If you’re looking for Shawna Thompson of Thompson Square after a performance on Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, head across the street to the nearby – and much less fancy – Music City Bar and Grill.
“In Nashville, it's kind of hard to find good honky-tonk music anymore,” said Thompson, who is doing her part to rectify that honky-tonk shortage with her new solo album, Lean on Neon.
“That’s our place now. Keifer [Thompson, her husband and partner in the duo act Thompson Square] and I two-step and do our thing. … It takes me right back to growing up playing in the VFW Halls.”
The cover of Lean on Neon puts you in the barroom mood before you even hear the music. Thompson is resplendent in a spangled purple suit that screams “old Nashville” and a mohawk-ish hairdo to top it off. The art is inspired by a photo of George Jones in a green suit on a Bear Family Records compilation.
“My dad was a massive George Jones fan and I knew my dad would appreciate it if he was here,” she said. “Growing up, my heroes – Dolly Parton, Porter Wagoner, Marty Stuart – they all wore [clothing by designer] Manuel. So we went and met with Manuel … and that’s where that came from.”
Lean on Neon is also an homage to her father, Mickey McIlwain, a country bassist and vocalist from southern Alabama who died in 2012. Shawna got her start as a child singing with his bands.
Losing a parent is one of the hardest trials most people have to bear. Is the album part of your grieving process?
Shawna Thompson: Yeah, for sure. I grew up playing music with my dad. I was probably 8 years old the first time I played on stage with him and it was a special bond. I'm a daddy's girl through and through and when we lost him in 2012, that just about destroyed me. My faith in music was what got me through that. We made the album in 2019 and it really was therapy for me, because I felt closer to my dad.
Lean on Neon is a break from Thompson Station, your duo with your husband Keifer Thompson. He co-produced the album with Chad Carlson. Is it difficult for him to take a step back from the spotlight?
You know what? He is the biggest Shawna Thompson fan, almost to the point of annoyance. He brags on me all the time and it's just the sweetest thing to see. He didn't want to sing on the record. There was one song, [“The Doctor's Always In”], that we really needed a male vocal on and I made him sing it. He knows my voice better than anybody, because we've been together so long, and he knows my heart. We have this chemistry, because we've been married [25 years]. He knows what I'm going to do and when I'm going to do it and how I want to do it. So he was a huge part of it.
The album has been released on Sun Records, known for Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis and it has revived itself by signing modern artists like Chris Isaak, Ian Hunter and Melissa Etheridge. That has to be an association your dad would have loved.
It’s pretty mind boggling. I'm still pinching myself every day when I see that famous logo on my photo. It's not that I'm trying to fill anybody's shoes, because they're way too big. We felt like this was the best place in the world for the album that I made.
Who is your favorite Sun Records artist?
Growing up, I was obsessed with Jerry Lee Lewis. My dad bought me a keyboard and I tried to learn his style of playing. It was terrible, but I tried. But there was always a Jerry Lee Lewis song on the set list that I would sing. Obviously, Elvis. Who doesn't love Elvis, right?
Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, Leona Williams, Pam Tillis, Jim Lauderdale, Leslie Satcher, Rhonda Vincent and Sunny Sweeny perform on the album. How did so many guest artists end up on the project?
We thought maybe we'll have a couple [guests], or maybe just one. Then when Keifer called the people on my list, everybody wanted to be a part of it and I was like, “We can't say no to Vince Gill and Ricky Skaggs, right?”
Acceptance by artists you look up must be a great feeling.
For me, that was the biggest thing. That's the reason why – I'm going to get emotional, sorry. To get that stamp of approval … well, if they think that I'm good, then that's all that matters.
One of the less prominent but coolest artists on the record is Leona Williams, who is an accomplished country music singer and songwriter – often known for being one of the wives of Merle Haggard. How did that come about?
I've known about Leona for a very long time. I met her maybe five years ago. I had her phone number in my phone, because I've sung Leona's music since I moved to town in ‘96 and one of her musicians was a mutual friend. He gave me her number and he said, “You should call Leona sometime.”
Then, we were in Minneapolis in the airport and I looked down at another ticket counter and she was standing there. … So I forced myself to go over and introduce myself and she said, “I know who you are and I know you sing my songs.” When we decided to make the album, we had to see if she'd want to collaborate and write. And we did, and it was one of the most amazing moments, honestly, of my career.
Thompson Square’s last hit single was "Everything I Shouldn't Be Thinking About" in 2013. Are you transitioning to a full-time solo career?
I'll always make Thompson Square music. The hardest part of being in a band or a duo is being able to show your individuality, right? So that's why I thought it was important to get my music out, to let Thompson Square fans know this is who I am, this is where I came from and the music that I love, and then hopefully gain some new Thompson Square fans that might be a little bit more traditional.
Do you play your solo material at Thompson Square performances?
Oh, yeah, we do. We do a Shawna Thompson set in the middle of Thompson Square shows. It's been really cool to see the reaction, because it gets people's attention immediately. It's been really neat to see.
Country music is all about crossover these days. Do you think you could be a part of a back-to-basics movement in Nashville?
Well, that would be amazing to see. But I do feel like we're seeing a little bit of a change right now happening. It's shifting a little more ‘90s country right now and it would be amazing for it to shift even farther back, because it's been a while. I guess “Blue” by LeAnn Rimes was the last thing that was very throwback. It's gone so far now, and that was another part of this album. I just wanted to remind people and then teach kids that country music is so much more than what's on the radio right now.
Will you be making more albums like Lean on Neon?
We're already planning the second album. This is who I am as an artist. I’ve had people say, “Oh, it's so cool. It's like a vanity project.” I'm like, “No, that's not what this is. This is who Shawna Thompson is as an artist.” This is not me dipping my toe in the water of some music that I don't know anything about. This is who I am.
Lead Image: Shawna Thompson by Ford Fairchild.