Singer/songwriter Shawn James has recently released new album, A Place in the Unknown on Parts & Labor Records. James is best known for his multi-octave voice, a combination of the Gospel choirs he sang with growing up in the South Side of Chicago, and later, his training in Classical music and opera. His original music is steeped in Blues, particularly the work of Robert Johnson and Son House.
James comments on the new album:
“I started writing A Place in the Unknown during shutdown and throughout 2020/2021. I feel as though all the uncertainty and general feeling of not knowing what was going to happen next definitely had an effect on the lyrical content of the record as a whole.
In the past, I had primarily focused on writing songs with just a voice and guitar stripped down. This time, knowing I was going after a more groovy Rock record, I started with the drums and beats. After choosing that, I’d then start writing and I can definitely feel the difference it had in the songwriting and flow/groove of the record as a whole. To me, there’s a sense of forward momentum in all these songs that keep it upbeat and lively.
Lyrically, I feel as though I leaned into a sense of not knowing and learning to be more comfortable with my “place in the unknown.”
Shawn James will be kicking off a Northern American tour beginning March 2nd in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
SHAWN JAMES 2022 US TOUR DATES:
March 2 Vancouver, BC, Canada @ Fox Cabaret 8:00pm
March 3 Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey 8:00pm
March 4 Portland, OR @ Dante’s 8:00pm
March 5 Bend, OR @ Midtown Ballroom/ Domino Room 8:00pm
March 8 Sacramento, CA @ Goldfield Trading Post 8:00pm
March 9 San Francisco, CA @ Brick & Mortar Music Hall 8:00pm
March 10 Los Angeles, CA @ The Moroccan Lounge 8:00pm
March 11 Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom 8:00pm
March 12 Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole 8:00pm
March 18 Houston, TX @ The Secret Group 8:00pm
March 19 San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger 7:00pm
March 20 Dallas, TX @ Amplified Live 8:00pm
March 22 Denver, CO @ Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom 8:00pm
March 23 Grand Junction, CO @ Mesa Theater 8:00pm
March 24 Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall 8:00pm
