Acclaimed Singer-Songwriter Joan Shelley Performs at Nova Arts

With her brand-new album in tow, "Real Warmth," released last month, singer-songwriter Joan Shelley is looking forward to playing at Nova Arts during her northeast run on Sunday, Oct. 19. Shelley draws inspiration from traditional and traditionally minded performers from her native Kentucky, as well as those from England, Ireland and Scotland. A sense of place figures prominently in all of her releases; and on her first eponymous album released in 2017, she chose Wilco's The Loft in Chicago with Jeff Tweedy producing. In 2019 she traveled to Iceland, and brought along her number one collaborator, husband Nathan Salsburg and also brought James Elkington to make "Like the River Loves the Sea." The pandemic kept her closer to home in Kentucky for her next album in 2022, "The Spur." Shelley explains that a new batch of songs began to take shape in late 2024, just as she and her family began settling into their new home in Northern Michigan. Shelley along with husband Salsburg and their 4-year-old daughter, traveled to Toronto, Ontario in the early winter of 2025 to make the newest record "Real Warmth" with Ben Whiteley, friend and bassist for The Weather Station. The Keene Sentinel caught up with Joan Shelley who grew up in the bluegrass region of Louisville, Ken. but now calls Northern Michigan home. Here's an excerpt of the conversation: Victoria Chertok: Hi Joan! It's so nice to speak with you. I hear you just moved from Kentucky to Northern Michigan. How do you like your new location? Joan Shelley: It's pretty great. I didn't know that I would be such a "snuggly" person. I like the extreme changes in the seasons and the snow. It's been a joy to bring a young kid up in it. There is so much natural beauty here, and it's a little slower pace, which is hard to get used to, but yeah, I think it pays off. V.C .: Looking at your northeast run, have you played at all of these venues before? Who are you bringing on this tour? J.S.: Yeah, we've toured extensively during the last 12 years and were pretty regular in all those spots, (except) Ithaca, N.Y. and Keene. I am bringing Will Thomas on drums, Phil Parker on bass and Nathan (Salsburg) on guitar. V.C.: Your music is beautiful, and it's unique that your husband, Nathan, is your main musical collaborator. J.S.: Thanks. Yeah, it's been really … what's the word … to be so entwined, and then still have things that are new come out of it. V.C.: How do you do that? J.S.: I don't know. We were friends for years before we romantically got together, so it was a very good foundation. V.C.: How did you meet? J.S.: We met through the music scene in Louisville. He was playing solo guitar and is a composer of spectacular instrumental music. And then I was songwriting with the band at the time, and we just kind of shared shows. He worked for the Alan Lomax Archive for 25 years, and I was transferring records from this collection he found in a dumpster. And we just spent a lot of time together, and finally, I asked him to play with me. And then, after we toured for a couple years, we were like, "We like each other." V.C.: How did you choose the location for your seventh album, "Real Warmth" which you released last month? J.S.: We finally made it in the winter in Toronto last year. I sent it to my friend Ben Whitely … and he's just kind of been around my musical life for years. And we essentially set up in his house, brought our whole thing to Ben. I sent him this playlist of inspirations called the "Land of Snow," and he's like, "Well, that's really beautiful, but just remember, Toronto's not that snowy." Then we showed up in February to the biggest blizzard Toronto's seen in decades. So, we conjured something, and then we dealt with it. V.C.: Incredible! I bet it was fun, but challenging. J.S.: Yeah, my husband was dealing with parenting most of the time. And we'd just be sitting drinking coffee and making music, and I'd see pictures from the blizzard outside. It was really fun for me to meet so many great Toronto musicians. V.C.: Sounds like quite an adventure! What kind of guitar do you tour with? J.S.: I bring this Collings acoustic guitar with me, as well as a nylon string guitar. The Collings came from my cousin who passed away when she was 40 … so it's kind of been a constant companion and (has) the spirit of her. V.C.: Is there anything else you'd like The Sentinel's readers to know? J.S.: Just that we love coming to that part of the world and feel really lucky. I'm always asking my booking agent, like, "Oh, can't we get a show there?" It's this little bit of beauty and so it's nice when we get to come up to places like Keene. IF YOU GO WHO: Singer-songwriter Joan Shelley plays at Nova Arts. Will Lawrence, a New York-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist will open the show. WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. WHERE: Brewbakers, 48 Emerald St., Keene TICKETS: www.novaarts.org/events/joanshelley This show is all ages and seating is limited; first come, first served. Thanks to a grant from TD Charitable Foundation, this show has an "Access for All" option which lets you name your price for one ticket. MORE INFO: www.joanshelley.net