Shemekia Copeland's Blues Lesson For Women: 'Don't Give Up...Rise Up'

New York, NY. (Top40 Charts/ Shore Fire Media) - Shemekia Copeland's upcoming release 'Never Going Back' (out 2.24.09 on Telarc) is a modern blues album with an optimistic thesis, delivering a powerful message of hope and empowerment. But as the "dusky, titanic voice" (NY Times) explains, the songs "Limousine" and "Rise Up," in particular, speak to strong women, and women in need of a little extra strength.

Listen to "Limousine" here: https://tinyurl.com/Shemekia-limousine

"Limousine," says Copeland, is "a really cool different way of expressing a woman's frustration with a relationship. It's the voice of a strong woman who's had enough." Over the funky guitar twang, the sassy lyrics and metaphors demand respect for the singer's heart, which isn't "some limousine you can just ride all over town as it pleases you."

Listen to "Rise Up" here: https://tinyurl.com/Shemekia-RiseUp

The first time Copeland heard "Rise Up," originally recorded by Paul Thorn, "it sounded like an anthem to me. It starts out with this sad tale of a women seemingly trapped in a world she can't get out of, then encourages her to rise from the ashes of her own life." The story of a woman going from having "a husband she can't find" to "pawning her wedding ring" to pursue her own dreams, "Rise Up" is "a strong message of hope. Go on honey, you can do it. Don't give up...rise up."

Producer Oliver Wood explains that "Rise Up" and "Limousine," like the other tracks on 'Never Going Back,' "were chosen (or written) for their message of empowerment." Copeland and Wood aimed to include songs "that were a little deeper than the typical blues themes of partying and broken relationships."