Since hitting the scene back in 2017, The Shindellas, (Kasi Jones, Stacy Johnson, and Tamara Chauniece), who hail from the music city of Nashville, have been on a mission to impact music with their unique sound and style.
Hand-picked by Multi-Grammy-nominated production and songwriting duo Chuck Harmony & Claude Kelly (Rihanna, Miley, Jazmine Sullivan, Ledisi, Fantasia, and more), The Shindellas were fueled by the opportunity to make music that would not only matter to them but ring true to the listeners.
As a result, the ladies tapped into retro sounds of R&B/Soul influences to bring forth a sound they dubbed as “New American Soul” with hints of The Clark Sisters, EnVogue, The Pointer Sisters, and LaBelle.
Effortlessly displayed, they not only evoke emotion through harmony but the beauty of music is evident on their recently released debut album Hits That Stick Like Grits via Weirdo Workshop/The Orchard.
The 14-track album showcases each voice that blends to sound like one. The album’s lead single “Money” remains a fan favorite. Other releases featured on the album include “Fear Has No Place,” and “When You Are Lonely.” Celebrity fans include names like Beyonce, Missy Elliott, and Anita Baker.
Last year, they made history as the first R&B band to perform at the 2023 CMT Awards, and performed on the 2023 “CMA Country Christmas.” The Shindellas have been featured on NPR, appeared at the ESSENCE Festival of Culture, performed at the TEDxNashville Women, The TODAY Show, and more. The Shindellas, at their core, are pitch-perfect. Their tone is penetratingly beautiful.
Their new album, Shindo, has the potential to bring them to larger stages: It is their first release to receive an outside push from a label partner, the Nashville indie Thirty Tigers, and first to generate a radio hit: “Last Night Was Good for My Soul,” a day-after-the-party jam with a disco groove, reached the Top 10 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart.
At a time when Black is at an all-time low, it is good to see and hear music with substance from women who pride themselves on showcasing their best. The Shindellas might feel and look old school, but we all wish we could experience more of this in the future. ●
