The Shindellas have an acute understanding that Black women singing together to form one sound has historically shaped the foundation of pop music. It bleeds onto each verse that they sing and each harmony they create. The depths of their melodies contain the gospel-inspired vocal tradition of En Vogue and the thundering, genre-bending flair of The Pointer Sisters. They make songs that combine all of the elements that made Black girl groups ubiquitous in the 1960’s and bonafide superstars in the 1990’s while crafting a fresh sound that’s firmly planted in soul music’s past, present and future.
The Nashville based trio, composed of Tamara Chauniece, Stacy Johnson and Kasi Jones, officially formed in 2017. Their debut album “Hits That Stick Like Grits” arrived in 2021, showcasing a glorious introduction to a group that can seamlessly weave the spiritual and the soulful as if it’s one sound. But with their forthcoming sophomore album “Shindo,” the group is ready for a fresh start.
“We’ve come to a whole new level in our friendship, in our musicianship, and (now) let us share the ‘Shindo,’” Kasi said about the new LP.
“Shindo,” out Oct. 20, is a potent reflection of the group’s new chapter—-one that starts and ends with love. Across 9 tracks, The Shindellas are able to further showcase the depths of their unique voices while proving that they’re not only students of the rich lineage of Black girl groups but they’re a worthy act to lead a resurgence of those groups amid a current drought. “Shindo” feels and sounds like The Shindellas in full bloom. While “Hits That Stick Like Grits” featured a group trying to grapple with the uncertainty of the social unrest and public health crisis that dominated 2020, “Shindo” finds the group on the other side of the journey—-soaking in all of the bliss that comes their way. The album opens with “Up 2 You,” a song with a tempo so bouncy that it makes you want to get lost in the rhythm and fall in love as quickly as they sing about it. “Think of Me” has a traditional R&B sound that highlights the group’s crisp vocal arrangements at their best.
When hitmakers Chuck Harmony and Claude Kelly developed the Shindellas and signed them to their label Weirdo Workshop, they wanted to create a sophisticated girl group with a “New American Soul” sound that couldn’t be defined by industry standards. “Shindo” firmly encapsulates that goal. It blends Tamara’s gospel background, Stacy’s previous career of singing commercial jingles and Kasi’s love for musical theater to create a standard that sounds like an oral history of Black music that you never want to stop reading.
“Last Night Was Good for My Soul,” the album’s lead single, centers the essence of that joy. For nearly 5 minutes, The Shindellas take listeners on a groovy escapade to pure bliss that feels as breezy as a sunny afternoon on the beach. The disco-infused track marked the group’s first Billboard chart entry, reaching the top 10 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart.
The Shindellas are eager to share their growth with fans and new listeners alike. With “Shindo,” the group is ready to feel the love again. And everyone’s invited to feel it, too.
