Catching Up With... Shelby Lynne

Photos by Randee St. Nicholas

After 20 years in the music business, Shelby Lynne has recorded more than ten albums, won a Grammy, founded a record label, shared stages Willie Nelson, George Jones and others—and she’s not nearly done. “I hope I can keep doing this for 40 more years,” the singer/songwriter affirmed a few weeks before releasing her eleventh album, Tears, Lies, and Alibis (out now) on her newly-minted Everso label. As Lynne prepares for her her whirlwind year, which will include recording sessions for a Christmas album and touring far and wide, she chatted with Paste about her new material, new label and the best parts of her job.

Paste: Tell me a little bit about the process of crafting Tears, Lies, and Alibis.
Shelby Lynne: Well, it’s quite a process. I wrote a lot of songs for the record, so when it came time to put a record together, I just sort of chose the songs that would fit together. So that’s that. There’s not really a process—I just try to do something that works for the whole record. I mean, there’s noting worse than getting a record and not listening to but two songs of it. I want to make a record that takes you all the way through and then you want to hear it again.

Paste: Obviously you’re a seasoned musician and have had several albums come out, so have you developed a routine when putting an album together or is each one a very different project?
Lynne: It’s definitely different. I have a way I like to record, but you never know where the journey will take you, because every album has a life. The last record I did was mainly cover songs, so doing my own songs again was pretty different.

Paste: Thinking about this album and then thinking about where you are in your life and your career, what song do you think best captures you at this moment?
Lynne: That’s the thing about albums—it’s more than just a song. It’s the whole record. So all of the songs are representative of where my life is. It’d be hard to choose one because they’re all different and they all kind of go together.

Paste: When you sit down to write music, do you find yourself revisiting common themes?
Lynne: Each song has a story and each song has a life. So, having produced this record, I was trying to be really conscious of what the song was saying. And then, instrumentally, trying to make it attractive to the content of the song.

Paste: From a listener’s perspective, what do you hope someone who hears this music for the first time will go away with?
Lynne: They’ll probably be doing a lot of thinking. It’s kind of a moody piece. You need a bottle of wine, probably, to sit back and listen to it. There’s a lot to absorb in there. I always hope the listener will take what they want from it and try to relate.

Paste: And there’s something really new about this record, and that’s the fact that it was released under Everso, your new label. How did that begin?
Lynne: Well, I’ve been making records for 20 years, so last year said I think it’s time for me to take my little nest egg and go out on my own and do this thing. And so I got with all my partners and the people I do business with and I said, “What do you think? Let’s do this thing. I mean, come on, it’s ridiculous, and the labels aren’t working for me.” And I just didn’t want to fool with the corporate stuff, with too many people in the middle, too many hands in the pie, too many people having too much to say about my art. And so I decided not to do it anymore, and Everso was born and I couldn’t be happier.

Paste: So it’s turned out to be what you wanted in terms of you being able to be closer to the music and everything?
Lynne: Oh, yeah. And it’s so much easier. I can pick up the phone and get something done. With a record label you’ve got 14,000 people in between you and the getting it done part. I’ve done it 20 years and I don’t want to do it anymore. I feel like I’ve got my fans out there who are so loyal and they’ll support me in anything I do, and I’m going to make music for them and gather some new ones along the way.

Paste: Where did the name “Everso” come from?
Lynne: Everso is a word my business partners and I sometimes use to describe something that’s kind of perfect: “Oh, that’s just everso!” I think I heard it on a Marilyn Monroe movie years ago. And I wanted a name that represented everything, and it’s a creative feeling.

Paste: You mentioned wanting to be able to connect with your fans. You started in the music business long before the Internet and social networking came on the scene. How has that changed the way you interact with your fan base?
Lynne: Well, it’s so much easier now. It’s right at your fingertips. I can talk to anybody I want to anywhere I want to. So there’s been a lot of change in 20 years. It’s crazy how the communication is so different. I think it’s wonderful, by the way. I think it’s something we need to embrace. I have to embrace the ever-changing digital world and it’s amazing.

Paste: You’ve been able to collaborate with several musicians over the years. Who do you still hope to work with, either on the writing or the performing side of things?
Lynne: I guess the first thing that comes to mind is songwriting. There are so many amazing songwriters out there and it just gets overwhelming when you start to think of who you’d want to collaborate with. I’ve been so fortunate that through the years people have just called me throughout the years to collaborate. I’ve performed with Willie [Nelson]—there’s just no end.

Paste: What performance memories really stand out, looking back?
Lynne: The Willie thing, of course. He’s just magical. And then performing with George Jones when I was 19 years old.

Paste: It seems like you were just destined to be involved in music. You grew up in a musical family, and your sister has made a career out of music as well, but what do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t making music?
Lynne: I can’t imagine not being a musician! I don’t know, I’d probably paint or something. I can’t imagine not doing something with my hands or gardening.

Paste: What does the rest of the year look like for you? Your album comes out April 20, and then what else is on tap?
Lynne: I’m recording a Christmas album in June, and that will come out this year. See, when you’re on your own label you can do whatever the hell you want, because for 20 years I’ve been wanting to make a Christmas record and so, finally, I’m doing it. And tour. Tour, tour, tour.

Paste: Where do you get the most energy as a musician? Is it from touring or from the studio, or are they just too different to compare?
Lynne: I love it all. It’s a fun gig. I love to perform because I get such energy from the people that come. I mean, they’re my source of energy. And making records is really fun to me. I’m a big nerd and I know all the gear, and I love that part of it. It’s fun getting together with musicians to make records. I love it all. The performing part is wonderful, because the people are the true catalyst for that energy.