ABOUT SHAWN

In an era when female singer-songwriters are ever more ubiquitous, Shawn Colvin stands out as a singular and enduring talent. Her songs are slow-release works of craft and catharsis that become treasured, lifetime companions for their listeners. As a storyteller, Colvin is both keen and warm-hearted, leavening even the toughest tales with tenderness, empathy, and a searing sense of humor. In the 30 years since the release of her debut album, Colvin has won three GRAMMY Awards, released thirteen albums, written a critically acclaimed memoir, maintained a non-stop national and international touring schedule, appeared on countless television and radio programs, had her songs featured in major motion pictures and created a remarkable canon of work.

Shawn Colvin Live (2009), was recorded during a three-night engagement at San Francisco’s famous jazz club, Yoshi’s, and captures the beauty and intimacy of Colvin’s performances. Highly praised, the album was honored with a GRAMMY Award nomination for Best Contemporary Folk Recording.

All Fall Down (2012) reunited Colvin with her longtime friend, producer extraordionaire Buddy Miller. Recorded in Miller’s home studio in Nashville, the album features performances by Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Jakob Dylan, Viktor Krauss and Julie Miller. 

The release of All Fall Down was simultaneous with that of her William Morrow/Harper Collins–published memoir, Diamond In The Rough. Diamond in the Rough looks back over Colvin’s rich lifetime of highs and lows with stunning insight and candor. Through its pages we witness the inspiring story of a woman honing her artistry, finding her voice, and making herself whole. 

Uncovered (2015), the long-awaited follow up to fan-favorite Cover Girl, is a second collection of Colvin’s ever-masterful covers. It features Colvin’s inspired interpretations of songs by Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Tom Waits, Stevie Wonder, Robbie Robertson, Graham Nash and more. 

In June 2016, Colvin and longtime friend Steve Earle united to release, the duo album Colvin & Earle. Colvin & Earle is a true standout in careers already filled with peaks and masterpieces. The album received high praise – NPR asserted that the pair “Elevated their collaboration to the level of top-flight album-making, bringing seemingly opposing impulses to the process.” 

Colvin was born in Vermillion, South Dakota, where she lived until she was eight. A small-town childhood in the university town of Carbondale, IL. drew her to the guitar by the age of 10. She made her first public appearance on campus at the University of Illinois at age 15. By the late 1970’s Colvin was singing in a Western Swing band in Austin, TX.—the city she now calls home. She moved to New York at the decade’s end as a member of the Buddy Miller Band where she met producer, guitarist and co-writer John Leventhal. Leventhal inspired Colvin to find her own voice as a songwriter. She began honing her skill and was soon signed to Columbia Records. Her first album, Steady On, produced by Leventhal, won the GRAMMY Award for Best Contemporary Folk Recording. 

Colvin continued to win fans and impress critics with subsequent releases, Fat City (1992) and Cover Girl (1994). In 1996 she released A Few Small Repairs, also produced by Leventhal, which would prove to be her breakthrough. The song “Sunny Came Home” gave Colvin a Top 10 hit, a platinum-selling album and two of GRAMMY’s biggest honors: Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

Holiday Songs And Lullabies (1998), was recorded while Colvin was eight months pregnant with her daughter Caledonia. Her next album, Whole New You (2001) found Colvin examining new motherhood and the responsibilities of family

2018 saw the release of The Starlighter, an album of songs adapted from the children's music book Lullabies and Night Songs. The Starlighter showcases traditional numbers and children's standards in an elegant and graceful setting. The result is an album that captures the warmth and tenderness of children's lullabies in a moving and timeless offering. 

September 2019, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Steady On, Colvin released a newly-recorded version of her landmark debut. Colvin crafts a truly mesmerizing reinvention, performing the album with just her voice and guitar. The Steady On 30th Anniversary Acoustic Edition strips each song to the core, placing Colvin’s songwriting masterclass on full display. “I’ve played these songs countless times, primarily as a solo acoustic artist,” she says. “all in all, this is the incarnation that feels most genuine. This represents who I am as an artist and all I ever wanted to be, and I believe it does its predecessor proud.” 

Colvin was most recently honored with an induction into the 2019 Austin City Limits Hall of Fame, alongside legendary artists Lyle Lovett and Buddy Guy. In a moving induction speech, Jackson Browne praised her as “ineffable” – ‘that which is impossible to express in words’ – and extolled, “Not many writers are able to do what Shawn does. It’s a very special way of relating what really matters. It takes an original to get our attention. Shawn is utterly original in her singing, and original in what she speaks about in her songs.” 

Over the course of three decades, Shawn Colvin has established herself as a captivating performer and a revered storyteller, well-deserving of the commendation of her peers and the devoted audiences who have been inspired by her artistry. As she enters her thirtieth year as a songwriter and performer, she continues to reaffirm her status as a vital voice in music.