In a landscape where the authenticity of storytelling in country music seems to wane, one artist is boldly reshaping the narrative – Elvie Shane. His latest album, Damascus, is a potent blend of country and rock that not only defies convention, but also breathes new life into the genre. 

"The heartbeat of this album is struggle, and it's a journey I intimately know," confesses Shane, offering a raw and unfiltered glimpse into his world. "The overlying theme of this record was struggle, and I was struggling." 

Across the 13 distinct tracks of the project, Shane intricately wove together fragments of encounters from his journey, crafting lyrical narratives for each. Highlighted by acclaimed songs like "Pill," "What Do I Know," and "Jonesin," the album also introduces a diverse array of new releases. Notably, it boasts a special collaboration with Little Big Town entitled "First Place.

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"This whole project is just me trying to figure out where I was going. I wanted to reach out everywhere I could from hip-hop to R&B to country to gospel and rock n' roll and try to mix as much of that in each song as I could," explains the newcomer.

As a core champion of the blue-collar demographic, Shane has molded his story to relate to his listeners. In 2021, the singer-songwriter hit the airwaves with his platinum-certified No. 1 single, "My Boy." After gracing the top of the charts, Shane took to the road and began building his fan base. His rapid rise to fame and positive praise led to the release of his debut album, BACKSLIDER. 

Throughout Damascus, Shane's talent shines through – revealing his dedication to giving voice to those with stories to tell, deftly crafting their narratives into mesmerizing works of art.

"When you go and listen to the songs, it gets to the nitty gritty of what it's like to grow up in a very tough inner-city community in poverty with crime and drugs," Shane exclusively told Fandom Daily. "I have seen a lot of that growing up in a small town in Kentucky. If we can tell the stories [the songs] more directly and more of just how it is, paint those pictures exactly how they are and put that into some kind of country way of saying things. Maybe there's something different there; maybe there's a way you can affect someone with a song."

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Shane co-wrote and produced each track alongside long-time collaborator Oscar Charles. He also worked with some of Music Row's elite, including Dan Couch, Jakob Miller, Luke Preston, Jonathan Sherwood, and others. 

"I've got a great team of writers, close friends around me who know who I am. They know what I'm trying to say and how I want to say it. We're sitting in the room, and we're talking about these topics and we're really trying to get to the heart of the matter and tell these stories," says Shane.

Shane's music is more than just a collection of songs. It's a call to action, a beacon of awareness. His knack for storytelling strikes a chord and encourages listeners to open their eyes to the world around them. Whether it's his enlightening track "The Pill" that brings awareness of the opioid epidemic or "Appalachian Alchemy," that touches upon prison reform – Shane uses his platform to advocate and educate. 

Since his viral breakout, fans have rallied behind him. Shane confidently told Fandom Daily how lucky he was to have passionate superfans and his devoded community. 

"It's amazing to travel 20 hours on an airplane and play for thousands of people and see them singing every word of a song back to you. To see an hour-long line of people coming just to get your name written on something, shake your hand, and take a picture with you," he added  with gratitude. 

Photo Creidt: The GreenRoom.