Texas-based singer-songwriter and Americana artist Linda “Shibes” Schaible has a passion for songwriting, but took the long road to her first solo record.

Linda “Shibes” Schaible didn’t just stumble into the music world—she inherited it. You could say her story started in 1849, when her great-great-great-grandfather William Cooper kicked off a family tradition by founding the Huthwaite Prize Brass Band in a tiny English village. Music was in the blood and in every story passed down.

Fast-forward a few generations, and her mom was swinging a trombone with Ivy Benson’s all-women’s orchestra in the 1950s. Now it’s her turn. She’s continuing the family legacy—one poetic, soul-stirring lyric at a time. And yes, there are a few trumpet solos thrown in since the family legacy needs to continue.

Shibes is also one half of the Folk/Americana duo Amelia Earhart Returns, alongside Kristen “Iron Kitty” Hart, a master blues and metal guitar player. Their album Testimony blended haunting blues and lyric-driven storytelling, earning radio spins across Tennessee and the Carolinas. (Think John Gorka meets Bonnie Raitt at a Carolina roadhouse.)

But as Robert Frost said, “as way leads onto way,” life sometimes has other plans, and the music focus moved to the back burner. The duo stepped away from performing, and shibes spent years working in the “real world” and honing her song craft—until she realized her songs needed to be out in the wild.

Enter Seco Sessions—her debut solo album and a full-circle return to songwriting, but with a more internal perspective and voice. It’s a deeply personal, imagery-rich collection born from a single brave email to Susan Gibson (yep, the BMI Songwriter of the Year), and a songwriting retreat in Arroyo Seco, New Mexico, surrounded by greats like Eliza Gilkyson, John Gorka, Don Richmond, and Cisco Ryder.

Every track carries the magic of that experience:

“What I’ll Be” was sparked by a casual riff and a teen’s offhand challenge.

“Your Pink Dress” started with a photo posted on Facebook that struck a chord.

“22 Hours” found its heartbeat in an adobe garage studio after a nervous performance for Gorka himself.

Linda’s songs don’t just rhyme—they breathe. They hold a mirror up to life’s crossroads, heartbreaks, awakenings, and quiet joys. Her lyrics—equal parts poetry and lived truth—carry the fingerprints of every road she’s walked.

“I’ve sat in the Laurel Theater basement talking shop with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, played shows with Stacey Earle, The Nields, Mindy Smith, Norman and Nancy Blake, and to my surprise (funny story I'll tell you later) - opened for one of my songwriting heroes, Eliza Gilkyson. I’m just grateful to be doing what I love—writing songs that help me make sense of the world.”

And - yes - I'll answer to Linda or Shibes. I'm just glad I ended up with a nickname that's family friendly!