Shawn shines:an interview with Grammy winningsinger/songwriter Shawn Colvin

By Gregg Shapiro

Some of Shawn Colvin’s queer fans may recall her appearance on RuPaul’s pre-“Drag Race” talk show

in the mid-1990s when she donned a tiara and was fawned over by the late Nell Carter. Colvin’s Grammy

Award-winning fourth studio album, “A Few Small Repairs” was released 30 years ago. To her credit, the

songs still sound as fresh and irresistible as they did when they were new to us. The album even yielded a massive hit single, “Sunny Came Home.” Of course, Colvin had already won her first Grammy three years earlier for her 1991 major-label debut “Steady On.” Renowned for her concert performances (she’s put out four live albums), Colvin has been touring consistently over the years, whether or not she has an album to promote. Her current tour brings her to SPACE in Evanston on March 10. Colvin generously made time for an interview in advance of her concert tour.

Gregg Shapiro: Shawn, the first time I saw you perform in concert was in 1989 at Orphan’s in Chicago. I attended another seven of your Chicago concerts between 1993 and 2013 (when I relocated to

Fort Lauderdale). Would it be fair to say that you have an affinity for your Chicago fanbase?

Shawn Colvin: Yes. Chicago was one of the first cities to champion me with fantastic radio stations like

WXRT that played my stuff. Because of that support I was able to build a following in Chicago that has been very loyal to me over these many years. There were stations around the country back then that

focused on what they called “adult alternative” music, and call it what you will, but my career was

fostered in a massive way by that format and those stations.

GS:Something I recall about your live shows is that you would often tell wonderful stories between songs. Was this something you picked up from other artists, or did you develop that kind of stage patter on your own?

SC: There is a club in Cambridge, Massachusetts called Passim, a haven for songwriters. The patrons

come to listen, not to socialize, and they expect to hear original songs. I began to get work there once I had a few songs under my belt that I had written, but I wasn’t used to a rapt crowd, having played mostly bars and dance halls up till then. I had no idea how to talk to an audience. The first artist I opened for at Passim was Greg Brown from Iowa. His songs were incredible, and he thoroughly and easily engaged the crowd between tunes by telling stories. I learned from watching him.

GS: As a gay man, another thing I remember from your concerts, was the large percentage of queer folks in your audience. Was this something of which you were aware, and if so, what does that following mean to you?

SC: I’m one of those artists that doesn’t pay a lot of attention to my “demographic,” only because it feels as though I’m looking to cater to, or not cater to, select groups of folks. I am just grateful for all the fantastic fans out there who’ve supported me for over 25 years, no matter where they come from, what they look like, what they do, how they identify or who they love. Because of them I have my dream job to this day.

GS: Your fourth studio album, “A Few Small Repairs,” was your second to win Grammy Awards, including for “Record of the Year”and “Song of the Year.” Did you have a sense, as you were making the album, that it would be as well-received as it was?

SC: (Musician/songwriter/producer) John Leventhal and I had developed a shorthand with each other after many years of collaborating, both as writing partners and making records. “A Few Small Repairs” came easily across the board. It was truly fun to write it, and produce it, and that was partly because we vowed to free ourselves from the pressure at the record company to produce a hit single. We just made the best record we knew how to make. We felt really great about it, and still do, but the last thing we expected was a hit song. It’s my firm belief that not caring about the charts made all the

difference.

GS: You have included cover tunes on many of your albums, such as Warren Zevon’s “Tenderness on the Block,” on 1992’s “Fat City.” You also released a pair of covers albums (“Cover Girl” in 1994 and “Uncovered” in 2015). The aforementioned “Cover Girl” featured your rendition of Steve Earle’s “Someday.” Was your 2016 Earle collaboration album “Colvin & Earle” the result of that?

SC: No, not really. Steve and I did a short stint of duo shows in 2015, way after I covered “Someday”. I’d never even met him when I made “Cover Girl.” It was a good pairing. We clicked musically, and it was Steve’s idea for us to make a record together.

GS: You also regularly included interpretations of songs by others in your live shows (your Crowded House covers were personal favorites). As a songwriter, please say something about the importance of performing songs by others.

SC: Performing covers is how I made my living from 1974, when I turned 18, to 1986, at which point I

began to write songs with John Leventhal. It was essential and invaluable for me to be a student

during all those years. I wasn’t ready to write for a long time, but I imitated the best. “Cover Girl” is a tribute to just a very few of the songs that I owe my career to.

GS: Finally, there’s a date gap on your tour schedule between late March and late September. Will you be adding more U.S. tour dates during that period?

SC: Yes, without a doubt.