Princess Shaw
The
“Presenting Princess Shaw” Interview
with
Kam Williams
Aspiring
Singer Talks about Transformation into Youtube Sensation with Help of
Secret Admirer/Music Producer
Born
and raised in Chicago, 39 year-old Samantha Montgomery moved to New
Orleans in 2006. By day, she works as a caregiver for the elderly
and, by night, she fearlessly performs as Princess Shaw online and at
local open mics.
Inspired
by her personal joy and pain from past and present, Princess’
lyrics resonate with honesty and emotion in a very visceral way. It’s
this truth that inspires her collaborator Kutiman as well as the
emerging fans who have discovered their viral hit "Give It Up."
Here, she talks about her
very uplifting biopic, Presenting Princess Shaw, which will be in
theaters, on Demand and on iTunes starting May 27
Kam
Williams: Hi
Princess, thanks for the interview.
Princess
Shaw:
Thank
You, Sugar!
KW:
When did you develop an interest in singing and songwriting?
PS:
When
I was very young, but I didn’t really find my own voice and my own
sound until much later--around 2012.
KW:
How
hard was it finding time to pursue your dream while working long days
in the nursing home?
PS:
It’s
just about finding balance and making time to do what you love.
KW:
Were
you ever discouraged when the videos of yourself you put on Youtube
failed to generate much traffic?
PS:
No,
because I didn’t put the videos up for other people, I put them up
for me, as something to do for myself.
KW:
How
about when you weren't picked to be a contestant on the reality-TV
series The Voice?
PS:
They
want you to share your story on those shows, and I just felt that
wasn’t the right time for me to share my story, so I didn’t. When
Ido [director Ido Haar] came along, I knew he was someone that I
could trust and felt comfortable sharing my story with.
KW:
When
was the first time you heard of Kutiman?
PS:
I
had heard a mash-up of his about a year before he released mine, but
didn’t connect that the two were the same person until much later.
I wasn’t familiar with his name at all when he released his video
with me.
KW:
What
did you think the when you heard what he'd done with your songs?
PS:
I was
so happy and excited--like he took the music that was in my heart and
put it out into the world. The music that he put with my lyrics was
exactly what I wanted and had always heard in my heart.
KW:
How
surprised were you to learn that Ido Haar was making a movie about
you?
PS:
Initially,
Ido was making a documentary about several of the Youtubers that
Kutiman was including in his videos, although none of us knew we were
being included. But slowly, over time, it narrowed down to just me
and Kuti. Ido said that every time he left New Orleans his heart was
telling him to come back. I had no idea that he and Kutiman knew each
other when he started filming me, or even when I heard the song for
the first time.
KW:
What
was it like meeting Kutiman in person?
PS:
It was amazing, like finding a musical soulmate. He is like a brother
to me now, and we have become great friends.
KW:
What
message do you think people will take away from Presenting Princess
Shaw?
PS:
That
you survive the struggle in your life and if you keep going and keep
pursuing the thing that feeds your soul, it’s worth it.
KW:
When
you look in the mirror, what do you see?
PS:
I see
someone who has a lot of love for herself now, and that’s
beautiful.
KW:
Thanks
again for the time, Princess, and best of luck with the film.
PS:
Thank
you, Kam.
No comments:
Post a Comment