The Soulful Sounds of Singer Shea

One listen to Shea’s voice will instantly captivate you. Her sultry voice and smooth sound is why I picked Shea. She’s a rare talent that is ready to blossom.

About Shea

Hailing from Lake Ozark, Missouri Savannah “Shea” Givens, is a 24-year old R&B/Soul singer, songwriter, and pianist. After graduating from the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, Shea has continued to pursue a career in music and continues to polish her songwriting abilities. So much so, that several local artists have recruited her for her talent. Shea says her writing style contributes a great deal to her soulful sound and originality. Shea independently put out her first official single “InVerse” on iTunes in November of 2014. After writing several songs with Hip Hop artist Landon Wordswell, Shea committed to touring with him to 20 cities in the U.S in the Spring of 2015.

Source: Facebook

Although this was her first touring experience, Shea was no stranger to the stage. Her touring experience with Landon Wordswell furthered her passion for pursuing a career in music.

Shea currently resides in Temecula, California where she was recently nominated for her singing and songwriting in the Temecula Valley Music Awards. She continues to play as many open mics and gigs as they come available to further her abilities and promote her music to new individuals. In addition, Shea is also currently writing and recording for her new album that is expected to release by February of 2016.

We had the chance to get to know a little bit more about Shea. Read her interview below and listen to her beautiful music while you’re at it.

Interview

UV: How long have you been performing/creating music?
Shea: I’ve been performing music for as long as I can remember. My mom was a singer and songwriter as well so it was very instrumental in my family’s everyday lives. Whether it was with performing in the school choir, singing for local retirement homes and hospitals around the holidays, or singing in the car on our road trips, music was almost always incorporated in some way. I cannot remember a time that it wasn’t.

We had the chance to get to know Shea a little better. Read through her interview and stream the sounds of her beautiful music below. Shea is definitely an artist I’m sure you’ll hear about for years to come.

UV: How would you describe your music and sound? Do you play any instruments?
Shea: My songwriting brings a very interesting and alternative element to my soulful R&B sound. I typically have a positive or relatable message to my songs. I am continually learning how to transfer my passion for my music directly into the sound of my music.

UV:Tell the Unheard Voices readers what your passions are and who or what motivates you to continue to strive in a cut throat industry?
Shea: Singing, songwriting, and playing piano are all definite passions of mine. I am very drawn to the idea of being able to make a career for myself out of my passions because I sincerely feel that it would never seem like work. Music has also served as therapy for me even in the hardest of times. For these reasons, I honestly think that a career in music would bring great happiness to my life in a world where unhappy individuals are much easier to come across on a daily basis. Even though the music industry is unbelievably cut throat, I believe that a shot at a career angled towards my strengths and passions is worth the effort. I would also love to be able to take care of my family and allow them to have less stress-filled lives.

UV: What artists have the greatest musical influence on you and your music?
Shea: Because I have always listened to many different genres of music throughout my life thus far, it would be extremely difficult for me to pick and choose any one specific artist or band that influences my sound and writing style. I do think that the individuals that have surrounded me in my life have been the greatest of influences to my music; however, there are plenty of artists that I truly look up to and admire their writing styles and abilities. Pharrell Williams, Adele, Whitney Houston, Frank Ocean, Etta James, John Lennon, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra, Beyonce, Steve Perry, Elvis Presley, Alicia Keys, Neyo, Christina Aguilera, Miguel, Erykah Badu, Musiq Soulchild, Kendrick Lamar, James Bay, Adam Levine, Carole King, Lauryn Hill, John Mayer, Dave Matthews Band…the list could continue for days. I have great amounts of respect for all of these artists and for many different reasons.

UV: What do you think the greatest challenge has been as an indie artist?
Shea: One of the greatest challenges for me as an independent artist has been learning how to better promote myself whether it’s on stage or via social media. Even though I consider myself to be pretty personable, I was one of those people that typically would stay away from social media. I have continually been training myself to use social media more often and more appropriately over the past several years.

UV: How in tune are you with your fans?</strong>
Shea: I love talking with people that have become fans of me and my music. This includes comments on my videos and photos on any of my social media accounts. It’s very encouraging and touching to know that there are people out there that are enjoying my music or my voice because it is such a deep rooted part of who I am.

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UV: Has anyone ever given you negative feedback on your music, if so how did you react to it?
Shea: I have gotten some negative feedback before, especially pertaining to the amount of music that I have made available for people to hear or the amount of time that it has taken me to “make it” especially after taking time for college attendance. There are even some that don’t necessarily enjoy my style of writing or singing. When you create something that is such a heavy part of you like music is for me, it can be difficult at times to keep from feeling as if you are being personally condemned by the individuals that are critiquing it, but I put my music out there for a reason. I want others to be able to get to know me and my music. The reality of it is that some people just aren’t going to like me and I am okay with that because, at risk of sounding slightly selfish, I am putting my passion out there and allowing myself a shot at my own happiness. That is worth it to me.

UV: To date, what has been your best performance? When was it, where was it and why is it your best performance?
Shea: One performance that I consider one of my best was a performance at one of the first open mic nights I attended after moving to California. When I first moved to Temecula, California I had just come off of a tour that was successful in some ways, but emotionally draining in others. There was something that really clicked for me that night that made me realize how much I truly felt at home when I perform my music for others and how capable I could be if I keep pushing myself to strive towards my goals. There may be other performances that could be considered a better performance technically, but for me it was one of the most important and pivotal performances I have ever experienced.

UV: Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
Shea: I am constantly learning how to use every single day to push towards my overall goals, especially in music. I hope to see that in five years some of my hard work will start to pay off because after all, as much as music is about passion, my college loans are about money. I don’t need an exceptional amount of financial support to give me happiness, but it would be wonderful to be able to care for myself and my family. I would love to be in a financial situation that allows me to give back in order to benefit other individuals as well. More than anything, in five years I would love to see that I am still happy and attempting to help the others around me to gain that same happiness.

UV: What` current projects do you have out or forthcoming projects/shows in progress?
Shea: My single ‘InVerse’ is out on iTunes and my first song releases are all available through my websites. I continually try to post performance videos and previews of new songs as often as possible through my social media accounts. I am currently working on a new album with producer and artist Evan Palmer that is expected to be released at the beginning of 2016. There may be a few other producers involved as well, but as of now it will remain a surprise. I am hoping to release a new single sometime before Christmas of this year as well. I am unbelievably excited to share this project because it is the first project that I have actually been able to sit in the studio and create with a producer one-on-one. I truly believe that this project is going to give people an honest idea of the music I want to continue to create and will hopefully allow me to further establish my career as a singer and songwriter. I can’t wait to share! As far as upcoming performances, I try to perform my music as much as possible so when an opportunity arises I typically take advantage. I will always post updates about upcoming performances on my websites as well.

UV: In closing, I would like you to leave the Unheard Voices readers words of encouragement and inspiration, especially for those pursuing a career in music and entertainment.
Shea: For those working towards pursuing a career of any avenue: keep working even when there are set backs, keep reminding yourself that you are important and original even when experiences try to tell you otherwise, and keep offering your passions and gifts to the world. You have the ability to do great things. Take care to make sure you give yourself the opportunity to flourish with your abilities.

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http://facebook.com/aehs.hannavas
http://reverbnation.com/shea3
http://soundcloud.com/shea-37
http://youtube.com/savannahSHEAgivens
http://twitter.com/_shea_my_name
http://instagram.com/_shea_my_name

Every month with a partnership with Reverbnation, Unheard Voices features up & coming talent in the emerging music world. As we know, deserving artists often go under shadowed in an industry that praises mainstream success.

Here at Unheard Voices we like to shine light on artists who are not only talented and gifted, but making a difference.