Overcoming Adversity - To The Stars Through Difficulty

Melinda will be interviewing local artist Shevy Smith this week, an amazing talent and "empowerment leader" in her own right...

Ad Astra Per Aspera. Shevy Smith knows this saying by heart ; after all, she recited this Sunflower-State motto countless times as a child growing up on her family's remote Kansas farm. To the stars through difficulty- that was the translation. It was a rallying cry for hope; a summation of the struggles of Kansan's westward expansion. For Smith however, only recently did it take on a much more personal meaning: after enduring years of turmoil--both physical and emotional-- the 28-year-old singer/songwriter, who felt it only natural to title her latest album-- a stunning collection of country-rock charmers tempered by a bluesy aftertaste-- after this age-old phrase, has finally cooked up a batch of songs she always knew was deep within her.  Says the singer of her expansive new album, "It brought me back to life as an artist."