Shawna Virago: Heaven Sent Delinquent

photo: Lydia Daniller

Does it matter that Frisco based singer and guitarist Shawna Virago is a transgender? No, it doesn't when appraising the music as such, but since pretty all of the lyrics on her Heaven Sent Delinquent deal with being accepted as such it becomes clear that she ha run into her fair share of misunderstandings, discrimination and all out harassment. No wonder she picked elements of punk, folk and good ol' outlaw country as the main genres for her music.

Virago means female warrior with masculine strength, a fitting stage name for a woman who fights the good fight through her music. It's just her and her acoustic guitar, the classic set up for a protest singer. Her vocals contains a twangy snarl, while she sings about relationships (Gender Armageddon, Heaven Sent Delinquent), sexual innuendo (Last Night’s Sugar, The Pleasure Car), and politics (Lands of Guns and Honey).

Heaven Sent Delinquent is a statement. Virago's songwriting is a means to change things. She stands tall, brandishing her guitar, daring you to make a move. She calls herself "a queer folk punk princess songwriter", but first and foremost she is a superb lyricist, a balladeer who can please and accuse. Zealots and bigots will hate her, but the transgender community could haven't asked for a better spokesperson to sing about their plights and good times.

Heaven Sent Delinquent is released on vinyl thru Tranimal Records. Lead single Gender Armageddon is available as a 7" single, with the non-album track Tranimal on the B-side. Get it from CDBaby, iTunes, Spotify, SoundCloud, Amazon and Pandora.

Side 1

1. Bright Green Ideas
2. Gender Armageddon
3. The Ballad of Miss Suzy Texas
4. Last Night’s Sugar
5. Heaven Sent Delinquent

Side 2

1. Burnout
2. Anniversary Song
3. The Pleasure Car
4. Holy Rollers
5. Lands of Guns and Honey

» shawnavirago.com