesy vocals and the accompanying beats create a musical landscape where every note is a brushstroke, painting the raw canvas of human emotions. Lynne distills the essence of this living into each lyric and melody, but this time, there is a difference. There is clarity in Lynne’s eyes and her voice. It is as if the renaissance marks a shift as Lynne transmutes, even orchestrates, pain into beauty.

Returning to Nashville to be near friends and family, especially her sister Allison Moorer, an artist herself, marked a new beginning. A return spurred by the beckoning of her dear friend Waylon Payne for her to get to Nashville and write some damn songs. Lynne did just that; as she cleared her head and heart from past demons, she found her way forward professionally and personally. She discovered a wellspring from which those damn songs flowed, as noted by her friend Karen Fairchild, “I think another Shelby Lynne album is in there.” 

But the truest throughline may be the community born from these songs, the full circles completed. The knowledge that broken hearts are a dime a dozen, but finding those who walk you through it, those who commune with you in seeking joy, and walk shoulder to shoulder until you can move mountains is a rare occurrence. So, indeed, this album rips into the agony of loss and the sting of regret, revealing the consequences of loving and losing. But it also reveals a flip side, or B side, of the gorgeous consequences of learning, taking responsibility, and beginning to break the age-old patterns of returning to the same well.

Lynne's return to Nashville led to a kismet connection with Ashley Monroe that birthed a musical mutualism that drove many tracks on the album. Collaborating with Monroe and other kindred spirits like Karen Fairchild and Waylon Payne, Lynne was surrounded by peers as well as the next generation of songwriters who had grown up listening to her early albums. Through each song, Lynne, the alchemist, wove magic with Meg McCree, Jedd Hughes, Angelina Presley, Carter Faith, and Ben Chapman, transforming shared experiences into musical gold. 

Lynne brought a different way of writing than ritual in most writing rooms. Her music has historically evaded any genre, as she melds together country, blues, rock, and jazz, which usually begins with a beat. Her co-writers would tell you that the bass is the beginning of writing with Shelby. Grounded in the bass, the beat lays the foundation for a stream-of-consciousness writing that few artists dare to embrace, but for Lynne, there is no other way. She becomes a medium, a voice to the losses and gains that are universal yet wickedly personal as she calls to those places in us, deep in our bones. She feels it; she opens her voice to it as a conduit, and it comes out of her mouth and deep into our knowing. You don’t just listen to a Shelby Lynne song; you experience it and are changed.  

With new music, and as always, Lynne is acknowledging the lessons from her past relationships where she might have been the heartbreaker instead of the heartbroken. Her music is an emotional tapestry, a cathartic release, and an empathetic companion for those navigating the tumultuous seas of love and loss, it holds out hope. Ultimately, it leaves an indelible mark, a poignant reminder that a transformative and hopeful beauty exists on the other side of the depths of longing. 

Lynne's soulful vocals and diverse musical styles create an eclectic and experimental soundscape that defies easy categorization. She may take you down the dark path of the double-edged sword of love lost and the bitter taste of vengeance, but then makes you believe there is relief, or at least resolve, to be had in the aftermath. Lynne offers a sense of being seen in our complicated humanity.  

The first releases of new music from this record, “But I Ain’t” and “Over and Over,” expose the human propensity to cling to pain and longing, gripping the bone of betrayal and resolutely refusing to step beyond the agony to open the heart once more. For Lynne, the low rolling backbeat, a signature element, serves as a poignant undercurrent, creating a rhythmic container for the melody and poetry to intertwine seamlessly. But amidst the darkness, brokenness, and ache, a hint of redemption.