Country artist Shelby Lee chatted with Digital Journal’s Markos Papadatos about his new music video for “Front Porch Conversations,” and he premiered his video exclusively on Digital Journal.
As an authentic leader on the traditional country scene, your sound truly stands out among the genre’s emerging talent. What influences led you to craft this sound grounded in the roots of the genre?
I’ve always been drawn to the traditional elements of country music. I love the storytelling and the instrumentation of the old-school sounds of country. That’s why I try to honor the tradition of the genre. You’ll hear steel guitar and fiddle in my songs and hopefully notice a lot of my influences in my songwriting.
Tell us about the new album “Stubborn Heart” and what fans can expect to hear on the project.
“Stubborn Heart” is a really fun project full of twang that has Southern Rock energy with a traditional country backbone. You’ll hear some heartfelt country ballads, up-tempo rocking songs, and some honest country lyrics.
You are premiering a video for the track Front Porch Conversations with us today. What inspired this track?
Front Porch Conversations is a very special song for me and my family. Last year, I was picking around on my guitar and I was overcome with a wave of emotion. I wrote a song about my grandparents in about 45 minutes.
My grandparents passed away in 2010 and 2011 and this song is about what I would say to them if I had the chance for one last talk. It’s been special to me and my family, but I have had folks reach out and tell me how much the song means to them as well. That is why this song will always be one of my favorites.
You did not slow down with the pandemic as this is now your second release since the initial lockdowns in March 2020. How did the pandemic alter your writing, recording or release plans?
When the pandemic started in 2020, I knew I had to find a way to keep the momentum rolling since I couldn’t connect with fans at live shows. I started writing music with people over zoom calls and I decided to push my music harder than ever.
In a time of uncertainty when a lot of people could choose to take a break from music or decide to do something else, I decided I had to keep pushing my career forward. I believe I wrote and recorded the best songs of my career in the time period since.
Opening for artists like Walker Hayes, Charlie Daniels and Brett Young, what did you learn from those headliners that you’ve incorporated into your show or used as you traverse your career?
Opening up for legends like Charlie Daniels is always an amazing experience and I will be grateful for that. I saw a man in his 70’s that was putting on the show of a lifetime and you knew he loved what he was doing. That experience made me want to get even better at my craft and put everything I had into every show.
You are a singer, songwriter, performer, and father who somehow manages to balance all those things and stay fit while on the road. What health and fitness routines are a part of your lifestyle?
I do my best to stay healthy and fit while trying to balance this crazy life of mine, and some days I do better than others. I’ve found that even when I don’t have time to go to the gym I always have time every day to get down and do some push-ups and body squats. I make sure I do that every day. I’ve found success with intermittent fasting and I try to take cold showers and baths when I can.
If you could cut a duet or have an artist featured on your track, who would you chose and why.
I would love to cut a duet with some artists like Dwight Yoakam, George Strait, John Anderson, Brooks and Dunn, and a lot of other legends that I look up to in the genre. I also think it would be cool to write a country song and release it with a rock band like Kings of Leon or a funk artist or band like Thundercat or Vulfpeck. I think something really cool would come out of that.
