"The dream started here..."
... says Shea Fisher, smiling as she recalls her first visit to the United States at age 10. Her father, a champion bull rider, had brought the family from Australia as he chased his own dreams, but it was American country music that caught Shea's imagination. A champion barrel racer herself, Shea had become a huge fan of Reba McEntire while in Australia, but her world changed when she first heard Shania Twain's music while performing in a school play in tiny Elida, New Mexico.
"I sang 'Any Man of Mine' before I even knew who Shania was," she says. "Then I bought her album, and from then on I was the kid who wound the window down and sang at the top of her lungs. I remember seeing her perform on TV and thinking, 'I want to be that one day. I want to do that.'"
Ten years later, just 21 years old, Shea is fulfilling that dream, introducing her own brand of cutting-edge country to American music fans. In between, she followed a path Reba knew well, singing the national anthem—in this case Australia's—at rodeo events, then hitting the road to pay the dues that would earn her a growing legion of fans as she polished her performing and songwriting skills.
Her American debut, Shea, showcases an emerging artist with a clear sense of identity, combining youthful energy and a seasoned performer's way with a lyric. They are qualities that made her the first female signing to Stroudavarious Records.
"The minute I heard Shea's music, I knew I wanted to sign her," says label head and founder James Stroud. "Our label is all about the music, and Shea comes to the table with her A-game. She has done what many young artists don't accomplish until later, which is to find her own voice and make a record that reflects her vision."
The album, co-produced by Richard Landis (known for his work with Vince Gill, Kenny Rogers and Neal Diamond, amongst others) and Australian country artist and producer Steve Forde, is a journey through an upbeat landscape of love and life, with songs like "A Little Bit Of Love," "Being With My Baby" and "Another Day In The Sun" celebrating the pure joy of romance. "Getaway Heart" looks at a woman's reaction to a non-committal man while "What He Did To Me" is nothing less than the classic revenge song, sung with justifiable satisfaction. Adding depth to the mix are songs like "Children," a look at the trials and anguish faced by so many young people in a troubled world, and "You Will," an exhortation to all of us to reach for our dreams.
The project's first single, "Don't Chase Me," is a hook-laden bit of fun Shea describes as "girl-empowering" and which, she says, she can relate to.
"When I first heard the song," she says with a laugh, "I thought, 'How did they know this was about me?’" In fact, she looked throughout the process for songs that meant something to her.
"I was looking for variety," she says, "but most importantly I wanted to be singing about things I can relate to. I wanted to deal with real issues, so there are songs about young love, heartbreak, relationships, self-motivation, and one that offers a reflection on the world's problems."
Shea’s journey toward the country charts began not long after her birth in Victoria, Australia. In fact, her talents on two fronts were evident at a very young age. She was just 3 when, influenced by her parents (rodeo champion father Eddie Fisher and barrel racing champion mother, Joanne) she began competing in—and winning—barrel racing competitions.
"I don't even remember the first ones," she says, but competition and travel with her family became a way of life. She was soon beating 18-year-olds, and she was just 9 when she won her first National Rodeo Association Junior Barrel Racing Title. Many titles would follow.
Her family's trip to the U.S. expanded her horizons—besides getting hooked on music, she branded cattle and drove her first pick-up truck—and when she returned to Australia at the age of 12, it was as a singer as well as a rodeo champion.
She asked for and got the chance to sing the national anthem at a rodeo and, she says, "loved the adrenaline rush. It was almost the same as getting on a horse or a bull." She met Australian country star Steve Forde at another rodeo and "asked him if I could hop up on stage before he performed and sing a couple. He was wonderful—he let me do it!"
The two formed a friendship and before long she was touring with him as his opening act. She formed a band, began writing songs and finally went to the U.S. again, this time to record. After that project spawned hit singles in Australia, she returned to the U.S., recording this time with hit producer Landis.
"I've grown so much since then," she says. "Working with Richard is such an honor, because putting Richard's knowledge and my approach together captured something really special. This album reflects where I've come from and shows my progression."
Stroud heard part of the project once Shea had returned to Australia, loved it, and offered to fly her back to talk about a deal.
"I couldn't wait to work with the people at Stroudavarious," she says. "To have somebody like James, who's had so many 1 hits and has produced albums that have sold millions of copies, being so supportive of what I do is really incredible. I've been so lucky being a girl my age, being able to travel the world with my parents and now having the experience to live my dream and give it a real shot. I’m an everyday girl with a really cool job."
As sure as Shea introduces a top-notch young singer to American audiences, it introduces an upbeat force of nature as well.
"I believe the sky's the limit," she says, "for me and for everyone. Dream big. Work hard and you'll get there. It's just a matter of time. I'm going to keep dreaming big and keep striving to achieve new things every day."
And, with the hard-won wisdom of one for whom being bucked from a horse or bull is no mere metaphor, she adds, "If you fall, get back up again and keep going. Whatever you want to do is possible if you want to make it happen."
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