The Hub Cafe & Wine in Sunset Ridge continues to put on the talent, with a spring concert series put on by Active Light Productions and kicking off with the stripped down soulful sounds of Calgary songstress Shaye Zadravec on the evening of April 19.
The 25-year-old singer has been making waves in recent years on the music scene, lighting up audiences with her throwback raw talent and pure sound. No effects. Just a girl, sometimes with a guitar and accompanying musicians, and a big voice.
"For me, I was embraced totally with open arms," she said of happening upon the Calgary music scene shortly after high school graduation. "I stumbled onto the scene, really, with going to open mics."
Inspired by powerful ballads and the likes of Frank Sinatra, Patsy Cline, Harry Nilsson and Linda Ronstadt, Zadravec feels her strength as a performed is her emotional connection to a song – the building blocks for her songwriting, which is a new venture for her.
On the heels of her fall 2018 debut EP release Norway, including hit tracks Lilac Wine (a favourite Nina Simone hit) and Dear Elvis, Zadravec is climbing her way up the local music ranks, opening up for the likes of Dan Mangan, Oscar Lopez and William Prince.
Her favourite to perform? That would have to be Lilac Wine.
"I absolutely love singing Lilac Wine. When I first heard it, it was kind of spooky, soft vocals but it's so powerful in the way it's constructed."
With an earnest grace that struck her listeners, the young singer was quickly taken under the wing of a handful of staple musicians area musicians like Tom Phillips and Tim Leacock to hall of famer songwriter Chip Taylor and Norwegian producer/musician Goran Grini (Norway was recorded partly in Calgary and partly in Skien, Norway).
She is with indie Calgary-based producer Neil MacGonigill of Indelible Music – noted for released recordings of Bill Cowsill and The Co-dependants.
"Next up for me is going to be recording a full-length album," she said, adding that her first taste of a five-date tour as an opening act has hit her with the touring bug and she is looking forward to recording and releasing a full deck to take along with her in her musical travels.
As far as a personal measure of success? For Zadravec, it's leading from her heart.
"I would consider myself successful if in five years down the road I'm still playing and presenting the music I want to."
Following Zadravec, the Active Light series will offer Long Jon Lev on May 3, Lisa Anderson on May 31 and T Buckley on June 14. All tickets are available at activelight.ca for $20/ticket and all shows are at The Hub Cafe & Wine with a 7 p.m. start.
Learn more at shayezadravec.com.
