LISTEN: Shawna Virago Shares “Ghosts Cross State Lines”

New album, Blood In Her Dreams, out May 31st

April 18, 2024April 18, 2024 Ron Hart 0 Comments 2024, Alejandro Escovedo, Americana, Blood In Her Dreams, Ghosts Cross State Lines, Jeffrey Lee Pierce, Shawna Virago, X

In the ever-changing space between folk and Americana, Shawna Virago’s latest single, “Ghosts Cross State Lines,” emerges as a vivid thread, weaving a story of defiance, resilience and unapologetic truth.

For Virago, the song is the mission statement for her forthcoming album, Blood In Her Dreams.

“The song is about a woman – a trans woman – trying to outrun grievous forces and her past,” she explains. “These forces hover over her and the listener. It has Southern Gothic elements; it’s a song of shadows and dark corners – a place that’s difficult to escape from.”

Shawna Virago “Ghosts Cross State Lines,” self-released 2024

The tune could very well be autobiographical, given Virago tours the country as one of Americana’s first openly transgender performer. Her journey is a testament to breaking barriers and challenging norms, encapsulated within her unique blend of punk and country music that speaks directly to the soul.

“There was a compass that I wanted all these songs pointing to, and when I got lost,” she explains about the process of creating the material for Blood In Her Dreams. “I’d listen to Jeffrey Lee Pierce and then crank up Alejandro Escovedo. Also, I’m a lifetime fangirl of X, and their influence is embedded in the album. Each of these artists jumped barriers in their work, and that was my aim also.”

Shawna Virago Blood In Her Dreams, self-released 2024

For “Ghosts Cross State Lines,” which Rock & Roll Globe is proud to premiere today on the site, the song stems from accruing hours of road miles touring the Southern region of the United States.

“I wrote this song while on tour with my partner,” she explains. “He’s a choreographer, and his dance company has been touring the South. I drove the van, and for the first and only time in my life, I was able to write a complete song on the road. There was some magic driving down I-85, and when we got to the motel, the pencil came out, and it felt like automatic writing.”

Recorded at Different Fur Studios in San Francisco, CA, Blood In Her Dreams comes out on May 31st. Pre-order here.