Pardon Shawn James if he doesn’t get to everything on his 2014 to-do list. It’s filled up fast.

Already crossed off the list this year is the release of “The Hawk,” the last of a three-EP set of animal-named recordings. “The Hawk,” a companion to the 2013 recordings “The Bear” and “The Wolf,” came out Jan.

21.

Starting today, another of the items on James’ list will be in progress. Beginning with a concert at Smoke & Barrel Tavern in Fayetteville tonight and one at Webby D’s in Fort Smith on Saturday, James and his backing band The Shapeshifters will embark on a multi-state tour, swinging through the southeast parts of the country.

“We’re just travelers who like to make music,” says James between strokes of his long black beard and sips of coffee on a recent morning.

James has done his fair share of traveling already. He grew up near Chicago, learning both gospel and punk rock in alternate doses. He would later attend school to study audio production, and that line of work took him to Nashville, Tenn., where he was involved in both the business and production side of the equation.

He left Tennessee to head back to Illinois when his thenpreteen sister was diagnosed with cancer. She’s since beaten the disease, but the songs he wrote during that time period changed his perspective and his musical style.

“I didn’t have a band at the time, but I had an acoustic guitar,” he says.

He’d already been in a rock band and had also sung lead vocals in a metal band. His newest music would moreclosely align with the songs he writes today - sad, haunting ballads that border between soul and folk. His first solo recording, “Shadows,” contains much of the music written around the time of his sister’s illness.

Again looking for a change, James moved to Fayetteville in January 2012. Previously, he’d stayed in town for a week around a gig at the Riverstomp Music Festival in nearby Tahlequah, Okla. His first gigs in his new home were at the Fayetteville Farmers’ Market and on Dickson Street, where he played as shows at the Walton Arts Center dismissed, maximizing his exposure as quickly as possible.

James eventually would be invited into venues, first as a solo artist, then with a backing band comprised of Arkansas residents. Even if James’ music has ties to the folk or soul categories, it also represents more. James notes major differences between the parts of the recent trilogy of EPs.

“We make music that isn’t in boundaries. … It’s emotionally intense music that covers all genres,” he says.

And it differs depending on the night. Solo, James is perhaps a degree sadder and more personal.

“The band has become this live entity. The solo acoustic stuff doesn’t work in that context,” he admits.

That means that the band opts for covers to bulk up the setlist. Always with a Shapeshifters-approved twist, those cover songs often receive a warm welcome. The band’s take on the John Legend song “Who Did That To You,” for instance, became a viral sensation after it was recorded live in the KUAF studio. A little less than a year after the cover of the song from the “Django Unchained” soundtrack was posted onto YouTube, it’s racked up more than 200,000 views.

About 50,000 of those views came overnight after its release.

The cover songs The Shapeshifters perform fit into James’ 2014 plans. He’d like to give away a recording of live covers this year. Recognizing the difference between his soloacoustic work and that featuring the full band, he’d like to release an album in both styles. And there are other albums and tours in the works too. Yes, 2014 will be a busy year for Shawn James and company. But likely a good one, too.

Adding them up, he arrives at four albums, several tours and no more than a solitary free day between now and August. He pauses.

“You know, two albums a year is a pretty good goal,” James says with a smile.

FAQ Shawn James & The Shapeshifters WHEN - 10 p.m. today WHERE - Smoke & Barrel Tavern in Fayetteville COST - $5 WHEN - 9 p.m. Saturday WHERE - Webby D’s in Fort Smith COST - $5 INFO - shawnjames music.com

Whats Up, Pages 14 on 01/31/2014