by Daniel Hanks - SGN Contributing Writer

SHARA STRAND
NEIGHBOURS
February 21

The new Pop Princess, Shara Strand, has turned the ignition, hit the gas, and started merging into the fast lane. Shara has begun her new tour, centered on her latest single, 'Jekyll and Hyde,' remixed into nightclub knockouts by Mike Rizzo, Wayne Newman, and Paul Goodyear. The New York Gay-owned dance-music label D1 Music artist brings up the energy in every single performance.

During the first stop of her tour, in Philadelphia, SGN chatted with Shara about pride, passion, and inspiration. The tour makes stops across the country in Boston, Chicago, San Diego, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and of course, Seattle on Thursday, February 21, at Neighbours Seattle (1509 Broadway).

Shara recalls her last trip to the Emerald City during Seattle Pride as one of her favorites. 'What an amazing city - I was so happy that I could use music to support equal rights and Referendum 74,' said Shara, who simply stated, 'Gorgeous!'

'The fans in Seattle are so supportive and genuine.' Shara added.

Shara told SGN that she's a huge supporter of equal rights - everyone, she says, should have an opportunity. When Referendum 74 was approved. Shara felt amazing, like she was a part of it. 'At Pride, Referendum 74 was the biggest thing. Because everyone was talking about it, I was so happy,' she said.

Shara is hopeful that President Obama will do with marriage what Lincoln did to abolish slavery. Advising the president to keep pressing for equality and to go toward love, she adds, 'That's the answer.'

The life of an up-and-coming artist becomes more and more fast-paced, but Shara loves it. She said, 'It's what I've always wanted.'

THE NEW SINGLE
Shara tells SGN that 'Jekyll or Hyde' is all about how when you're with someone, one second you can have the best experiences and the next is crazy. 'Like a flip-flop of emotions,' she said, adding, 'I have a lot of fun on stage playing sexy and fun, then switching to 'I can't stand this anymore.'

The song may be about an intimate relationship, but it can correlate to the music business, too. Shara feels blessed to be a part of D1 Music. 'You never know what situation you'll fall into with your label,' said Shara, adding, 'They let me speak my mind and we have a good rapport - a really healthy relationship.'

But the road hasn't always been smooth for the pop princess. 'You go through so much hardship and pain to get success. If you really feel passionately about something, you'll have to work hard, strive, and struggle,' Shara said. She speaks about hardship as rejection from wanting to go a certain direction, major labels, roles, and so forth. She's learned to let go of pain from the past so she can live in the moment.

So what inspires Shara to keep moving forward? 'Love inspires me,' she said, and she advises up-and-coming performers to hold onto the drive that keeps you singing, contact several different producers, go to open-mic nights, write songs, and perform as much as possible.

Her best advice? 'Stay true to yourself, and find the message you want to share with the world.'

SGN checked in with Shara a few weeks into the tour and she said it has been so much fun. She instantly connected with Jujubee, who hosted her stop in Boston, and she loves sharing dressing rooms with the cute go-go boys. Shara can't wait for Seattle and hopes to meet as many people here as she can.

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