Shannon Shaw
By: Luna Garcia
Shannon Shaw is a musician born on May 21, 1983 in Napa,
California. When she was a kid her parents didn’t let her listen to pop
music so she listened to oldies music because that’s what her parents
listened to. She started playing bass when she was 25 years old.
She sings and plays bass in Shannon and the Clams and she played
bass in Hunx and His Punx.
In 2008, Shannon and the Clams recorded the album “Scuffle With
the Clams”, onto CD in guitarist Cody’s bedroom.
In 2009, they recorded their first studio album called “I Wanna Go
Home” with 1-2-3-4 Go! Records from Oakland, California.
Then in 2018 Shannon recorded her first solo album called
“Shannon in Nashville”.
Listen to one of her songs called “Cryin’ My Eyes Out”.
On Spotify their song “Ozma” is their most popular song, it has
over 6 million plays.
Shannon inspires me because I really like her voice and her fashion
style is awesome, she plays bass really well.
Please enjoy this interview I did with Shannon Shaw.
Luna: All-time favorite band or musician?
Shannon: Roy Orbison is my favorite singer ever!
Luna: What do you do to get psyched before playing a show?
Shannon: Sometimes literally jumping up and down! I always warm
up my voice a lot, sometimes me and the band take ginger
turmeric shots and then do some simple stretches.
Luna: Where do you get inspiration for your fashion style?
Shannon: I think it’s a mixture of Minnie Mouse/Pink Ladies from
Grease/Alice in Wonderland/BeBop and Rocksteady from the
Ninja Turtles/various John waters characters
Luna: What women musicians have inspired you and why?
Shannon: Etta James is one of my all time favorite artists ever! She
pushed the envelope on what peoples ideals of beauty and singing
looked like. She wasn’t the typical talent or package, she was much
more. She sang with her whole self, not just a voice. Her voice
embodies her whole spirit, every moment of pain and love she
experienced. I’d say 99% of singers cannot do that! I also love the
singer of Shocking Blue, Mariska Veres. Her voice is so bold and
powerful, she sounds like she is kicking the door in before she walks
through.
Luna: What music did you listen to when you were growing up?
Shannon: Growing up I listened to oldies. I was raised really
religious and wasn’t allowed to listen to pop music so me and my
brothers just listened to what my parents liked, oldies! Lot’s of Patsy
Cline, the Animals, Roy Orbison, the Flamingos, Shangri La’s,
Creedence Clearwater Revival etc.
Luna: How did you decide to play the style of music that you play?
Shannon: I think it just flows naturally through me. I think the oldies
I really love have singers that use their feelings and their
voice to speak to people. I think punk music is like that too!
I remember finding a Thrasher Skate Rock tape and getting super
obsessed with the bands on it. They are screaming and yelling and
demanding what they want and need, oldies are begging
and pleading and crying. I think in a weird way, they both display a
vulnerability through their voice, there’s real identifiable
human feeling behind it that just speaks to me.
Luna: What advice do you have for young musicians?
Shannon:
1. Don’t worry about ‘being good’ right away. Worry about working
hard, staying true to your feelings and experimenting! Think outside
the box
2. DO NOT BASH OTHERS. Its tempting and hard not to bash other girls
who are playing music, we are trained by society to compare each
other and feel jealous/envy etc.
We need to hold each other up and support each other. You can learn
soooo much from someone who is different than you, and if someone
is a jerk, maybe something bad is going on with them at home and
their attitude is a mirror of their experience.
Compassion. Especially support women, lgbtq and POC. These voices
need to be heard and supported and encouraged!
3. DO NOT PUT UP WITH CRAPPY MEN. You will experience
them, they’re EVERYWHERE especially in the music scene and
industry. Never let them make you feel less than, never let them tell
you what to do, if they are not lifting you up and being a comrade
keep on walking
Luna: What books or movies have inspired your music lately?
Shannon: I read a ton of true crime. I just started reading the journalist
Ronan Farrow’s book called Catch and Kill about his trying to expose
bad men in the film industry. Haruki Murakami is my very favorite
author. His books are magical realism, so trippy, weird fiction that
feel like dreams when you read them. My favorite is Windup Bird
Chronicles. As for movies, I just rewatched Midsommer. It's a pretty
messed up film but interesting and the visuals are super inspiring.
Luna: Five musicians are bands you think I should listen to?
Shannon:
1. Sheer Mag
2. La Luz
3. Dion and the Wanderers album Kickin’ Child
4. Jackie Shane
5. Arthur Alexander
Luna: What has been your favorite show that you’ve ever played?
Shannon: There are so many good ones. Burger Boogaloo every year
is my favorite show ever.
