May 7, 2019
On this episode of the Life in the Carolinas podcast, we were pleased to be joined by Shay Martin Lovette, a musician and songwriter from Wilkes County who now lives in Boone. Shay caught the “songwriting bug” at a young age, influenced by his father who was a songwriter, and has always gravitated towards the guitar. He doesn’t remember exactly which song was the first that he wrote, but he looks back fondly on those early songwriting days as formative to his continuing passion for music. Sometimes a song begins with an idea, a single lyric, or a melody, but Shay always tries to remain true to his creative flow and let the songs come together organically.
Growing up in Wilkes County, attending MerleFest was always a fun tradition and a great way for Shay to be exposed to the folk and Americana traditions of the region, so he was overwhelmed this April when he and his band were given the opportunity to perform on the Cabin Stage at MerleFest. That event and others like it in the area are a celebration of the region’s rich cultural and musical heritage, and Shay enjoys being able to participate in this particular music community but also reach listeners outside of the High Country with his albums.
Shay says it is very important for him to fill his head with the music of the greats as well as short stories to prepare him for the songwriting process. The music he writes needs to be relatable and therapeutic for the listeners, and he aims to provide them with an outline of the story he is trying to tell while leaving them the creative space to interpret their version of what’s going on. Shay truly enjoys every facet of the music business, from the creation to the organization of the songs on the album to the distribution of the album to the market to the live performances he is able to do all over North Carolina.
For more information about Shay’s albums and upcoming performance dates, check out his website and his social media channels.
Connect with Shay:
https://www.shaymartinlovette.com/
http://instagram.com/shaymlovette
https://www.facebook.com/shaymlovette
https://twitter.com/ShayMLovette
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