Atlanta Songwriter Shawn Mullins Celebrates ‘My Stupid Heart’
Shawn Mullins’ new record “My Stupid Heart” explores various types of love.
ALISON GUILLORY / WABE
Shawn Mullins’ new record “My Stupid Heart” takes off in all directions, exploring the ups and downs of romantic love, love for one’s brother, love for our country and love for humor and good times, too.
Nearly everyone remembers Mullins’ Grammy-nominated No. 1 hit, “Lullaby,” which hit the charts all the way back in 1998. Today, Mullins’ diehard fans are keenly aware that he hasn’t released a new album since 2010. So it’s great news to hear that Atlanta’s hometown favorite is finally releasing a new studio album on Rounder and Sugar Hill Records titled “My Stupid Heart.”
WABE’s Nancy Hoddinott sat down with the singer-songwriter and his producer Lari White to find out more about this new album.
Thinking about “My Stupid Heart,” Mullins says, “It started off on my front porch. I was thinking about my whole adult life, and why I can’t seem to work out a relationship. But in the process of those first few lines coming, it was already funny. I was laughing at myself through the process. … It started off as heartbreak and within 10 or 15 minutes, I was in this wonderful blissful state of writing this song …”
Listening to this album, you will quickly realize that there’s a lot more to it than just romantic love.
Mullins points out that “a song like ‘The Gambler’s Heart’ is about one’s love for one’s brother.” There’s also an edgy cut titled “Ferguson.” Mullins describes that song as “love for my country and my species and trying to figure out how we can get along.” While there are no specific lyrics about the recent tragedies in Ferguson, Missouri, the words and music clearly capture raw emotions about that subject.
By the time you get to the end of this record, it feels like a party — with the improvisation and mayhem happening in the hilarious song, “Pre-Apocalyptic Blues.” The jam that occurred in the studio was so spontaneous, and so much fun, White included almost all of one live take into the final mix of the record.
Responding to the variety of emotions conveyed on “My Stupid Heart,” Mullins says that the overall theme of the album is best summed up in the song “It All Comes Down to Love.”
Mullins will be performing “My Stupid Heart” and other favorites live in Atlanta on Nov. 28 at the Variety Playhouse in Little Five Points. “My Stupid Heart,” is in stores now.
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