Shawna Russell shooting for stardom
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman. To hear an audio clip, click here.
Oklahoman’s debut brings ‘Goddess’ to state
From Reba McEntire to Blake Shelton to Joe Don Rooney, Oklahoma counts several small-town dreamers among its constellation of country music stars.
After a lifetime of dreaming and a decade of nearly constant touring, Okemah resident Shawna Russell hopes to be the state’s next Nashville success.
“It’s definitely an inspiration to see that someone that came from a town the same size as mine or smaller and that they can really come out to Nashville and make a big noise. That is definitely an inspiration just to never give up on what I’ve always wanted to do in life,” Russell said in a recent phone interview from Nashville, Tenn., where she was preparing for her radio tour.
In between shows at Oklahoma casinos and events, she has visited radio stations across the country for the past month, promoting her debut album, “Goddess” and the recently released title single.
The 1996 Okemah High School graduate’s potent brew of contemporary country, 1970s-style rock and Southern-fried grooves is getting attention, with positive reviews in “Country Weekly,” “Music Row” and “Nashville Music Guide.” The Country Music Association named her one of its “Who New to Watch in 2008″ artists.
The Oklahoma native is set to play June 5 at the CMA Music Festival in Nashville and to be showcased in June 2 issue of “Country Weekly,” with “Goddess” as the featured download.
“That’s really been amazing to me, the positive response that we’ve gotten from it so far,” Russell said. “It’s nice to know that when you’re putting your heart out there … that someone’s actually taking notice and that they like it.”
Back in her home state, Russell is performing today at Tinker Air Force Base during a celebration welcoming home about 230 troops who have been serving in Iraq.
She also will play at 5 p.m. Saturday at Little River Music Valley in Tecumseh.
“I guess because we have so much talent in this state, they (Oklahomans) are always open to hearing new talent,” she said. “It’s pretty amazing that we’ll go to some of these towns, and they’ll say, ‘Oh, yeah, I remember you played this particular place.’”
Childhood dream
Russell made her singing debut at age 7, when her aunt cast her as a soloist in a church play. Her father, Keith Russell, and uncle, Tim Russell, who have been playing in bands since they were teenagers, encouraged her to keep singing.
“We were in the kitchen just about every night after that, practicing,” she said. “It was kind of contagious after that.”
At age 11, one of her first paying gigs was singing the National Anthem at rallies during Burn Hargis’ unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign. Since her dad was a football coach, she also performed the anthem at ballgames.
When she was 13, Russell and her father put together a band and played benefit events, talent shows, and any place they could find an audience.
“Whenever I graduated I decided to give college a try. So I stayed for about a year, but then just thought, if I’m going to try to make something of myself in the music industry, then I need to put all my focus on that,” she said.
Russell, her father and uncle formed the band Way Out West and hit the road for 79 straight weeks, playing shows in Oklahoma, Texas and the surrounding region.
“It was a really good learning experience for me. I just continued on with that, just playing as many dates as possible and just … getting in front of as many people as I could,” she said.
She then spent three years touring nationally with Ty England, playing acoustic guitar and singing backup vocals.
“He would actually let me sing a couple of songs in the set, and it was just a really great experience. He’s a talented performer and I was able to travel all across the United States and to South Korea. We did a USO tour there,” she said.
Becoming a “Goddess”
After touring for a decade, Russell knew she needed to do something different, including expressing herself through songwriting. With her uncle and family friend Ted Curtis co-producing, she worked with well-known studio musicians to record her debut album at Oklahoma City’s Upstairs Productions Studio.
She co-wrote 12 of the album’s 13 tracks, working with her dad and uncle to pen 11 of them.
“It was a real family project,” she said. “It was special for me because I was able to have so much input on it, from writing the songs to the way the album looks. … So it’s really been a dream come true for me.”
From the Fleetwood Mac-inspired title track to the hooky, pop-country song “Back on My Feet” to the servicewoman’s tribute “Shed a Tear,” Russell’s debut is an eclectic collection that reveals an array of musical influences, from the Eagles to Martina McBride.
“I have a wide variety of tastes when it comes to music and things that I grew up listening to,” she said. “I’ve always liked those strong female voices with a little bit of edge, so people like Stevie Nicks and Bonnie Raitt and Sheryl Crow. I’ve tried to have a little bit of that in my song choices.”
In concert
What: Little River Music Valley presents Jeff Sibble, Shawna Russell and Jeff Bates.
When: Gates open at noon Saturday. Sibble plays at 3 p.m., Russell at 5 p.m. and Bates at 7 p.m.
Where: 35267 Little River Road, Tecumseh.
Tickets: $15 in advance; $25 at the gate.
Information: 598-1170 or www.music4lifestudios.com.
For more on Russell: www.shawnarussell.com.
-BAM
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