After being asked to join a small chorus program in the 4th grade, Elvie Shane sang his first solo which he described as “one of those defining moments.”
“It was the first time I remember my dad ever telling me he was proud of me. That was reward enough,” he said with a laugh.
Upon graduating high school, Shane moved to Nashville. After landing in a few different cities along the way, Shane recently settled down in his wife’s hometown in eastern Kentucky.
Looking back on his journey playing bars and passionately writing songs, Shane explained he’s learned that the single most common factor that hinders success is money.
“Most of the time it is money that keeps people from chasing their dreams. If you want to be an actor or a musician, there are all these things (that make you question) how am I going to make a living and do that? I think you just have to start doing something that will get you moving in that direction and the rest will take care of itself, if you are passionate,” he said.
Shane said he recently saw a quote from Jimmie Allen that said, “Support the dream until it supports you.”
Finding this to be a brilliant statement, Shane commented, “I wish that advice would have been around for me.”
Instead, Shane came up with his own way to guide his steps using a pen and a piece of paper.
“The advice that was around for me came in the form of pen and paper. One day I (sat) down with a paper and pen and wrote down what I wanted my life to look like in five years. It was like magic.”
Five years passed and he was able to look back on who he was to see his career and personal growth.
“Out of the five, there was one we hadn’t met. I can’t take credit for that as much as I can give credit to the people who have come into my life in the past six years,” he said.
Shane acknowledged that one of key secrets to his success has been knowing when and where he needs help, so that he is able to grow and become the best artist he can be.
“Let people in your team be mighty where you are weak,” he said with a smile on his face.
Elvie Shane’s Inspiration for “My Boy”
His first hit single, “My Boy” defines how he found a new purpose in life when he met his wife.
“I was 25 when I met my wife, and she told me (that) she had a 5 year old little boy. I needed a lot more purpose in my life, and her and him became that purpose,” he said.
The inspiration for “My Boy” was triggered from a Facebook post that he saw saying, “I don’t have a stepson, I have a son that was born before I met him.”
“That resonated with me. I was sitting on the back porch with a few boys and started writing stuff that I liked. We set out to write about something that mattered that night, and I told them about the post. One of them was trying to leave and another one put a guitar in his hands strategically to keep him around.”
That night one of his co-writers asked Shane to talk about his son. He said his response was, “Dude, he’s my boy.”
In that moment, Shane knew he had found his next tune.
Shane continued, “It turned into four grown men hugging and crying on the porch five, or six hours later. We knew that night (that) we had something special.”
Looking ahead, Shane hopes to release more music later this Spring.
“I can’t wait for people to hear it and get to know me better because these songs come from a very honest place,” he concluded.
Elvie Shane Tour Dates
Connect with Elvie Shane
To learn more about Elvie Shane, visit his website at https://www.elvieshane.com.