Heart to Heart, that's Shakaina King from her brand new album, Heart to Heart.
Shakaina King is a singer, a songwriter, keyboardist for Madison-based Boosband Alpha
Romale, and the Wannakey project, Braveband.
Shakaina also works closely with Project Brave, a non-profit fighting negative stigmas
associated with mental illness, and earlier today, Shakaina King released her brand new
album Heart to Heart.
And here in the studio with us right now is Shakaina King and her brother, who also plays
on the album, Wes.
Yay!
Hey guys, Shakaina, Wes, welcome to Maxine Radio.
Hey, thanks for having us.
Thanks.
That's a song, you guys.
What can you tell us about it, the one that we just heard, it was gorgeous.
Oh, thank you.
Yeah.
Heart to Heart, I wrote for a friend of mine after she told me her story, so it's really
just about two imperfect people in an imperfect relationship that's just real life.
Just sticking it out, and because they love each other, sit down to have a heart to
heart.
That's heavy.
Yeah.
Now, the album, you just literally came here from the release party out at the bricks.
Yes.
From the release party.
How was the party tonight?
It was fun.
It was really good.
Is everybody like really jacked up on Sider?
Yes.
Everybody is jacked up on the Sider.
Yeah, we had some hot sauce tasting earlier.
I know.
I kind of wanted to partake in that.
Before me.
Hot sauce for the Sider.
Oh, very good.
I think I was wondering, actually.
And Wes asked, yay.
Hey, before we actually talked to you about the album, what can you tell us about you?
You know, what kind of upbringing did your parents play music?
Fill us in.
So, yeah, my dad is a pastor in dad'sville, and we grew up singing and playing in church,
and it was just kind of a family thing.
My brother Wes here always says that farmers have kids to work in the fields, pastors have
kids to do music.
Oh.
So, we came by naturally.
My dad has one of the best male vocals that I can think of, like, his falsetto is crazy
good.
Yeah.
And he plays the piano, and he's just always inspiring us to do that.
Does he play out and about here in town?
Not at all.
No, he plays that church.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Wes, you were telling me on this album now, basically, the two of you made this album.
What were you all playing?
Yeah.
For the most part, it was the two of us, but there are a lot of other people that, from local
musicians that really stepped in and helped out a lot, people from other bands, people
from the project Brave Band, people from the Alpha Romero's, some other people that we've
actually grown up with and played with, stepped in to help us out a lot, and it was fantastic.
Please tell us what instruments you both play, though.
This blew me away when you were sharing this.
Yeah.
So, she kind of always had the voice, and I've kind of backed her up on instruments.
So, usually, any instrument I can find on this album, specifically, I've played piano,
drums, guitar, and bass.
That's incredible.
And it's just the two of you?
Is that correct?
Right here, but for the most part, she kind of gigs with a lot of other musicians.
I have twin 17-month-olds at home, so I don't get out a whole lot.
So, this has been a really special day for a lot of reasons.
Yes, yes.
Excellent.
The songs they make, the twins jump around.
Oh, exactly.
How are you feeling during your party today to know that this is out in the world, and people
were there to celebrate you guys?
Just really, really emotional, and it's been a long time coming, and we've been working
on this for almost two years, and I feel like I wasted a lot of money at first, because
I didn't know what I was doing, recording, and being in the studio is way different than
playing live, and I learned a lot of really good lessons, and we did it the wrong way
a bunch of times, but we got here, and it just feels good to have it done and have it
out.
Excellent.
Just all the feels.
Was this your first album?
Yes.
So, doing it the wrong way a bunch of times, and going to the studio, doing that the first
time is perfectly okay and kind of required as a band, isn't it?
Oh, I hope so.
I mean, that means I did it right.
You nailed it.
You did.
Yes.
So, what was that?
I guess what was the one big thing the next time you go into studio that you would change
from the last time?
Click track.
Yeah.
Oh, never click track, never, ever, ever.
That is amazing.
Especially with today's digital software, you have to be on a click, or it makes the
whole editing process so much harder, because the software is going to a map, a click,
right?
I play a lot solo.
I play a lot out solo, and I can have liberty with the tempo and kind of do what I want.
It doesn't work so well in a studio setting when you want to put other instruments and other
musicians in it, and they're like, okay, whoa, we can't play to this.
What click were you using?
And I was like, click track.
I wasn't using a click track, and they were like, oh, my gosh.
Oh, man.
Well, let me ask you the same question.
Yeah.
That's one of the big things.
We had so many ideas that I think we thought we had down, and going into the studio, they
just didn't fully pan out, or we had some more ideas like, well, what if we did it this
way instead?
What if we changed this up?
What if we added this?
If we added this instrument, is it going to interfere with this?
And really going in with a better outline next time is going to be the key, especially
as she kind of said, rhythm has never been her strong suit.
That's usually where she has me.
But she started without me doing this, and so we had to go back in and try to get the
rhythm back.
What a lesson.
Now, are you the big brother or the little brother?
I'm the big brother.
We have a little brother who is, you just graduated as a doctor of chiropractic, and he's
also going to be in a national commercial here very shortly.
So not only is he a doctor, but he's also a model.
Oh, my gosh.
You guys.
What a fun family.
And he kind of looks like Captain America's stunt double.
Oh, boy.
Oh, we'll be watching for this for sure.
Now, she kind of, you are in a band called Project Brave, and it's also a nonprofit.
Tell us about the Project Brave and this great cause that you work with.
Yeah, we do on a big event every February, and we just come together, and we believe
that music can heal and just inspirational stories and support groups.
One-A-Key Project Brave also does weekly support groups in one-A-Key for just mental health
awareness and anybody who needs a safe place to talk and to have that support.
So we do that's big event in February and just try to kind of bring out just the best
in people and share inspiration in this crazy world.
There was recently a survey from schools in Wisconsin and it ended up showing that kids
in the last couple of years are at the highest levels of their worst mental health.
And when you read that and then realize people like you are trying to do something to help
them and everyone else, it means a lot, doesn't it?
Yeah, and I think music is such a key spot for me for my mental health and my anxiety,
and it's so healing.
And if I can even share a glimpse of that with other people and offer the same, then I
feel like that's my purpose and that's my job.
That's wonderful.
Now, back to the album.
Where can we find it?
Is it going to be streaming?
You know, where is it available?
It is.
So if I did everything correctly, you should be able to download it on Bandcamp now.
And then I also am selling CDs, actual, actual CDs, you know, nobody listens to actual
CDs anymore.
We do.
We do at our house.
But we have those right now and they will be available at all my upcoming shows.
And then next Saturday, the 14th, they will be available for all major streaming services.
But we're only putting five out total.
And then we're going to keep three as album, like CD, album exclusives right now.
There you go.
Yeah.
Very cool.
Now you mentioned upcoming shows, you're going to be performing around South Central Wisconsin
throughout September.
You have a big schedule.
September 20th, Buck and Honey's here in Manona.
September 21st at the Hopgarden in Evansville, September 26th, Buck and Honey's again, but
this time in Wannakey and September 28th.
And that's going to be at the Citer Farm Tasting Room in Madison.
Tell us about playing at the Citer Farm.
Yeah, that's different one than Bricks Citer.
I just can't get away from the Citer.
Yeah.
Like Citer.
They are a, they have a farm in the Miner Point area.
And they have a tasting room.
They make their own hard ciders and like Apple Brandies and they have like Charcuterie and
all of these things to go with the hard ciders.
And it's just a fun little place.
It's right by Brennan's market there.
And it's just a fun little spot and very open and they have live music all the time and
I really, really enjoy playing there.
Wow.
Now you're, we've been speaking with singer and songwriter Shikaina King.
Shikaina, thank you for taking the time to come to speak with us tonight.
We really appreciate it.
Thank you.
Already.
Thanks for having me.
This is a dream.
Now you have a new video coming out for your song Broken Bridges.
But the song we're going to hear next is called You're Not Broken.
Is that what it's called?
Yes.
I tell us a little bit about this song before we hear it.
Okay.
So I have a friend who, yeah, I usually cry when I talk about this.
I have a friend last year who passed due to suicide.
And he, he was such a big personality and a big light and he struggled with his mental
health and struggled with some addictions and he was homeless for a time.
And I think people are so judgmental and they're just really, really quick to hand out
like you're crazy or you're broken or you're all of these things.
So I wrote this song with him in mind and I just, these are all the words that I wish
I could still say to him and just other people that are struggling like if you're fighting,
it starts out by saying if you're fighting an invisible war, like those invisible mental
battles that we all fight and then it says it doesn't mean you're broken, it doesn't
mean you're strange, it doesn't mean you're helpless, you've just had some bad days.
Your life is where so much more than you can imagine.
I love you and no one can take your place.
So if he was still alive, those were some things I wish I could still say to him.
Well, thank you for that music.
That's powerful.
Yeah.
Thanks for sharing.
Really is.
Let's hear it from her brand new album, debut album.
This is Chicana King and you're not broken.
Maxing radio, we are local music.
