By: Sadie Christine
Shantaia ain’t no one-trick pony. She’s been to every damn rodeo, and her newest album, One Trick Pony, proves that to be true with songs that are honest and push genre boundaries.
We caught up with the singer-songwriter ahead of the album release to talk about all things inspiration, pushing back against being put in a box, and her new sonic era.
Shantaia is bringing a very unique, cool, soulful R&B sound to country music with her latest album. When asked about how this new album is different from her previous work, Shantaia shares, “I spent the last few years really trying to dive deeper into the type of music I wanted to make and what kind of music really lit my soul on fire.”
She started listening to music from artists she really loves, such as Lake Street Dive, Chris Stapleton, and Olivia Dean, and wanted to find a way to blend all those genres that she loves to sing and listen to together.
Shantaia says, “I started just playing with music again, and this record is unique because it starts out as a country soul record and then it transitions into R&B, pop elements, and blues. It’s really unique and stands apart from anything I’ve ever created.
She adds: I’ve always been a huge Chris Stapleton fan, as well as Maren Morris, and when Teddy Swims broke out, I found that type of music to be so intriguing.” She feels that sometimes in country music, people play it safe by using the same four chords and the truth, and while she thinks “there’s a lot of great things to that,” she wanted to “create music that musicians felt challenged when playing” and “find a way to bring some complexity to country music.”
“Found Out” is the latest single ahead of the album’s release. She tells WH that this song was written on a trip to LA a couple of years ago. She recalls being in the room with Brian Collier, Curt Chambers, and Ryan Sorestad, who she notes have been incredibly involved in the whole record: “They really understood the direction.”
The concept for this song came to be on their way to the writing session in the car, as they were listening to Lake Street Dive and studying that sound. Shantaia shares, “I was like, ‘They’re really good at capturing that sexy, groovy, kind of confidence,’” and wondered how she could capture that same sort of vibe. She already had the title sitting in her phone and immediately had the melody of the hook, “Let’s mess around and find out,” when she stepped into the room.
Track 7, “One Trick Pony,” is the title track for this new album. When asked why this song represents the album as a whole, Shantaia explains, “I really knew that song was special because of how it came to be and the reason I wrote it.”
“I was leaving the studio after recording another song we had, and remember having earlier meetings that week that left me feeling a little bit defeated.” She recalls industry people giving her praise but, at the same time, questioning what label they could give her and what genre to put her in.
“I was frustrated with that and was like, ‘Why do I need a label [on my music]?’ I ain’t a one-trick pony,’” Shantaia says. After that thought, she immediately heard the melody and the hook.
For Shantaia, this song “represents the album because of the transitions in the genres. It just really was the perfect fit to represent this era and show off all the sides of me musically.”
“One Trick Pony” was also her answer to WH’s signature question, “What’s Your Era?” which asks which of her songs resonates with her the most today. She says she chose this song because even though it has been out for over a year, it still very much feels like the era she’s in.
Wrapping up this interview, I had to ask about fashion and the role expressing herself through fashion and style has on her artistry. Her response: “I love fashion. I love playing with new textures and new things, but one thing that always stayed true to my look is my glasses. Not that I have to wear glasses all the time but usually, when I’m on stage, I’m wearing a pair of glasses. I don’t know what it is, but it transcends me into this alter ego that feels like my Bad B energy—BBE, I call it. I feel the most confident and myself when I’m wearing glasses. I think it ties an outfit together and makes anything look cool.”
Shantaia tells us that she is working on things behind the scenes and is very excited to get this album out and see what people resonate with.
Be sure to stream “One Trick Pony” out now on all streaming platforms, and make sure you are keeping up with her on all her social media!
Thank you, Shantaia, for this insightful interview!
Stay Wild, Stay Authentic, Stay Country
