Grammy winner Shawn Colvin will perform Friday, April 13, at Kents Hill School in Readfield as part of the Aleigh Mills Concert Series. Her eighth album, “All Fall Down,” is scheduled for release June 5 on Nonesuch Records.
READFIELD — Some people wear their hearts on their sleeves. Shawn Colvin pours it out in her music. For nearly two decades, the Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter has connected with audiences around the world through the shared highs and lows of life.
Gearing up for the summer touring season, Colvin will make a special appearance at Kents Hill School on Friday, April 13, as part of the Aleigh Mills Concert Series. Proceeds from the show will go to the Aleigh Mills Scholarship Fund established in their daughter’s memory by Tim and Donna Mills. The series, developed by North Atlantic Blues Festival co-founder Jamie Isaacson, has previously featured artists such as Arlo Guthrie, Judy Collins and Shemekia Copeland.
During a recent interview, Colvin said that Friday’s audience will get a preview of her new album, “All Fall Down,” scheduled to be released June 5 on Nonesuch Records. Produced by longtime music cohort Buddy Miller and recorded in Nashville, the album features guest artists Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Jakob Dylan.
“It will just be me on Friday,” said Colvin. “But I’ll play some songs from the new record. The list varies from show to show and in an intimate setting like this, I do get interactive with the audience.”
Even in a large stadium crowd or outdoor festival, the intimacy and clarity of Colvin’s voice and acoustic style resonate through the audience. But her last album, “Shawn Colvin Live” (2009), recorded at the famous jazz club Yoshi’s in San Francisco, lays bare the sound that has garnered Colvin music industry awards and loyal followers. In particular, Colvin’s acoustic cover of Gnarls Barkley’s hit song “Crazy” gives the listener a hauntingly beautiful glimpse of a self-examined soul. The album received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Folk Recording.
Coming out on the same day as “All Fall Down” will be the release of Colvin’s memoir, “Diamond in the Rough,” published by William Morrow/Harper Collins.
“I didn’t think I could write a book, but my manager challenged me to do it,” Colvin said. “I submitted two or three chapters and then ended up getting signed by a publisher.”
Colvin went on to say the book doesn’t focus on any particular period of her life or incident, but instead reaches over a broad collection of experiences.
“It talks about how I learned what I know” Colvin said. “The dues I paid coming up in New York City, my creative process, the highs and lows of my life.”
Colvin cited the birth of her daughter as one of her life’s highs, and dealing with depression as one of the lows.
Born in South Dakota and raised in southern Illinois, Colvin made her way to Austin, Texas, where she now calls home. After breaking away from being a vocalist for other bands, Colvin won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Recording with her first album, “Steady On,” in 1991. She also won Record of the Year and Song of the Year in 1998, with her break-through Top 10 hit “Sunny Came Home.”
8 p.m. Friday, April 13
Center for the Performing Arts, Newton Hall, Kents Hill School
General admission $45; VIP seating $70
Tickets available online at www.kentshill.org/concerts or by calling 685-1635.
NOTE: Shawn Colvin will also perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 14, at Stone Mountain Performing Arts Center in Brownfield. For more information, call 1-207-935-7292.
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- Traci Goudie photo Grammy winner Shawn Colvin will perform Friday, April 13, at Kents Hill School in Readfield as part of the Aleigh Mills Concert Series. Her eighth album, “All Fall Down,” is scheduled for release June 5 on Nonesuch Records.
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