Shania Twain: You and I are from fully totally different time intervals within the music business, however you recognize a variety of previous nation—conventional, country-western nation. What’s one of many first nation songs you ever heard?
Shaboozey: My dad was an immigrant right here from Nigeria, however he was all the time speaking about Kenny Rogers and Don Williams and Dolly Parton. I’m like 4 or 5 years previous, and I’m like, Who’re these individuals?
However after I was youthful, undoubtedly Kenny Rogers. My dad performed a variety of The Gambler. However then I actually fell in love and had my very own journey somewhat bit in a while in life. I began listening to extra basic rock, after which I uncovered the Stones, Pink Floyd, and all these totally different individuals. After which simply saved peeling again till I heard Bob Dylan. All of it obtained form of messy and mix-y.
Twain: Effectively, we’ve that in frequent. The family that I grew up in, my grandparents and my dad and mom, they had been into the identical stuff you’re speaking about. It was Don Williams and Kitty Wells. [Her] tune “[It Wasn’t God Who Made] Honky Tonk Angels” was a part of my very first repertoire. However I believe one of many very first songs I cherished essentially the most, that hit me as a songwriter, was Bobbie Gentry’s “Ode to Billy Joe.” And I don’t know in the event you ever heard of that one, however you bought to listen to it. Simply storytellers.
Shaboozey: I believe the storytelling and the way sincere [country music] was was what caught me. I undoubtedly had struggles looking for my id—in every part. Particularly being that my dad and mom are Nigerian however I used to be born in Virginia. I didn’t have the identical cultural historical past as all people else, whether or not that’s those who immigrated from Europe or Asia and even Africa.
Twain: We’re each very a lot outsiders in that sense.
Shaboozey: I simply felt like that’s what the nation music I really like is: individuals simply telling their tales.
I really like hip-hop too. Once I was younger, it was Lil Wayne, Usher, Nelly, and Ja Rule. And I spotted all these persons are telling their tales they usually influenced me. After which I used to be like, Man, how do I inform my very own story inside this? And somebody began taking part in guitar and I began singing, and I attempted to maintain it actual. After which individuals had been like, “Oh, you bought a voice” and also you’re speaking about actual issues that occurred to you. Then they’re like, “That is fairly just like nation.”
Twain: It’s so nation. You’re a storyteller. Our musical training comes a lot from a variety of music that we had been influenced by—soul, R&B, folks, our grandparents’ nation, for me, bluegrass and that kind of factor. So when you mature, as a self-taught songwriter and artist, you’re actually a hybrid of all of this stuff. I imply, if I decide up a guitar and inform a narrative, that to me is nation music. An excellent instance is “I Will At all times Love You.” Whitney Houston made it a worldwide smash nevertheless it’s really a rustic tune, by Dolly Parton.
