Article Library

A little more than a year ago, Texas native Michelle Shocked burst upon the American music scene, one of many promising women singers being heralded for their thoughtful music and “serious” image.

There was only one problem: Shocked wasn’t as easy to categorize as the others.

She had been a runaway, a rape victim, a former psychiatric patient (committed against her will by her mother), and political activist passionately involved in squatters’ rights.

Interesting, yes, but not the type of background material most record companies know what to do with.

As a result, her image didn’t necessarily match the reality of her personality. In her early publicity photos, for example, Shocked looked intense, reflective, and waiflike.

But Michelle’s more confident these days, and the change is even evident in how she photographs.

In photos taken to promote her new album, Captain Swing, Shocked gazes directly into the camera with a look of confidence and, dare we say, sexiness.

“With this album, I think even the photos taken of me are more a true reflection of who I am,” Shocked said in a recent telephone interview from Chicago, where [she] is in the middle of a 40-city tour. It brings her to the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, PA. on Tuesday.

“In some of my early publicity shots, I looked like ‘the victim’ and I’m anything but that. This time around, I wasn’t going to let marketing trends chose [sic] an image for me.”

With Captain Swing, that would probably be impossible anyway.

Keep in mind that Shocked’s first album was recorded sitting around a campfire at a Texas folk festival, complete with crickets chirping in the background.

And her first studio album, the Grammy-nominated Short Sharp Shocked was a bluesy romp through country and folk highlighted by Shocked’s crystalline vocals and expert acoustic guitar playing.

Now, just when her fans thought they had her all figured out, Shocked does an about-face to release an album filled with blazing horns, jazz, and swing influences.

What gives?

“On Short Sharp Shocked, the emphasis was more on the stories themselves,” Shocked explained. “With Captain Swing, the emphasis is on the music and the interaction of the musicians.”

On stage or in conversation, Shocked is a true storyteller, using anecdotes to explain herself and her goals.

“Captain Swing is definitely a change in course. You can’t sail directly into the wind … you have to tack one way and then the other way. It’s not the fastest way to get somewhere since the shortest distance is a straight line, but when you’re in that little sailboat on the open sea, you’ve got to be resourceful.”

Shocked says that when she first recorded in a studio, she was certain she would sabotage the project through her unfamiliarity with working with a producer in what she considers “a sterile environment.”

But after the success of Short Sharp Shocked, she feels more comfortable with producer Pete Anderson than ever and was willing to trust his ability to help capture “the spontaneous feeling of swing music.”

“If you listen closely to Captain Swing, you’ll hear that feeling of relaxation. Even the horns have a sense of humor about them.”

As does Shocked, who let her sense of parody run wild with her video for “On The Greener Side,” the first single off the current album.

In it, a mini-clad Shocked dances in front of a row of guitar-strumming male yuppies in an obvious tongue-in-cheek takeoff of Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love” video.

“It seemed to me that Robert Palmer was going to use that video for the rest of his career, so I made mine to be like a revenge fantasy for the models he uses,” Shocked says.

“Only problem with parody, as I found out, is that it’s dangerous because some people took it seriously and said, “Wow, Michelle, you’ve sold out!”

While Captain Swing hasn’t produced a radio hit, as the first studio album did with “Anchorage,” Shocked says the video for “On The Greener Side” introduced her to a wide audience of people previously unfamiliar – or indifferent – to her music.

“It’s helped me create a wider hearth for myself before anyone tries to put me in a box,” Shocked says.

“I’ve always figured that the people who like me for the spirit behind my music would hold on for the ride as I go through some changes.

“The people who really care about my music don’t need me for an image or a style.”

Shocked’s current tour marks the first time she has toured with a band, straying from her traditional style of appearing on stage with just her acoustic guitar.

“This is the best of both worlds for me because I still do my solo spots, then the audience gets to see my new stuff performed with six band members,” Shocked says.

“Playing with a band is exciting, and performing solo allows me to capture the intimacy and trust of the audience real easily.

“So, I feel very positive about this tour, and I think the audience will be in for some enjoyable surprises.