Project Description
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Interview with
SHANNON SMITH
(17th July 2024)
Interview with Dave Bruce
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Photo – Helen Townsend
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Have you always wanted to be an artist? When did you get the song writing bug?
I was born into a musical family. Both parents were professional musicians, so I’ve been around music all my life. They had rehearsals in their front room ever since I could remember! And took me to plenty of gigs For me, I thought this was what life was all about, I didn’t know any different. So of course I wanted to be a musician playing in bands, singing songs and performing to crowds.
Briefly describe your journey to date.
I started drumming at 2 or 3 years old. I was jamming with Dads band as I managed to hold a reasonably steady beat for a 3-year-old. Have a few photos of my first gig when I was about 4 playing drums for a song with dads’ band at a new year’s eve party my parents held out in the back yard. The validation and encouragement I got from everyone afterwards sealed the deal for me.
I then took up guitar at about 12 and formed my first band at 13. I rang up Primary Schools around the area out of the white pages, asking if they wanted a local band to play at the school disco nights, and good old Padbury Primary School said yes! So, we played our first gig and had the year 5-7’s moshing to a Heavy Metal version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!
I eventually wrote a few original songs for the band and we played until we were about 18. Then I became a dad. Gigging was put on hold for a while as I raised a family, but I continued to play and write music.
Then when the kids were older, and after my marriage break up, I started playing in cover bands, formed some tribute bands and started gigging again. I finally moved back into originals only 5 years ago, in my partner Helen Townsend’s band and she encouraged me to start writing and recording again.
How would you describe your sound? Why do you think fans resonate with your music?
I think my music is a little old school. Kind of Soul Pop, Folk Rock, with Bluesy undertones. I love vocal harmonies and strong musical arrangements that don’t get too overly complicated. People seem to connect with my songs and my story, the fact that my music is a kind of melting pot of genres, there’s a little something for everyone.
Which artist’s music and/or performance, past or present, inspires you today?
That’s tough! Crowded House would be on the list. I saw them in Perth in the 90’s, Watching Neil Finn perform, he looked so comfortable on stage, didn’t need to go into rock slides and power stances. Just stood there a delivered one of the best shows I can remember. Everyone singing along, knowing all the words to the songs, each song meant something different to everyone, but it resonated so deeply with all. Memories remembered and memories mad that night.
Then probably Michael Jackson, purely from being such a huge spectacle, and because I knew every word to every song. (My first album was Thriller when I was 7 years old).
Your new single ‘Every Single Day’ has just been released! Describe its origin and evolution.
I wrote this one tinkering around on a Keyboard. I don’t play keys, but I can work out a couple chords here and there… but I know what notes I want to hear, and so I found it very easy to write when on the piano. No familiar patterns or chord progressions I would normally play on guitar.
I came up with the melody for the chorus, and the words for the chorus came soon after that.
I showed our keyboard player at the time, Phil Richardson, and we worked through some ideas I had in my head that I didn’t know how to play on keys. Phil helped with the arrangement a lot. Once I was happy with that., I fleshed out the lyrics pretty quickly. I sat with it for a long time and made a couple of small adjustments during pre-production in the studio, and now here we are!
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Is there an EP or ALBUM on the drawing board?
Yes! My debut Album “Out Of The Shadows” will be released later in the year. Being my debut album, I’ve spent quite some time on the production in the studio. I guess you only get to release your debut album once, so I want it to be the best it can be. I want to be happy with it. Then it doesn’t matter what happens after that. People will like it, or they won’t. Music is so subjective, there will be people who my songs connect with, and some that may think I shouldn’t have wasted my time releasing it!
At the end of the day, if I release the album knowing I did everything I could to make an album I am proud of, then I’m a happy man.
What tours and events are coming up? What are you looking forward to, and what can the fans expect?
Plans are underway for an eastern states tour. We have another single and then the Album launch, so there’s definitely more to come.
If you could perform with any music artist, Alive or Dead, who would you choose? And why?
Wow that’s a tough one! It’s a toss-up between Paul McCartney and John Lennon. Two of my all-time favourite songwriters. Think I’d go John Lennon, the style of his solo stuff resonates with me, he was an amazing songwriter and performer, it would have been incredible to perform with him.
What are your long-term aspirations as a music artist and how are you progressing towards them?
I’d like to be able to continue writing and recording and performing for as long as I can. There’s plenty more music in me that I want to share and perform. I have always wanted to perform at large festivals nationally and abroad. I’d also love to collaborate with other artists across different genres.
As this is my debut album, I’m taking small steps. I want to develop my exposure and following over east, plus I need to build my team a little more, find a manager I want to work with and get stuck into my plan.
With that in mind, what piece of advice would you give to an artist starting out?
There’s no shortcuts for long term success! You have to be prepared, organised and surround yourself with people who are willing to work with you and contribute towards where you want to go. You can’t do it by yourself and there’s no substitute to performing to live audiences. You wont get any lasting success from just online endeavours.
What is the best thing about performing to a live audience? What’s been the career highlight so far?
Best thing about performing t a live audience is definitely the energy you get back from the crowd. Seeing people connect to the song and sing your words back to you is a bit of magic each time it happens.
Career highlight so far is probably performing in Nashville as part of Sounds Australia Showcase at the Americana Fest in 2022.
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Listen HERE
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Follow SHANNON SMITH
Website – Spotify – Apple Music
YouTube – Facebook – Instagram
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Press Release 9th July 2024 (below) HERE
SHANNON SMITH
weaves a cosy tapestry
with new single
‘EVERY SINGLE DAY’
Listen HERE
Out Tuesday, July 9
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