There’s a distinct mantra that the Shindellas live by: “You’re allowed to be yourself without fear.” The trio of Tamra Chauniece, Kasi Jones, and Stacy Johnson have carried this into their music, including their new album, Shindo, which was released on October 20. So what exactly is a shindo? “That overwhelming feeling of inspiration and joy that sends chills up your spine,” Chauniece explains to American Songwriter.
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The Shindellas are the passion project of hit songwriters Claude Kelly and Chuck Harmony, who after years of writing and producing songs by Celine Dion, Michael Jackson, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, and several others, decided they wanted to create a modern girl group around the concept of “when women come together, powerful things can happen.” Each of the Shindellas pursued a solo career before being selected by Kelly and Harmony for the Nashville-based trio. “I’d always wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself, but I didn’t know it would be a girl group,” Johnson says.
Kelly and Harmony predominantly wrote and produced the material on the Shindellas’ two EPs Genesis and BBQ and Body Rolls, along with their 2021 debut album, Hits That Stick Like Grits. ”It’s that nostalgic feeling, but it’s also that feeling of discovering something new and refreshing,” Chauniece says of their sound, which they call “New American Soul.”
Kelly and Harmony are also the trio’s songwriting mentors, who’ve encouraged them to “listen to that inner voice that’s leading and guiding you,” Chauniece shares about their songwriting advice. “Be willing to lean into the parts of yourself that you sometimes run from.” One of the strongest examples of the Shindellas’ mission is “Fear Has No Place.” Released during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests in July 2020, the song is a fierce statement that finds them proclaiming, This woman I’ve become / From here it’s only up / If it ain’t peace and love / Then set me free / Fear has no place in my heart. “After ‘Fear Has No Place,’ all of our fears had to be knocked down at that point, and we unlocked a whole other level to the Shindellas,” Johnson says. “We were able to freely voice how we wanted to speak. I think we’re more confident and fearless saying that in the studio.”
The trio took this newfound confidence into the writing process for Shindo, taking ownership of their material by co-writing several of the tracks. “Our voices and perspectives show up on the album,” Jones explains. “I think there’s something about being more involved in the crafting of the story that then allows you to bring more of that character within the Shindo universe. Because we were so involved in such key songs, it’s then easy to be so connected to the storyline.” Chauniece describes Shindo as “joy personified,” touching on themes of “sisterhood, womanhood, love, life and friendship.”
“This album is a very deep celebration of Black music,” Jones emphasizes, referring to how it incorporates disco and styles akin to legendary pop-dance producer Nile Rodgers. “Music that was intentionally hyper-inclusive, so there’s an element, too, when you hear it, that it feels safe. No one’s left out.”
Being a safe space for listeners is another integral element of their music. This shows up on “Good as Gold,” an uplifting anthem about seeing the light in someone when they don’t see it in themselves, wrapped around an effervescent melody that is quintessential to the Shindellas spirit. “[It’s] affirming people, ‘I see you. You may not see you, but I see you,’” Jones says of the song’s meaning. The album’s lead single, the dance-friendly “Last Night Was Good For My Soul,” marked a career milestone, as it’s the Shindellas’ first Top 20 hit on the BillboardAdult R&B Airplay chart. This was added to a long list of other accomplishments, including singing backup for Lady A at the 2021 CMT Music Awards and performing on CMA Country Christmas and the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting.
“It’s one of the happiest songs we’ve gotten to perform as the Shindellas,” Johnson says, adding that the trio formed their voice while performing live. “That’s all we ever wanted, was to be heard and seen and for people to really have the opportunity to fall in love with this music the way we have,” Chauniece adds of the song’s success. “It feels really good to be at this juncture now where the world is hearing us.”
As they continue to forge a path ahead, the Shindellas are letting their fearlessness lead the way in hopes of making others feel the joy and love they infused into Shindo and every other piece of music they have to offer. “It will give you chills from top to bottom. There’s a song for everybody on the album,” Chauniece notes of Shindo’s impact, while Jones professes that the album is intended, “To remind you what love is, what community is, what joy is. It’s shindo.”
Photo by Ezelle Franklin
