Shelby Lanterman

 

She's a new kind of country artist - thoughtful, multi-talented and confident. With her debut radio single ‘Whiskey Drinkin' Woman’ running up the charts, Shelby Lanterman is in a unique position to re-define the genre.

Generally speaking, country artists are highly dependent on strong lyrics and pure musicianship to succeed in the market, and Shelby Lanterman is well-positioned to excel in this regard. Perhaps that's why critics had this to say about the country artist's award-winning work: ‘Shelby Lanterman's unabashed solicitation of romantic interest is bound to mesmerize the kind of men she wants to consort with - few could resist its arch invitation to the end.’ Now that her new radio single ‘Whiskey Drinkin' Woman’ is catching fire on radio, it's clear that we'll be hearing a lot more of her. Reporter Lauren Scott recently caught up with Shelby Lanterman to learn more about this intriguing new country artist and what inspires her to create her music.

LAUREN: As an artist on the rise, what is one thing you are most excited about and one thing you are most afraid of happening in your career?
SHELBY LANTERMAN: I’m just really excited to see where my career takes me. It’s been an amazing ride so far and I’ve been able to travel to cool places and meet awesome people along the way, and I can’t wait to see what else is next. To be honest, there’s not much I’m afraid of when it comes to music. I’ve always had a super ambitious attitude towards my career. I guess the only thing I would say scares me is losing that spark. I don’t want music to become a “boring job”. But I can’t ever really see that happening.

LAUREN: Your song ’Whiskey Drinkin' Woman’ is receiving a positive listener response on radio. What was your initial reaction when you first heard your song playing on radio?
SHELBY LANTERMAN: I’m so happy people like the song. It’s a very interesting song that took a lot of work to get to a place where I was happy with it. I always get excited when I hear my music on the radio and when there’s a positive response. I mean that’s the goal, right?

LAUREN: What was the inspiration behind your debut radio single?
SHELBY LANTERMAN: Well, my love for whiskey definitely inspired the song. But I also was going through a major blues phase where everything I wrote had to have a sultry, dirty blues feel and “Whiskey Drinkin’ Woman” just sort of came out of what I was listening to during this phase.

LAUREN: It is often said that great art arises from difficult experience. Is there something in your life experience thus far that you would describe as the ‘catalyst’ or ‘fuel’ for your desire to create music?
SHELBY LANTERMAN: My fuel actually comes from happy experiences, contrary to the norm. I had very supportive parents that did nothing but give me the space to channel my art. They have been there for me every step of the way and in fact, my father is the one who taught me everything I know about rock n’ roll. I guess the “catalyst” I have comes from a positive space as opposed to negative and I’m very grateful for that.

LAUREN: How would you characterize yourself as an artist/musician? (Ex. Down-to-earth, serious, fun-loving, complicated…)
SHELBY LANTERMAN: I’ve been told that I’m very spunky, tough, a spitfire if you will. That’s probably how I come off but deep down, I’m a total nerd.

 

LAUREN: What has your experience been like working with the other people on your team?
SHELBY LANTERMAN: My band is absolutely amazing. Rob DaSilva, who co-produced my album, was awesome to work with. I’m so lucky to have these amazing people in my life and on my team.

LAUREN: Did you come from a musical background? Are there other musicians in your family?
SHELBY LANTERMAN: Yes and no. My grandmother plays piano and conducts a community choir and definitely had an impact on my musical upbringing. My parents aren’t actually musicians, but they are definitely music appreciators and have a deep love for music.

LAUREN: What do you find most rewarding about being an artist? What do you find most challenging?
SHELBY LANTERMAN: The most rewarding feeling is when you are on stage and you look out and see people smiling, dancing, cheering, etc. When people have a positive response to your music, your words, your soul… there’s nothing like it. It makes you feel alive. The challenge as an artist is to fight through the difficult times when all you wanna do is give up. Sometimes you have a bad gig and all you want to do is hang up the guitar and stop putting yourself through that internal struggle musicians face with themselves. But those are the moments when you have to remind yourself why you are an artist and what music means to you. There are times where it’s hard to keep that perspective, but at the end of the day there’s nothing else I’d rather be doing.

LAUREN: Who are your role models in music?
SHELBY LANTERMAN: Dave Grohl is a huge influence on everything I do as an artist. I think he’s an amazing musician and person and I’ve always looked up to him as an inspiration.

LAUREN: Describe your best or most memorable performance.
SHELBY LANTERMAN: I’ve had a lot of fabulous gigs, but one that sticks out as being particularly special is when I played in Flagstaff, Arizona on my summer tour. I had an amazing time with the people there and they were so supportive and loving. The audience sang the words to every song I played and there’s no other feeling like that.

LAUREN: What advice would you give to young, aspiring artists out there who are unsure and need guidance?
SHELBY LANTERMAN: With a career in music, you have to be able to persevere anything. You will hear “no” nine times out of ten, but you have to keep going. It’s really hard to keep a positive attitude sometimes and you find yourself doubting everything you do all the time. The great moments are very rare, but the payoff is amazing if you’re patient, keep working and just don’t give up. It sounds cheesy, but trust me… the only secret to having a successful career in music is to stick with it.

LAUREN: What's next for you as an artist? Is there a new single in the works? If so, what can you tell us about it?
SHELBY LANTERMAN: There is definitely an album in the works as of right now, but it’s in the very beginning stages so I can’t really divulge too much info. There’s also a bunch of new tour dates I’ve just announced on my website www.shelbylantermanmusic.com so you can find me there!

LAUREN: I look forward to hearing your new work! Thank you for letting us get to know you better as a musician and I wish you the best of luck and continued success.

http://www.shelbylantermanmusic.com

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