The acclaimed, Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter plays Ann Arbor’s The Ark on Saturday, then returns to Grand Rapids’ St. Cecilia Music Center on Sunday. The Local Spins interview.
Hitting the Road Solo: Shawn Colvin brings her career-spanning repertoire of songs to Michigan. (Courtesy Photo)
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In the words of three-time Grammy Award-winning artist Shawn Colvin: “I’m honored to be a woman on International Women’s Day, playing at a women-centric venue named after St. Cecilia. It’s fantastic.”
Those from Grand Rapids may know the trailblazing history of St. Cecilia Music Center, which was founded exclusively by women in 1883, but for Colvin, learning that history adds an extra layer of excitement and importance to her upcoming Sunday (March 8) performance.
The singer-songwriter has embarked on this tour completely solo, spotlighting hits that span Colvin’s entire career. Before traveling to Grand Rapids, she’ll play The Ark in Ann Arbor on Saturday (March 7).
From award-winning hits such as 1997’s “Sunny Came Home” to rediscovered deep cuts, Colvin likes to mix up her set lists with every tour to keep things fresh and exciting not only for her dedicated fans, but also for herself.
“Sometimes I forget about songs I’ve written and then I’ll see a record of mine or something like that and think, ‘Oh, yeah, I should resurrect that,’” said Colvin.
In the spirit of International Women’s Day, Colvin discussed some of the women who influenced her early-on in her career including Judy Collins, Emmylou Harris, Joni Mitchell and Judee Sill, whose song is featured on one of Colvin’s cover albums.
“I scooped ice cream at Baskin-Robbins when I was about 15, and we had a college radio station that was pretty hip. This song came over the radio while I was scooping ice cream and it just blew me away. I found out the artist’s name, Judee Sill, and the song was called, ‘There’s A Rugged Road,’” Colvin said.
Colvin: Sharing ‘personal experiences’ in her songs. (Courtesy Photo)
After many years of creating memorable hits in the Americana-folk genre, it’s no surprise that many of today’s up-and-coming artists have been inspired by Colvin’s work.
Sarah Jarosz (one third of the award-winning folk trio I’m With Her) spoke at length on the Jeremy Dylan podcast in 2020 about Colvin’s influence on her own music, then later went on to tour with Colvin in 2023.
“I was really proud of I’m With Her for winning two Grammys. I just thought that was really cool that an all-women band snagged two Grammys in the Americana categories,” Colvin told Local Spins.
The singer-songwriter advised young artists to, “Be proud, be confident, be assertive, follow your heart, but I think the best thing to do is get out and play.”
Colvin remembered times when being a woman in the music industry was “not the greatest position to be in.” When Colvin was getting started in music, she was asked to change her age to be younger than she really was and things were expected of her that would not be expected of male artists at the time.
“It’s come a long way,” Colvin said of the state of the music industry today.
Fans of Shawn Colvin and newcomers alike can expect a night full of vulnerable songwriting, storytelling and friendly banter in-between songs as well as some covers of songs that inspire her.
“I’ve written about really personal experiences, relationships mostly, some about my family. My songs have been very autobiographical and confessional. I have enough of a distance from the time of the inception of the songs and I’m still moved by them, but I probably get more emotional when I do cover songs because these are songs I cut my teeth on, you know, these are artists and songs that changed my life.”
Shawn Colvin hits the St. Cecilia Music Center stage at 7 p.m. Sunday (March 8). A post-concert reception follows at 9 p.m. Tickets, $55-$70, are still available online here: https://scmc.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/#/instances/a0FUL00000easKf2AI
Tickets, $56.50, for Saturday’s concert at The Ark are available online here.
VIDEO: Shawn Colvin, “In the Bleak Mid-Winter”
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