JUNO-winning Indigenous artist releases first single from upcoming Homesick Indian Blues while announcing performances across Canada
JUNO Award-winning singer-songwriter Crystal Shawanda has released a new interpretation of “Come Unto Me,” marking the first single from her forthcoming album Homesick Indian Blues. Available now on streaming platforms, the recording serves as both a musical milestone and a personal tribute to the late Raul Malo, the celebrated frontman of The Mavericks, whose encouragement played an important role in Shawanda’s early career.
The release coincides with the announcement of an extensive Canadian tour that will take the Wiikwemkoong First Nation artist to audiences across Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec through 2026 and into early 2027.
A Personal Tribute Rooted in Nashville Beginnings
The origins of Shawanda’s connection to Malo date back to her earliest years in Nashville. Before securing a recording contract, Shawanda and her band performed for tips in the upstairs back room of Tootsies Orchid Lounge on Broadway, a venue where artists overlooked by the industry often continued performing.
Playing a repertoire of classic country, blues and early rock and roll, Shawanda’s group attracted songwriters, producers and musicians who regularly attended their performances, including Malo.
“We never bothered Raul when he came in,” Shawanda recalls. “We could see he was trying to lay low.”
The relationship took on greater significance during Shawanda’s showcase for RCA Records, when she noticed Malo among the audience.
“That support, that interest, it inspired me and encouraged me,” she says, describing the moment as one of the key experiences that motivated her to continue pursuing her career.
Years later, after The Mavericks reunited with guitarist Eddie Perez joining the lineup, Shawanda and her husband, producer and guitarist Dewayne Strobel, began discussing the possibility of collaborating with members of the band whose music had long influenced them.
Recording Took on New Meaning
The project gained deeper emotional significance after Shawanda and Strobel began arranging “Come Unto Me” shortly before Malo’s passing in December 2025.
Rather than shelving the recording, Strobel encouraged Shawanda to complete it as a tribute. Perez accepted an invitation to contribute electric and acoustic guitars as well as backing vocals, while also helping Shawanda recreate elements of the original arrangement.
“I was like a little kid, so nervous and excited,” she says, recalling the recording session and Perez sharing stories from his years performing alongside Malo.
According to Shawanda, Malo had once explained that the song drew inspiration from the film King Kong, reflecting the idea that even immense strength can become vulnerable through love.
Her version blends her signature blues-influenced vocal style with Tex-Mex musical textures, including the use of a Flamingo Pink Stratocaster that Strobel acquired directly from Perez.
“My husband and I have lived these words,” Shawanda says, “and I think that really shines through in this track.”
A Career Bridging Country, Blues and Indigenous Excellence
Born and raised in Wiikwemkoong First Nation on Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Shawanda signed with RCA Nashville in her early twenties before releasing Dawn of a New Day in 2008. The album became the highest-charting release by a full-blooded Canadian Indigenous country artist during the SoundScan era.
She made history in 2009 as the first Indigenous woman to receive the Canadian Country Music Award for Female Artist of the Year before transitioning her focus toward blues music.
That move has produced continued commercial and critical success, including JUNO Award victories for Church House Blues and a Top 10 debut on the Billboard Blues Chart with Midnight Blues. Her latest album, Sing Pretty Blues, reached the top of the Indigenous Music Countdown in 2025 while earning nominations for both the JUNO Awards and the Canadian Blues Music Awards.
Beyond performing, Shawanda has also established herself as an advocate for Indigenous artists. In 2012, she founded New Sun Records, recognized as Canada’s first female- and Indigenous-owned record label, where she continues mentoring emerging talent while managing her own releases.
Canadian Tour to Support New Music
Shawanda’s newly announced tour will bring her latest music to audiences across Canada over the coming months.
Upcoming Tour Dates
- July 31 – Wikwemikong Park Centre, Wikwemikong, Ontario
- August 6 – Red Arrow Brewing Company, Duncan, British Columbia
- August 8 – Maffeo Sutton Park, Nanaimo, British Columbia
- August 15 – Berczy Park, Toronto, Ontario
- August 29 – Massey Fair, Massey, Ontario
- September 5 – Playland Amusement Park, Vancouver, British Columbia
- September 11 – Port Credit Memorial Park, Mississauga, Ontario
- September 12 – Badlands Amphitheatre, Drumheller, Alberta
- September 26 – Palais Montcalm, Québec City, Quebec
- September 27 – Lakefield United Church, Lakefield, Ontario
- January 16, 2027 – Italian Cultural Centre, Thunder Bay, Ontario
- January 18, 2027 – Dryden Regional Training and Cultural Centre, Dryden, Ontario
- January 21, 2027 – Townshend Theatre, Fort Frances, Ontario
With Come Unto Me serving as the opening chapter of Homesick Indian Blues, Shawanda’s latest release combines personal reflection with musical homage, honouring one of her early inspirations while introducing audiences to the next phase of her evolving career.