Singer-Songwriter Shelley King's Building A Fire Among Top 5 Most-Added At Americana Radio

Two weeks before its Aug. 26 release, Austin singer-songwriter Shelley King's Building A Fire is already firing up Americana and AAA radio programmers. The album is among the top five most added at Americana radio, according to this week's Americana Music Association chart, and has climbed to No. 3 on AirPlay Direct's Global Radio Indicator Chart of the Top 50 Americana/AAA albums, up from No. 4 last week. The site also made King one of this week's Spotlight Artists, and she's trending as the third most-downloaded artist, track-by-track, on AirPlay Direct's Top 50 Americana/AAA Singles Chart.

King co-produced Building A Fire with Subdudes John Magnie and Steve Amedee, with whom she also recorded her lauded 2009 release, Welcome Home. Together, they capture her warm, earthy Americana style via 10 originals, one traditional and one cover: a Larry Campbell-penned spiritual previously sung by Levon Helm. It's a soulful sound, rooted in southern gospel-blues mixed with the Gulf-borne humidity of Louisiana, the river loam of Muscle Shoals and the hot springs of her native Arkansas, with a little Texas country bubbling underneath.

Tracked mainly at Magnie's studio in Fort Collins, Colo., with additional recording in Austin and Muscle Shoals, Building A Fire, on King's own Lemonade Records label, features guest appearances by fellow Austin royals Carolyn Wonderland, Cindy Cashdollar and Warren Hood, along with sometime Subdude Tim Cook. The core band is King on vocals and guitar; Amedee on drums, percussion, mandolin and vocals; Magnie on vocals, accordion and keyboards; and Austinites Marvin Dykhuis on vocals, guitars, dobro and mandolin; and Sarah Brown on bass.

In addition to being the first woman named an Official State Musician of Texas (in 2008), King's accolades include several Austin Music Awards. But she values opportunities to collaborate with musical heroes and friends as much as any award. Her co-producers, of course, offer special inspiration. "They really care about doing what's right for the song," she says. "When I work with them, I feel like I've really found myself."
 
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Performance dates

Aug. 15 - Poodie's Roadhouse, Spicewood, Texas
Aug. 20 - Gibson Showroom, Austin, Texas 
(Jenni Finlay Promotions 8th Anniversary Party)
Aug. 22 - Monnalisa Lounge, Houston, Texas
Aug. 23 - Giggity's, Port Aransas, Texas
Aug. 25 - LIVE on WCOM's Americana Music Show, Carrboro, N.C.
Aug. 29 - Live at Lunch, KRFC-FM, Fort Collins, Colo.
Aug. 30 - Snowy Range Music Fest, Laramie, Wyo. (with Young Ancients)
Aug. 31 - Avogadro's Number, Fort Collins, Colo. (with Young Ancients) - Building A Fire Album Release Show
Sept. 4 - Strange Brew, Lounge Side, Austin, Texas - Building A Fire Album Release Show
Sept. 5 - Hondo's on Main, Fredericksburg, Texas
Sept. 6 - Baker Street Pub & Grill, Austin, Texas
Sept. 9 - Lonestar Music in-store, San Marcos, Texas
Sept. 12 - Old Quarter Acoustic Café, Galveston, Texas - Building A Fire Album Release Show
Sept. 13 - LIVE on KPFT 90.1fm (1:00am), Houston, Texas
Sept. 13 - Cheatham Street Warehouse, San Marcos, Texas - Building A Fire Album Release Show
Sept. 20 - The Bugle Boy, La Grange, Texas - Building A Fire Album Release Show
Sept. 23 - Whole Foods (HAAM Benefit Day), Austin, Texas
Oct. 3 - Riley's Tavern, New Braunfels, Texas
Oct. 4 - One 2 One Bar, Austin, Texas
Oct. 5 - KEOS Benefit, Bryan, Texas
Oct. 9 - Hill Country Barbecue, New York, N.Y. (with Cary Morin)
Oct. 10 - The Village, Providence, R.I. (with Cary Morin)
Oct. 11 - Burritoville, Sullivan, N.H. (with Cary Morin)
Oct. 16 - Hill Country Barbecue, Washington, D.C. (with Cary Morin)
Oct. 18 - Hummingbird house concert, Austin, Texas
Oct. 21 - Roots & Branches of Americana radio show, KNBT-FM, New Braunfels, Texas
Oct. 22 - KDRP-FM Texas Radio Live at Guero's, Austin, Texas
Oct. 23 - Strange Brew, Lounge Side, Austin, Texas
Oct. 24 - McGonigel's Mucky Duck, Houston, Texas - Building A Fire Album Release Show
Oct. 25 - Texas Book Festival, Austin, Texas
Oct. 26 - Poor David's Pub, Dallas, Texas - Building A Fire Album Release Show
Nov. 1 - 290 Texas Concert Series, Johnson City, Texas
Nov. 8 - Hondo's, Fredericksburg, Texas
Nov. 29 - The Bear's Lair House Concert, Austin, Texas
Jan. 10-17 - Delbert McClinton & Friends Sandy Beaches Cruise

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