Blue Hair Powerhouse Amy Sheppard is back with her latest single From her EP “Nothing But Wild“.
Recently, Fashion Industry Broadcast sat down with singer-songwriter Amy Sheppard to chat about “Nothing But Wild”. The name Sheppard sparks familiarity in listeners’ ears. Along with bandmates and siblings George and Emma, Amy joins the Brisbane trio behind the worldwide hit “Geronimo”.
However away from sharing the stage with her siblings, Amy has embarked on her own personal project. To clarify; no she’s not leaving Sheppard, but this new beginning signals something exciting and different for the singer-songwriter.
Blue Guitar
Blue guitar opens beautifully with Amy’s rich powerful voice drawing listeners in through the intro. Accompanied by harmonious backing vocals and smooth chord progressions, Amy weaves a whimsical love story. As the song progresses, her voice transports the listener with her luscious ballads.
Leaning into the art of storytelling, elements of this narrative may be relatable for some. She shares “often life takes you in different directions.” The song itself is about a country artist who returns to her hometown. Amy goes on to say;
she goes to a bar for a drink and she hears the band start up, and when she turns around to this familiar voice she notices that it’s her ex lover… But then when he starts playing, he’s playing the same blue guitar that she remembers them writing songs together on all about her; so it brings back all of these emotions.
The singer-songwriter’s aim was to really pull at the heartstrings. However, Amy gushes that she’s very much happily married, as she expresses that she wanted to really tell a story other than write something personal; to let her mind wander as she expresses herself creatively.
The creative process behind the track “Blue Guitar” featured support from the likes of Australian country singer-songwriter and musician Kasey Chambers as well as her brother George Sheppard. Amy shared her appreciation for her brother, she says;
Hes got a lot of great ideas I hadn’t thought of…. he’s honest as well like any other siblings. We work really well like that and I really respect his opinion, he’s very talented so he’s very great to have around.
As Amy plunges into her solo career, the sentiment of her view reflects what this journey means to her. The singer-songwriter says;
This is just an extension of what I already do. I think it is a chance for me to explore who I am as a solo artistand learn some of the things I’ve been leaning on my siblings and other other band members for.
Now it is all on my shoulders I have to get through the barriers and some of the roadblocks that might come my way, so I think it is going to be a great learning experience.
Nothing but Wild
Alongside her release of her new EP “Nothing But Wild”, fans have already been treated to a taste of what the 6-track ep has to offer with her debut self-titled single. The album features unique and unexpected textures, as well as inspired songwriting graced by soaring performances.
Each track tells a unique story with a fresh new take on a country that still incorporates traditional sounds. Nothing but wild begs to be remarked upon and heard by a wider audience. Amy shares how experimental and versatile she got with this album as she says;
I was just trying to meld in MIDI sounds sonically with light instruments. I feel like one of the biggest challenges I’ve had is that when I sent some of the songs around a lot of the feedback was that it didn’t sound country enough , ’cause obviously people know what my voice is and I can’t just put on a country twang….
Ive had to put in a lot more country sounding instruments like live drums, and I have tried to use more banjos than Shepard. So that was a really interesting process but I think I got the perfect balance of country.
Navigating country-pop
Despite our vast open areas of the outback or bush, which may inspire common themes; Australian country music hasn’t always had a strong presence. Amy shares her hopes for a rise of more female country artists, her advice is;
I would just say go for it and it can be scary especially teetering the worlds of both country and pop. like you know in Australia we are really limited with our radio platforms, ether it is a country station or a pop station. I think just stay true to self, we are really lucky now we’ve got all sorts of platforms like Spotify, TikTok and Instagram.
There are all sorts of ways you can get your music out there. So just keep going and keep writing what feels good to you, and if it feels good to you sure it’s gonna feel good someone else.
What Fans Can Expect from Amy Sheppard This Time
The Brisbane star has announced a variety of shows including performing at CMC ROCKS QLD (September 23rd) and Savannah in the Round (October 1st), one of the largest music events in Queensland.
Nothing But Wild EP incorporates themes of love in all forms. Stemming from broken-hearted or unrequited; Amy hopes fans connect with elements of empowerment. She expresses that she really just “wants to make people feel good” and understands that “everyone has had their own experiences when it comes to relationships.”
Away from the music scene, Amy is a huge advocate for body positivity. With more than 100K followers across social media, she often shares videos and posts.
Her perspective on body image, bullying, and gender identity are shared in the brand new documentary Embrace Kids (produced by the same team as Embrace 2016).
Amy shares her experience with her work through this documentary, she says;
I feel really honored Taryn the director of embrace kids, asked me to be on in the documentary. She featured in my ‘Kiss my Fat Ass’ music video so we’re both very aligned and we have the same kind of mission; which, is to empower people and improve the body image of not just women but everybody. When she asked me to be on documentary I was stoked, and I just saw the film here in Brisbane and its a truly beautiful film from start to finish.
You are Here for a Reason, and it’s Not to Fit a Pair of Jeans
The documentary portrays inclusivity among school-aged children, highlighting many issues some may struggle with. Children and parents will be entertained and inspired by this dynamic collection of stories that shows that changing your mind is the first step in changing the world.
Whilst flooded with beauty standards and social media expectations Amy shares that to help herself feel better it all comes down to “having gratitude for your body”. Her grounding perspective hones in to “finding the best in others as well as finding the best in you.”
Be Aware
Amy comments that some advice she can offer to those who are struggling with these elements is;
Write a gratitude list, once I’ve really reminded myself of my work outside of my body and looks and once you grasp just how much of a miracle you are; you know the chance of you being born is like so minuscule, and there you are worried about your pant size…
Try and remember that you are here for a reason, and it is not to fit a pair of jeans.
That would be my biggest advice. Clean up your newsfeed and be aware of everything that goes on behind the scenes. You can’t avoid seeing photoshopped images a but you can control how you react to those.
Inspiring Many
With the soaring vocal range and a seamless blend of both pop and country, Amy Sheppard’s “Nothing But Wild” Ep offers something new and exciting for the music scene. Her work on and off the stage continues to inspire and touch many.
“Nothing But Wild” is now available on all streaming platforms.
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