Shemekia Copeland (photo: Zack Nechvatal)
Reporting Terri Hemmert
Filed under
Artist Interviews, Features, GRAMMYs, Let's See Action, Live From Studio X, Music, VideosThe recently Grammy-nominated Shemekia Copeland stopped by Studio X today to play a couple songs and also chat with Terri Hemmert. Shemekia’s album 33 1/3, released in September of 2012, was nominated for the “Blues Album of the Year” at the GRAMMYs. The nominated album was one of the topics discussed in her chat with Terri and not surprisingly, she is very fond of it. “I am so proud of it, it was exactly the album I wanted to make and I already feel like a winner,” Shemekia said.
The title of the album is also important to her for other reasons. “33 1/3, is a tribute to my age and also a tribute to vinyl, and it’s my first vinyl album,” she said. She also mentioned that she was inspired by George Harrison’s very similar album title, Thirty Three & 1/3. The album features covers on artists like Lucinda Williams and Bob Dylan. “I love great songwriters, and Dylan’s ‘I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight’ makes me feel a little bit more vulnerable.”
With her was guitarist, Arthur Nielsen, and they have been playing together for fifteen years. They were kind enough to play two songs from the album including Terri’s favorite, “Lemon Pie”.
“Lemon Pie”
The vocalist explained some of the messages discussed in the album like politics and sexual abuse, “I am old enough now, and it is time for me to talk about what I want to talk about and you can get away with it when you are older,” she said.
“I’m so happy that Chicago has accepted me as a Chicagoan. I was born and raised in New York, but I have been here for about a decade now,” Shemeika said. She also feels very passionate on the on-going problem of younger people dying in the city, “we need to get music and sports back into schools so we can keep kids active with something to do so they’re not sitting on the street,” she said.
“Ain’t Gonna Be Your Tattoo”
Shemekia performed in a special concert at the White House with artists like, B.B King, Buddy Guy and Mick Jagger. That will air on PBS on February 27th, and you can root for her at the Grammy’s on February 10th on CBS.
Full Audio: Sheimeka Copeland Live From Studio X [LISTEN]
You can also buy her album on itunes and Amazon.
Oh, and after the Studio X set, she locked lips with Lin Brehmer. View that photo here.
Connect With XRT On Facebook & Twitter
