Shelby Lynne

photo by Jim Marshall

Shelby Lynne has been known for three things throughout her nearly 20-year career: her powerful yet sexy voice, a willingness to tackle just about any genre, and the stubborn streak she’s had since the day she was born.

The title of her ninth album, Suit Yourself, comes from a typically defiant comment Lynne made to her grandmother when she was just four. “My grandma always wanted me to go to college,” Lynne Says, “but I would tell her that I was going to be a rock star instead. She just couldn’t stand it and would argue with me. Finally, I said, ‘Grandma, I’ll just have to suit myself.’”

Lynne’s last album, 2003’s Identity Crisis, was a stripped-down, mostly solo affair, but for Suit Yourself she put together an all-star band that includes Wallflowers guitarist Michael Ward, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench and legendary singer/songwriter Tony Joe White.

Lynne calls them the best band she has ever played with. But ask her if they influenced her style and that old stubbornness emerges. “Hell no,” she says. “They’re a great band, and if they have something to say I’ll listen. But no, they don’t have any input on the songs.”

One of Suit Yourself’s strongest tracks is “Johnny Met June,” which she wrote the morning Johnny Cash died. “I heard about his death on the radio and it was just so sad,” Lynne says. “There’s a romanticism in Johnny and June’s music that I always found very inspiring. I wrote the song in about 10 minutes.”

Like most of Lynne’s albums, Suit Yourself is full of songs about love and romance, from the exciting early stages (“Go With It”) to the comfort of a long-term relationship (“Iced Tea”) to the anger of a breakup (“You Don’t Have a Heart”). “If you can’t bare your soul, then why do it?” she says. “I’d rather sing about blood, guts and glory than about putting my lipstick on.”