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May 9th, 2019

Meet LEAF finalist, Krista Shows

Our 6th annual LEAF Festival Singer-Songwriter Competition is this weekend, Saturday, May 11! All this week we are introducing readers to our eight, talented finalists. Today we are proud to highlight Candler, NC-based Krista Shows.

Singer-songwriter Krista Shows is tied up in a place. Her sound — a combination of folk, R&B, and country with a raw, emotionally-gripping note that comes straight from the gut — is born of her life growing up in Mississippi, a place abounding in twofold realities. As new as a breath of fresh air and as old as the Mississippi River all at once, her songs are occupied by the people, the nature, and the heartbreak of that upbringing.

We asked Krista some questions to learn more about her artistic process and vision. See Krista and the rest of our 7 fellow LEAF finalists perform at NewSong’s LEAF Singer-Songwriter Competition this Saturday May 11. 

  

 

What is your songwriting process like, and where do you find inspiration?

 
My songs start with a melody or a phrase. It’s not uniform; it’s just about what feels right. I write songs for mental health — to process a situation or to help myself figure out how I am feeling. I also write to push myself to get better at it. 
 
Inspiration for writing is nature itself, the nature of life, the humans around me. Musically, the soul and country music that was coming out of the south in the 60s and 70s is a big inspiration to me. I love Millie Jackson, Roger Miller and Outkast.

 

What important news about your music do you have coming up?

 
We just finished recording our debut studio album at Dial Back Sound in Water Valley, Mississippi. Not quite sure when it’ll be out yet, but we’re excited!
 
Our spring Asheville show is on Mother’s Day, May 12th, at Isis Music Hall. It’s an early evening show, 6-7:30, in the lounge. We’ll share the bill with our awesome friends, Drunken Prayer. 

 

What does it mean to you to be selected as a NewSong finalist, and what do you hope to get out of the experience?  

 
I’m grateful for the opportunity. For me, creating new connections with people who are active in their own journey of music is exciting. I am also stoked because LEAF is a super special place to me, I volunteered at the festival for three years so that I could attend, now we’ll attend as performers.
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