Shaboozey is unlike any other artist out there, and that’s largely thanks to his background. During an appearance on American Songwriter’s Off the Record podcast, the singer told host Lisa Konicki how his childhood in Virginia led to his unique sound.
“I grew up listening to a lot of things, but I think for the most part it came to me naturally,” he said. “There was really no influence, no one I listened to or looked to. There was nothing.”
Shaboozey said he was exposed to country music by his dad, R&B artists by his sister, and rock and pop by nature of being born in ’95.
“It was a weird time for music in general in the early 2000s. Hip hop and R&B had finally become super commercial. It was the biggest thing. And then also alt-rock and Nirvana,” he said. “… I think everything was becoming mainstream. Everything’s getting pushed to you on the radio, so you’re listening to it all.”
Shaboozey Discusses “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
So, when it came time to make his own music, Shaboozey said he “really wanted to find my own voice and my own identity.”
He was able to do just that on “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” his breakout single. The song was a massive hit, something that was unexpected for the artist.
“There’s songs where your team’s like, ‘This is going to be huge.’ And you’re like, ‘Nothing,’” he said. “And then there’s some days where you’re just like, ‘Yo, I just made the song and put it in my notes app.’ And that ended up being ‘A Bar Song.’”
While he may have been surprised by the success, Shaboozey was more than prepared for all the attention that came with it.
“Everybody wants to feel kind of extraordinary. I mean, personally I did. There was always that kind of chase to do something that felt noteworthy or create something that inspired people,” he said. “… There’s the side of the imposter syndrome, and then there’s a side of, ‘No, I’m going to do it, and I’m going to be really good, and everyone’s going to hopefully catch on.’”
Shaboozey Breaks Down His Latest Album
Now, two years later, Shaboozey is celebrating the release of his latest LP, The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales. The album, Shaboozey said, is a grown up version of the books and short films he loved to create as a kid.
“It’s a Western revenge tale set, obviously, in the Old West… It follows this woman who starts off kind of like a humble farm girl,” Shaboozey said. “… I love stories like that where the protagonists are people you wouldn’t expect.”
The album gave him a chance to explore different sounds, from the party vibes of “High Noon” to the ominous nature of “Til Sunday.”
“In a movie you explore all of these different emotions… There’s a party scene, there’s a triumph scene, there’s a scene where the hero feels like they’re not going to be able to make it. There’s the reconciliation, the villain,” he explained. “… That’s why I call it an epic. I don’t really just call it a story. It’s an epic. It’s supposed to feel grandiose.”
Shaboozey underscored that extravagant nature with features from the likes of Sam Elliot and Jamie Foxx.
“I’m always like, ‘Why are more artists not doing that?’ Just doing these cool crossovers. They make sense too,” he said. “It was very validating for me… It was extraordinary, man.”
Now that the album is out in the world, Shaboozey said he hopes it will inspire people to take big swings in their own creative ventures.
“You can be as creative as you want to be. Take risks, write stories,” he said. “… One day a light bulb flashes. You’re like, ‘I have this idea.’ And then you’re like, ‘I’ve got to tell this story.’”
On a more personal level, Shaboozey said that he wants the LP to “expand on who I am to people.” He added, “It’s showing people I’m more than just a country singer or ‘A Bar Song.’”
The post Shaboozey on Finding His Own Sound, the Unexpected Rise of “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” and Taking Creative Risks With His New Album (Exclusive) appeared first on American Songwriter.