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It’s a crisp winter afternoon when I first dive into Andrea Shelly’s new album “Want It,” and something hits different. Maybe it’s the way her voice carries that unmistakable Chicago grit or how the melodies seem to float like morning mist over Alaskan peaks. Whatever it is, this isn’t your typical indie-pop record – it’s a soul-bearer’s manifesto, dropping February 28, and it’s about to shake things up.
You can’t fake the kind of authenticity that comes from growing up on the South Side, playing those smoke-filled blues bars until your throat’s raw and your fingers ache. Shelly’s done the time, paid the dues, and somehow wound up trading the Windy City for the Last Frontier. “I wasn’t trying to pander,” she shares, with that characteristic straight-shooter attitude that makes you believe every word. “I wanted to write about what matters.” And boy, does it matter.
For her new album, Shelly brought together a solid crew of accomplished musicians who’ve helped shape its distinctive sound. John Thomasson, known for his work with Little Big Town, handles the bass with a natural feel that grounds each track. Latin Grammy winner Daniel Uribe brings his masterful guitar work to the mix, while Sergio Wagner’s trumpet adds subtle jazz flourishes that tie the whole thing together. Their contributions feel organic, never forced – exactly what these songs needed.
The title track “Want It” sets the tone for the album’s emotional depth. It’s an exploration of addiction and helplessness, born from Shelly’s experience watching a friend struggle. “You can hand someone the key, but you can’t make them open the door,” she says, capturing the frustration and complexity of trying to help someone who might not be ready to be helped.
“Tell Me Why” swings with a Latin groove and enough joy to make even the cynics believe in romance again. Then comes “Standing on the Corner,” a powerful remembrance of a community rising from crisis. The song takes us back to a Chicago neighborhood where flames lit up the sky, and strangers became family. There’s an unforgettable detail about a black and gold locket from a kid she met that day, and her telling of it puts you right there on that corner, breathing in the smoke, feeling the heat.
“Shame” hits with the force of a bare-knuckle brawl, taking direct aim at those in power. Meanwhile, “Tear It Down” (the track that’s surged past 240,000 streams on Spotify) showcases Shelly’s songwriting prowess—undeniable and impossible to overlook, much like a vintage Les Paul gleaming in a pawn shop window.
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The road to this album is a coming-of-age story woven through music. Shelly’s journey began in church choirs before she found her voice in high school bands, eventually studying at the American Conservatory of Music on Chicago’s Lakeshore Drive. But her deepest lessons came outside the classroom—shaped by dimly lit bars, life’s heartbreaks, and the rich sounds of Jackson Browne and Shawn Colvin, blending bluesy rock bass lines, jazz influences, and folk storytelling.
Now based in Alaska, she finds inspiration where the northern lights move to their own rhythm. The Talkeetna music scene—small but influential—has shaped her sound, adding depth like frost etching patterns on glass. Yet, the fire of Chicago remains, woven into every track, blending with the crisp mountain air to create something uniquely her own.
“Want It” is a rebel yell in an age of whispers, an eleven-track journey that refuses to color inside the lines. One minute you’re moshing, the next you’re slow dancing, and somehow it all makes perfect sense. Shelly’s at the wheel, steering through genres like a getaway driver through back alleys, her vocals the GPS that keeps you on track.
“I’m not naive,” Shelly explains, “but I do tend to want to show that people and situations can always change for the better.” From someone else, it might seem idealistic. But with her voice and these songs, it feels undeniable. Andrea Shelly’s “Want It” captures the essence of what happens when music tells a real story—one that speaks to all of us. And what a powerful story it is.
