Joan Shelley’s ‘The Spur’ is evocative, immediate — and a return to familiar ground

When Joan Shelley last visited the World Cafe, it was for her album Like the River Loves the Sea. The Kentucky singer-songwriter had left the comforts of home to write and record in Iceland. Her latest, The Spur, is an evocative and immediate album and a return to more familiar ground, as she reflects on starting a family with her longtime partner and now husband, Nathan Salsburg. In this session, Joan joins us for a mini-concert, performing songs from The Spur.