Independent Music Awards win
Shameem’s latest EP Time Does Not Reverse has won the (international) Independent Music Awards, Urban EP category! This is the second win of an international competition for this recording.
A suite of songwriting nominations
A number of prestigious international songwriting competitions have nominated various tracks from Shameem’s latest EP, Time Does Not Reverse. This is in addition to Shameem’s recent grand prize win of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest with the track Pass It On.
1) The Independent Music Awards has nominated Time Does Not Reverse as a finalist in its Urban EP category. The final winners for this competition are yet to be announced.
2) The UK Songwriting Contest has nominated I Love You, But and Just A Show in the finals of the RnB / Urban and Adult Contemporary categories respectively. This means that these tracks were in the top 1-2% of entries from all around the world in their categories. Additionally, Pass It On and Moderation were named in the semi-finals, which means that all four tracks of the Time Does Not Reverse EP were nominated in this competition!
3) The USA Songwriting Competition has nominated Moderation as the finals of its R&B category.
This means that, while the Time Does Not Reverse EP has remained unsung in any songwriting competition in Shameem’s home of Australia, all four of its tracks as well as the EP itself have either won or been recognised as finalists in one of four different international competitions.
Grand Prize winner: John Lennon Songwriting Contest
Shameem’s track Pass It On has been awarded the grand prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Gospel/ Inspirational category! Pass It On, featured on Shameem’s recent EP Time Does Not Reverse, was originally written as a crowdfunding reward. Learn more about the inspiration behind this feel-good toe-tapper here.
Songs of Oneness
Songs of Oneness is a free, all ages concert, celebrating the 200th birthday of Bahá’u’lláh. Shameem will be presenting a smorgasbord of mostly original music, accompanied her exceptional live band, on the theme of “the oneness of humanity”. Bring a picnic, enjoy the beautiful surrounds of Hyde Park, and be inspired by uplifting words of hope, soaring soulful melodies, and infectious beats.
“The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.” – Bahá’u’lláh
Bahá’u’lláh (1817-1892) was born into a noble family in Persia, but abandoned political prestige in order to tend to the poor and oppressed. The rapid spread of His progressive spiritual and social teachings lead Him to suffer 40 years of imprisonment, torture and exile at the hands of the Persian and Ottoman governments. He now inspires the efforts of millions of people who derive from His teachings inner strength and spiritual direction for their lives, as well as practical solutions to contemporary challenges facing the world.
New EP “Time Does Not Reverse”
Shameem has announced the release of her new EP and fourth studio recording, Time Does Not Reverse.
Time Does Not Reverse was recorded and co-produced with Rob Agostini (Rai Thistlethwaite, Tim & Jean) at Soundbaker Studios in Perth. A multi-skilled musician, Shameem wrote and co-produced the EP’s four tracks, playing keyboards and contributing to the drum programming, in addition to her stunning, gravity-defying vocals.
A strong melodic sensibility and an unmistakable flavour of soul infuse the tight production, and provide the common threads between the contrasting songs. Ranging from moody to sunny, old school to neoteric, Shameem’s songs carry lyrical themes that span personal experiences, social commentary, and uplifting words of inspiration.
In keeping with her philosophy of celebrating diversity, Shameem has confidently featured her strawberry facial birthmark in the EP’s cover art, as well as throughout the music video of the EP’s lead single, I Love You, But.
Brand new single – I Love You, But
Shameem is excited to announce the release of her new single, I Love You, But. I Love You, But is now available for purchase on iTunes, streaming on Spotify, and viewing on YouTube.
I Love You, But has an ear-worm hook with a heavy urban beat and a deliciously dark, brooding quality. Shameem not only wrote but also co-produced the track, playing keyboards and contributing to the drum programming, in addition to her emotional, gravity-defying vocal performance. The song is one of four to be unveiled on Shameem’s forthcoming EP, Time Does Not Reverse, which was recorded and co-produced with Rob Agostini (Rai Thistlethwaite, Tim & Jean) at Soundbaker Studios in Perth.
While the song is personal to Shameem and the lyrics stem from a broken relationship, the music video produced by Alucinor Productions boldly takes on the topical issue of problem gambling. Shameem says, “I’ve never been personally affected by gambling addiction, but I love using my music to raise consciousness about social issues that are prevalent in the world, and I’m glad to be able to speak up about what is a tricky subject for a lot of people.”
Back in the studio
Shameem is currently back in the studio, working on her fourth studio recording: a 4-track EP to be released in July 2017. You can expect to hear Shameem’s signature soulful sound which gives a nod to the grooves of the 90s, but with a fresh twist of neoteric production. Stay tuned for more news…
Next show at The Ellington
Shameem will be performing at her favourite hometown venue, The Ellington Jazz Club, on Sunday 8 January. An early evening show starting at 6:00pm, it’s a good occasion to cool off on a hot summer’s day with The Ellington’s tapas menu, while enjoying the smooth grooves of Shameem’s full live band. They will be playing a mix of your favourite songs from Shameem’s three studio recordings, some brand new original material, and a cheeky cover or two thrown in for good measure. Tickets are now available here.
A huge 2015
It’s been a busy and exciting 2015 for Shameem. In the span of one year she has:
- Released her sophomore album The Second City. The album and its singles (Beautiful Soul and Under One Sun) have garnered some great press coverage and reviews
- Received airplay on over 80 Australian community/ ABC radio stations and 130 USA college radio stations, and charted in the Top 30 at 6 USA stations, including two Top 5 positions
- Toured the Australian east coast twice – once with her band and once solo – each time performing 9 shows in 7 cities/ towns
- Supported Michael Bolton at Perth Concert Hall, and supported Anthony Callea at The Quarry Amphitheatre
- Performed in Toronto, including a showcase at Canadian Music Week
- Sold out her show at the Perth International Jazz Festival
- Been nominated for the (international) Independent Music Awards for “Under One Sun”, and placed 4th in the Australian Songwriting Contest Contemporary Pop/ Dance category for “Beautiful Soul”
Shameem is currently back in Perth, focussing on writing some new material in her home studio. She will be announcing her next tours in early 2016.
Australian Solo Tour
In October Shameem is hitting the road again, this time without her band, performing intimate solo shows and accompanying herself on the keyboard. She will be travelling up Australia’s east coast, doing 9 shows in 8 cities in 11 days. Tour dates and details are on Shameem’s gig page.
