Shemekia Copeland: More Shemekia
by Matteo Bossi
“It’s been a very busy summer, I’ve just been in Europe for like ten days…and according to my son Johnny that was too long! He was like, “mommy, it’s too much, four days is enough”. I try to go out on the road for four days or a week at the most. He’s still at that age where he wants his mom, which is beautiful thing, because there is gonna be a time when he wants me out of the house.” That’s what Shemekia Copeland says right away, when we reach her a few weeks before the release of her new album “Blame It On Eve” on Alligator.
We might say you don’t change a winning team, this being the fourth album produced by Will Kimbrough and most of the songs, again like in the previous records, have been co-written by John Hahn, Shemekia Copeland’s manager from the very beginning, and Kimbrough himself. “I’m in constant competition with myself to just be better. I love this new record because it’s lighter than my previous records, it reflects where I am right now. And it’s been fun to make the record but at the same time I’m far removed from it now. We made it and it’s coming out which is great, I’m waiting for everybody else to hear it…but I’m already thinking about the next one.” She adds with a laughter.
The previous three records you did felt like a trilogy. So this record might be lighter but there are very personal songs, like “Tough Mother”, that deals with what happened in your life the last few years, including the passing of your mother.
Exactly. And you know, to me that has to be a part of your record. It’sort of a little time capsule. I always say that if the world ends and someone finds my records years later they will know what was happening in my life. Especially with me. It’s been important for me to make sure that I’m putting out the truth and what’s going on with me. And I’ve been open to doing that as I have aged. And it’s great, It’s such a big difference making a record in your forties than in your twenties.
Is it more grounded?
Exactly. It’s been wonderful to work with Will and John. I have these ideas and I have these geniuses that can put it all together. Everything is about the music, that’s the most important thing even when we have other musicians guesting on the records. Everybody just likes to play on good songs, it’ s been wonderful working with Jerry (Douglas) and Luther (Dickinson).
Luther Dickinson plays on “Tough Mother”.
Yes, we’ve known each other before and we’re both second generation artists, we’ve been around music our whole lives.
Has the process of making a record changed? This is your fourth collaboration with Will Kimbrough.
It has become easier, we know how to do this…which is a wonderful thing, because when recording blues records we don’t have a ton of money where we can sit in the studio for months…and so we really have to be prepared when we go in. Knowing each other so well, that’s very helpful. So we really have a good time and we can make beautiful music in a short amount of time. That’s very important. Very rarely we do more songs than we go in with. So we don’t have to spend extra money.
“Blame It On Eve” feels a bit like an anthem.
We’re living in a world where women rights have been taken away, the exact opposite of what we fought for. So this is really like a song of empowerment, yes an anthem for women. On this record we address all kind of things, it’s lighter like I said but I still can’t stray away too far from the issues, that’s what I do.
Jerry Douglas plays on “Tee Tot Payne”, which tells the story of Rufus “Tee Tot” Payne little known Alabama musician who was a mentor to Hank Williams.
That’s another thing that I like to do, on every record there has been some educational songs. I did the song about the Clotilda and later the one about the Gullah people. And so this song it’s another one so that people can know a little bit about history and country music wouldn’t be the same if it wasn’t for this man, Tee Tot Payne. I love that.
Shemekia Copeland Lugano 2023 ph Gianfranco Skala
You sing in french for the first time on “Belle Sorciere”.
Yes (laughs) It was wonderful working with Pascal (Danae of french band Delgres) , I think he’s so talented…and I’ve always wanted to do something like that, singing in a different language. And it was definitely a challenge for me, you don’t want to screw it up, you have an entire country of people angry at you because you messed it up! (laughs) I loved doing it and it is just a sad song, a beautiful love story, but it doesn’t seem so sad singing it in french.
Toronzo Cannon a few months ago told us how much respect he has for your music and that he would like to collaborate with you.
Me and him I have talked about that. I was so happy a bout the record he was making. I loved that. I’m pretty sure at some point it will happen.
This time you chose “Down On Bended Knees” by your dad.
Yes, you know on every one of my album I always want to do one of my dad’s songs. There was no particular reason I chose this one, I just really like it so I thought it would be a great one for this record.
On the closing song, “Heaven Help Us All”, a song associated with Stevie Wonder, it’s maybe the closest you ever come to gospel.
Yeah…on this record it’s like I tell the devil to go to hell and I ask heaven and anybody up there for help, it’s a plea for help, much needed. All of these songs are a plea for help, I think if you ask several different types of help you can actually get it.
Or “Is There Anybody Out There” that you do with Alejandro Escovedo.
I’m so glad we had the chance to do that together, I’ve been a fan of him, I have followed his career for a very long time, plus we have the same booking agent.
You were on the “Count Basie Orchestra Swings The Blues” last year singing “I’m A Woman”,with Buddy Guy on guitar. You and Buddy go way back, he was a friend of your dad.
It’s amazing, one of the first tours I ever did was with Buddy, I was 19 years old. He had no issues ever sharing a stage with me, being there, I just love him, he’s a living legend. I’m grateful that I had so many opportunities with him. “I’m A Woman” is Koko Taylor song and if it wasn’t done in that kind of atmosphere with the Basie Orchesta, a very different thing…I would never have recorded it. I tend to stay away from songs like that, because I just have so much respect for the artists and the songs. But I’m glad that I did that record. I would like to think Koko would have loved that.
Speaking of legends, how do you remember John Mayall who passed away recently?
Did you I was so sorry to hear about John, I’ve never recorded with him but we definitely did many tour together and he was a very nice man. I love his legacy.
You also recorded with Dion DiMucci or Ian Siegal some years ago.
That was pretty cool to do that with Dion! And Ian I think he’s super talented, I got a chance to meet him many years ago.
What do you think about the many young blues artists out there, like Kingfish, Jontavious Willis or D.K Harrell?
I love to see young twentysomething artists playing the blues, I think it’s a wonderful thing and much needed. And I can’t wait to see what they will do. I think that right now with all these young kids playing it, the music is in good shape.
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