The latest episode of On Cue With…, Lakeshore Records’ podcast focusing on soundtrack composers and their work, features the eminently talented Gingger Shankar. She is a producer of the companion album to PBS’ voting rights docuseries, And She Could Be Next, and talks all about this compelling collection with host Gene Priest. (You can stream/buy the album now. Also, please vote if you’re in a region conducting elections this fall.)
About And She Could Be Next
The nine-cut release came out on Oct. 9 and features the work of Shankar and co-producer William Stanbro, along with artists like three-time Emmy-winning composer Vivek Maddala (Asian Americans, “The Tom & Jerry Show”), Sheila E, Aloe Blacc, Sa-Roc, Saul Williams, Tarriona “Tank” Ball, and more. It’s a companion to the show executive-produced by Ava DuVernay that chronicles the story of a defiant movement of women of color, including Stacey Abrams, Lucy McBath, Rashida Tlaib, AOC, Nikema Williams, and more, who are transforming American politics from the ground up.
Shankar began reaching out to friends to help create a companion album — woven with the docuseries score — as a tool to amplify voting organizations’ efforts as well as to just lift people’s spirits during this often heartbreaking year.
“In the words of Nina Simone, ‘It is an artist’s duty to reflect the times,'” Shankar said in a statement. “As artists, we are all feeling what’s happening in this country and the world right now on such a personal level. As people of color, we have all helped to create the fabric and culture of this country as a whole, yet we are living in a time where every one of us is treated as ‘other.’ How do we reconcile fighting for a country that is so clearly not just rejecting us, but going out of it’s way to harm our communities? We all come from different backgrounds, yet the resemblances are striking. The commonality we found in speaking to all these women artists was their strength and resilience. We gave each artist the same phrases before recording, and each came back with experiences and perspectives around it that blew us away.”
With that, a noteworthy series of songs emerged. It’s an album of voices of women who are accustomed to being silenced, each with her own story of discrimination and how they fought back. All with the goal of creating anthems to help women of color across the United States bring about change.
The album features artists from the hip hop, pop, and R&B community, including Aloe Blacc, Sa-Roc, Sheila E, Saul Williams, Tarriona “Tank” Ball, Hyro the Hero, Judith Hill, Ruby Ibarra, Shawnee, HeeSun Lee, Sussan Deyhim, Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys, Oompa, This Way to the Egress, Genie Santiago, Vivek Maddala, William Stanbro, Sarah DeAun, Dee MC, Raaginder, Tia Simone, and JKeyz.
A portion of the proceeds will benefit organizations such as Fair Fight, Mijente, Seeding Sovereignty, and When We All Vote.
There are three ways to watch the docuseries: on your local PBS station, streaming it on AndSheCouldBeNext.com, or finding it on the PBS app on your smart TV.
And She Could Be Next is released by Lakeshore Records, which has also released soundtracks to Drive, Mr. Robot, Stranger Things, The Old Guard, I Am Not Your Negro, The Wolf of Snow Hollow, Halt and Catch Fire, and Bad Hair, among so many others.
