We chatted with Shire, an up-and-coming singer on the R&B scene. She talked with us about her musical struggles, artist who have reached her, why her music has universal appeal, and more.
The Star Scoop:
Tell us about your musical background
Shire:
I've been singing actually ever since I was a little girl. Naturally going to church; my grandmother sang in church as well. On a professional level, I got into a group when I was in high school. We recorded an album and we had a single out called "How's it Gonna Be." That was on the Rush Hour 2 soundtrack. Unfortunately, because of going over budget, and not being a number one priority at the time, we were unable to successfully drop an album and we broke up shortly after that. I continued to just write and sing.
The Star Scoop:
How would you describe your feelings through this whole process?
Shire:
It has been a rollercoaster ride. I'm the type of person that once I get involved in anything, I put my heart into it. As far as my music, these are dreams that I've had all my life. Not everybody makes it. I'm just happy now that even though I went through all of that and that failed, I'm happy to be able to have a deal now. I'm back to being very happy!
The Star Scoop:
What is your musical sound like?
Shire:
It's like taking a journey into my past, my present and my future, I write a lot. I wrote my current single, "I Used To Lovher." It's mainly going to discuss what I've been through and how I have been changed. You go from having a certain way of life to having to get a job again. I just went from up here to ground zero, and I had to start over. It's also talking about my reinventing process - how I had to change things about myself in order to progress and be a better person.
The Star Scoop:
If people are looking to check out your music, do you have a favorite song or one you hope people will listen to?
Shire:
I think my album is called "Picking Up The Pieces." I would rather the listener pick the song that applies to their lives. There are going to be some people that are just going to love "I Used To Lovher." There's going to be some people who might love another record, it's called "Miss My Love," or another record that's called "Rewind," and it's about wanting to change and go back in time and have this special remote control and you can just rewind back to the mistakes that you made and you can just do it over. I would just want the listener to listen to the album and take whatever record makes them feel good.
The Star Scoop:
Who do you think that your music will appeal to?
Shire:
I would say it's pretty universal, definitely. I don't want to put just a set demographic on it because my lyrical content and maybe the tempo and the beat might appeal to more of a hip hop, R&B, pop younger crowd. but the brassy, soulfulness of my voice may get some of the older adult contemporary listeners as well who might say, Hey, I like the way this young lady sings. I'm trying to reach everybody.
The Star Scoop:
Who are your musical influences - people who have reached you in the past?
Shire:
I love Mary J. Blige, I love Beyonce, I love Alicia Keys, and I also like Keyshia Cole, too. I appreciate what she's adding to the industry, as far as being in the urban network. A lot of girls look up to Keyshia Cole.
The Star Scoop:
What hopes do you have for your future?
Shire:
I want to have successful albums. That my record is going to be on i-Tunes - I'm really, really happy about that.
The Star Scoop:
What do you want to say directly to your fans who will read this?
Shire:
That I am a very high strung, very ambitious person. I believe that anything a person feels like they want to do in their life, try to go get it. Don't take no as the first answer. Do your homework of course, and try to educate yourself as much as possible about whatever you want to get into. I feel like I'm a good example of believing in your dreams and not giving up. Do what you gotta do to move forward.
The Star Scoop:
Is there anything your fans should know about you?
Shire:
I'm a very outgoing person. As far as my music, I love to write. I'm a movie buff. I'm trying to get into the acting as well. I'm writing a book, actually, about my whole experience and it gets more in depth about how I came up and how I started singing as a child, and things didn't go exactly the way I planned it, and now I have to start over. I think it's very uplifting for people trying to get into the music business. What else about me...I'm a fun person! I'm definitely not afraid to speak my mind.
The Star Scoop:
Any last words?
Shire:
I'm going on a BTE College Tour. The [dates are] on Myspace. Just stay tuned. I'll be on my page frequently. I'm trying to do something really positive, and uplifting. Something different.
The Star Scoop:
For more about Shire, visit www.myspace.com/shireuniversal.