Artist To Watch: Michael Shoup
When it came time to pick Tragic Kingdom’s featured artist for March it was a tough decision. With my latest move to Nashville, country music has become so relevant (as you’ve clearly witnessed by the blog’s recent country takeover), but I wanted to do something special this month. I wanted to prove to the readers that Nashville is more than hillbilly rockers and twangy crooners. Despite the hicktown stereotypes, it wasn’t hard to find a variety of talents spanning all genres, many of whom will be featured in the coming months. When I first moved to town, I stopped by a writer’s round at a local venue near my new Nashville digs that was featuring some talented local singer-songwriters. It was there that I first discovered this month’s featured artist.
Michael Shoup began sharing his gifts through music at a very early age. Performing at his church in his hometown of Dayton, Ohio the young boy learned how to be comfortable on a stage. By age 16 the singer was playing and performing in bars, where he developed a thick skin and learned how to interact with a crowd. Now a seasoned performer, Shoup is known throughout Nashville for his pop-alternative sound that he delivers in a way that attracts indie fans, but with an artistic edge that have the makings of a superstar. Ten years after his move to Nashville, Michael’s greatest effort in the industry comes with the release of his debut record. He describes Learning How To Live as a “labor of love 25 years in the making”. That shines through on the skillfully written tracks and with his unique ability to blend a variety of genres into one masterful compilation.
The album’s eclectic sound is evident from the first track. The standouts include the disc’s opener,”Control”, and an uptempo number that carries an inspirational theme; in its hooky chorus, Shoup sings “you can be anything, so what are you waiting for” on “Dying to Live”. “Salem” is the most country that this Nashville songbird gets on the record, but it hits the right notes, fitting-in perfectly with “Working Man” and the disc’s most soulful track “NYC”. The sound of organs take center stage on the touching track “Let Go”, while “Loralie” shows off Michael’s clever songwriting capability and moves you in your seat.
As he leaps into the new year, Shoup is fully prepared for the success that is inevitably heading his way. Self described as “one part Jackson Browne, one part Hall & Oates, two big scoops of everything [he] heard in the ‘90’s while ignoring [his] math homework, and a sprinkling of Sesame Street optimism”, he looks forward to sharing his music with many more. In the coming weeks Michael is launching a new Song of the Week feature on his growing blog that allows fans to give him topics that he’ll turn into a hit record in one week’s time. You can visit MichaelShoup.com for more details and we’ll be bringing you some really cool content from Michael later this month. In the meantime, download a copy of Learning How to Live now on iTunes or follow me on Twitter (@CMVetrano) for a chance to win a free copy.
