Joan Shelley is a songwriter and singer who draws inspiration from traditional and traditionally-minded performers from her native Kentucky, as well as those from Ireland, Scotland, and England, but she’s not a folksinger. Her disposition aligns more closely with that of, say, Roger Miller, Dolly Parton, or Tom T. Hall, who once explained—simply, succinctly, in a song—“I Witness Life.” Her 7th album Real Warmth will be released in September. It was recorded in Toronto with producer Ben Whiteley (The Weather Station), and the 13-tracks feature many guests from the city’s fertile music scene.
