Thompson Brings Aboard Her Wishlist of Guests
Including Vince Gill and Ricky Skaggs
Stream and purchase the new album here
NASHVILLE — Before she ascended to stardom as a co-founder of the chart-topping, multi-platinum selling, and GRAMMY®-nominated husband and wife duo Thompson Square, Shawna Thompson can remember her father taking the time to share with her real-deal country.
Today, Thompson honors her father, Mickey Mcilwain, who passed away in 2012, on her first ever solo album, Lean on Neon. It’s a classic shit-kicking country album coming out on a label sure to make her daddy smile in heaven. Lean on Neon is out September 13th on Sun Records, home to such iconic artists as Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jeannie C. Riley, and more.
“I made a traditional honky-tonk album that would make my daddy proud,” Thompson says. ”This album has been like therapy for me—it’s made me feel closer to my dad.”
Mcilwain weaned Thompson on Buck Owens, Charley Pride, John Anderson, and countless others. He nurtured her innate talents as a singer, accompanying her on banjo from the age of four. From there, Thompson found her way. First in the honky-tonks of her Alabama hometown, and later in Nashville with Thompson Square.
Lean On Neon is a deeply personal album that finds its home in the new school of Nashville traditionalists who honor past trailblazers for inspiration. On the 13-track album, Thompson’s voice beams through the dim lights and thick smoke of a classic honky-tonk soundscape, exploring family ties, themes of faith and loss, hope and love. Lean On Neon promises to do what Mcilwain did for his daughter—turn a new generation onto classic country.
An emotional centerpiece of the album is “Bama Clay (feat. Vince Gill and Ricky Skaggs).” The high lonesome harmony voices of Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, and Thompson kick off the song before the other instruments enter. Once it gets rolling, “Bama Clay” conjures the darkly redemptive side of traditional country with pining fiddle, swampy slide guitar, banjo, acoustic guitar, and gospel-tinged lyrics.
“What got me through losing my dad was my faith. I know I will see him again, and I hope this song can comfort someone else going through the same thing,” Thompson says.
Thompson made a wish list of artists she wanted on the album, and each one of them lent their talents to support her, including Gill and Ricky Skaggs. “I’ve been a huge Vince Gill fan forever. I learned to sing harmony from listening to his records,” Thompson says. She continues: “In addition to Ricky’s incredible talents, it was so inspiring to walk into his studio and see his Bible laid out on the recording console with his name imprinted on it. This was even more confirmation that him being a part of ‘Bama Clay’ was meant to be. This song would have made my daddy very happy.” Another featured album guest, among others, is the legendary Leona Williams, the one time Mrs. Merle Haggard, who lent her pen to a few tracks.
Shawna’s debut solo album is co-produced by her husband, Keifer Thompson, and two-time GRAMMY® Award winner Chad Carlson (Taylor Swift, Trisha Yearwood). Lean On Neon is a must-listen for fans of classic country music delivered by an artist with a heartfelt reverence for the timeless spirit of the genre.
Fans can stream and order Lean On Neon here. For more information and updates on Shawna’s tour dates, visit her official website at www.shawnathompson.com.