Shelby Lynne visits Ann Arbor

Shelby Lynne is truly a renaissance woman. She does a little bit of everything (yet does it all well) and is always open to learning more. She is a genre-crossing singer/songwriter who broke onto the scene with the alt-country album “I Am Shelby Lynne” – ultimately helping her win a Grammy for Best New Artist in 2001. She also has acted in a major film – “Walk the Line,” in which she portrayed Johnny Cash’s mother. She has acted on television, making an appearance in the series “Army Wives.” And, if that weren’t enough, she writes books and paints as well.

“I love the Ark. It’s a great venue. It’s perfect for what I’m doing, which is just me and the guitar. They always have a great crowd there.”

Lynne is currently fresh off the release of her thirteenth studio album, “Revelation Road,” for which she not only wrote all of the music and sang all of the songs but also played all instruments (and recorded and produced the album).

iSPY recently had the opportunity to catch up with Lynne about her new album and more, and here’s what she had to say.

What kind of struggles or inspiration led you to the creation of “Revelation Road”?

Acceptance, life, understanding where I am today as a 43-year-old person, the hills and the valleys you go through every day in mere existence while trying to make the best out of it and see the positive side of the world – and there is one. We just have to choose to see it that way.

People are saying that “Revelation Road” is the most personal album you’ve ever written. Would you agree with that?

I think it’s personal, but all my music is personal. I don’t think it’s worth a damn if you don’t make it personal.

What do you enjoy the most about being a professional musician?

What’s not to enjoy? The freedom of making music for a living is a luxury and an honor.

Why do you think music is important?

Without music, we don’t have anything.

How so?

It’s a universal language. You can go anywhere in the world and play your songs. People might listen without even knowing what you’re saying – pretty powerful.

Did you always know you wanted to be a musician?

Yes.

How old were you when you first realized that this is what you wanted to do for a living?

About three.

That’s pretty incredible.

I’m lucky.

Tell me a little about your songwriting process. Are you the kind of person who gets an idea while you’re out somewhere or driving and has to write it down or are you the kind of person who sits down and tells yourself, “I’m going to write a song”?

Well, I always have pen and paper handy or my iPhone – thank God for iPhones, right? I kind of store ideas and collect them like a squirrel in a jar. Then when I’m ready to concentrate on writing a song, I pull out my jar of little nuts and berries. And then other times, I’ll just be inspired and pick up the guitar and it just kind of falls out. So there’s not really a process. It’s more like luck, and the songwriting angels come and visit. You have to be ready.

Are there any particular people who have influenced you as far as your style goes?

No because I don’t know what the hell my style is. I just like really good. I don’t try to be a particular thing. I just want to be good, and there’s a lot of songwriters I like. I like everything from Kristofferson to Jimmy Webb, but you can’t write songs like they write because that’s what they did. You just try to do something like you did.

What’s the definition of good for you?

Something that’s going to stand up for eternity.

What kind of a song stands up for eternity?

It’s got a lyrical content that’s not terribly light. It makes you have to feel. It makes you have to think. I feel like emotions are good in music. Everybody loves pop music because it’s fun. You can cut up to it, dance to it, put it on in the background. You don’t have to think about what anyone’s really saying. You like the beat or whatever. But I love lyrics. And I try to write the best lyrics I can.

Do you feel like your lyrics are poetry in some ways? Is there a crossover there?

Well, I think that music is poetry, and there are so many different kinds of poetry. But yes – I think that when you’re trying to tell a story to music, it has to have a rhyme or rhythm about it and hopefully the connection is made between pen and paper and listener and writer and the universe.

Some singer/songwriters see music as a form of therapy for themselves. Are you one of those?

I’m not consciously ever trying to heal myself. I don’t feel like I need it, but I think all of us are always searching for a safe place. And I’m lucky – I have music to rock me to sleep sometimes.

What is your greatest hope for your songs – other than that they will endure or that people will relate? What do you want people to walk away thinking?

Well, just to walk away thinking – start there.

What would you like them to think about?

I just want them to think that there’s something to think about – how it relates to their own world. I’ve written songs about my childhood in Alabama. Not everybody has a childhood in Alabama that’s going to listen to the record, but they might have a sister and they might have a father. Sometimes there’s some kinship there.

How did you end up acting in “Walk the Line”?

I heard they were making a movie, so I talked to somebody and got in it. It’s a true thing what they say – you want something bad enough, you can have it.

Was there a particular reason you wanted to be in that film?

I was interested in the film without knowing anything really about it – just because I knew they were making it in Memphis, and I’m a Johnny Cash fan. I felt like there was a good story there, and it turned out to be a really excellent script and a good film.

What was the experience like for someone who hadn’t acted in that capacity before?

It was fine. You sit around a lot, and it was hot. It was August. But I learned a lot, and I liked the people and they were really good to me. I would do it again if the right thing came along, but it’s not at the top of my list. It’s okay, but it’s pretty boring.

So what’s on the horizon for you? You’ve accomplished a lot already. What’s next?

I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing, Amanda. And I’m going to write some books and paint some paintings and keep making music because that’s what I was put here to do. And I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my life, and I’m grateful and I’m blessed – but more of the same.

You’re coming to the Ark in Ann Arbor to perform. What do you like best about the area?

You know better than that – I don’t know anything but the backside of a damn venue. But I’ve played the Ark many times. I love the Ark. It’s a great venue. It’s perfect for what I’m doing, which is just me and the guitar. I dig an intimate thing. They always have a great crowd there, so I’m excited.

For those who may never have seen you live, what should they expect from your performance?

I’m just doing my thing. I show up with my guitar, and I sing my songs. Hopefully they can relate in some way with their world when my world collides with theirs.

Shelby Lynne will perform at 8 p.m. on January 16 at The Ark in Ann Arbor. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online or in person. For more information, visit theark.org.