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- We’re happy to have some time today with acclaimed singer and songwriter Shannon Smith; welcome to Vents, Shannon! Before we dive into the Q&A mosh-pit, how has the freshly-minted autumn of 2023 been treating you so far?
Thanks for having me!
It’s been a very busy time for me! Releasing this single and the music video has been wonderful, but there’s a lot of work that goes into preparing and releasing music and music videos as I’m sure you know! There’s a lot happening with finishing up the record, filming more music videos for upcoming singles and my partner Helen Townsend is doing the exact same thing with her album, videos and releases…. It’s a hectic household!
- Big congratulations on the October 17 release of your incredible debut single Dance The Night Away! Is there a VH1-Behind the Music origin story you could share with our ever-inquisitive readers about what inspired this gem?
Thank you so much! Yes, I’m very proud of the song and the love I’ve been getting for it has been amazing. It was a few years ago that I originally wrote the piano progression. I was staying in a place in Sydney that had a grand piano in an empty auditorium, and I asked if I could tinker. I don’t play piano, but I know enough to play a few chords. So, I was fooling around and played some chords that sounded familiar and worked out “Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson. I really liked the descending bass line and started playing around with that. I was in a really good place emotionally and mentally, so played how I was feeling, and that’s where the happy boppy piano came in. I just started singing gibberish and scatting and the melody pretty much flowed straight out of me. I grabbed my phone and filmed what I was playing, so I wouldn’t forget how to play it. Over the next day or two, when I had any spare time, I’d wander into the auditorium and develop it a little more.
I found that I wrote very differently on a piano than I do on guitar, it opened up a lot more creativity in me to explore.
The song had kicked around in my head for years. I wasn’t able to nail down lyrics for it as everything that I put to paper was a little too corny or cheesy. I had a few lines but not the whole song. It wasn’t until we actually recording the song that the lyrics came about. Helen was in the control room as we were recording and when she heard the band playing it, she began to understand the song. She then wrote the lyrics, using the first few words I had been singing. It was exactly what I was feeling, hearing and trying to say for so long. What I labored on for years, she wrote in minutes…. The advantages of having an amazing songwriter as a partner!
- Who was your producer on Dance The Night Away and what did the collaboration between artist and producer look like in the studio while working on the song?
This was such a combined effort that I have credited five people as co-producers.
First and foremost, would be Phil Richardson. Phil is an incredible keys player and we spent time at my house in pre-prod with not only this song, but all songs on my upcoming album. He was integral during recording with a lot of musical ideas and direction. He, along with sound engineer and drummer on the album, Elliot Smith where the two main producers (other than myself) on this track. Ben Franz (The Waifs) and my partner Helen also contributed with things like vocal delivery, and arrangement suggestions.
Working with a team of pro’s is so easy and I’m willing to listen and try different ideas, but at the end of the day it needed to sit right with me. It needed to communicate what I wanted to say. I think we got the mix right and I’m so happy with the end result.
- In your humble opinion, what sets Dance The Night Away apart from the Distinguished Competition on the 2023 music landscape?
There’s such a wide variety of new music out right now it’s fantastic! Anything you want to hear, you can with the push of a button. I haven’t closely followed new music trends with my writing which makes some of my songs a little old school. But I love old school!
I think the tune is a little pop/rock pop/soul with a whole lot of retro! Plus, it has such a happy, positive vibe and lyric it makes you feel good, tap your toes and smile along. Unfortunately, in my opinion there isn’t enough of it around and in todays world climate, I think we need it more than ever.
- What can you tell us about your debut album from which Dance The Night Away is off of? What can listeners look forward to when listening to it?
There’s quite a mix of musical styles in this album from upbeat pop songs to gut wrenching rock ballads to folk rock/grooves to love songs to songs of heartbreak after losing family I loved so dearly… but there’s also a story.
The first four singles from my album, tie into and entwine with the first four singles from my partner Helen Townsends new album. Each one interconnect almost like a mini-series complete with music videos.
It’s the story of our relationship, from the beginning of new love to our darkest days that almost tore us apart, through the rebuilding process and finally to us emerging stronger than before. We both wrote through this time and each song tells the story from our own perspective. It was emotionally draining and challenging, but we worked together to make it through.
- Who inspires you musically?
Growing up in a musical household (my parents were touring musicians) I was exposed to so much great music. But my main influences were The Beatles, Steely Dan, 10CC, Fleetwood Mac, Doobie Brothers, The Eagles, and then over to Michael Jackson, John Farnham and Crowded House. As a teenager I was listening to a lot of guitar driven music, Van Halen, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Metallica, Megadeth, Guns’n’Roses. Then I went into Funk/Soul world with EWF, James Brown, Stevie Wonder…
More recently though I have been listening and playing Americana/Country and also perform in Helens Americana band “The Wayward Hearts”. I’ve discovered so many amazing songwriters and have been soaking up a lot of music in this space.
I think we are all shaped by the music we are exposed to and all this is filtered through into our own writing. For me the main musical line that runs through all the great artists I listened to the most, is strong melodies, great arrangements and fantastic harmonies.
I love singing and writing harmonies. It’s so interesting to me how harmonies can support the message of the song and provide a little ear candy too. I’m always hearing/singing harmonies to songs that aren’t in the song (much to the annoyance of others sometimes). So for me I like to have close harmonies in my songs.
- As a singer-songwriter, what does your creative process generally look like? Do the lyrics to the music come first, or is it the music before anything else?
Most of the time I come up with a musical idea first, it might be a melody, a chord progression or both. I’ll have my phone ready to record a little idea that pops into my head, whether it’s in the middle of the night or not. I’ll sing it, hum it explain it whatever, so I don’t lose it or forget it. I’ve written the most amazing songs in my dreams, even watching how I’m playing it on the guitar, vowing I’ll remember it, but it escapes me the next day, so now I record everything, after that I write the lyrics.
That’s what happens most of the time but, there are times where I’ll write lyrics first. This is what’s starting to happen for me a little more now.
- You hail from Fremantle, Western Australia. How do those roots inform you as an artist and as a person?
Fremantle is such a community centric place. I believe it’s the Montmartre of Western Australia as it is teeming with artists and musicians and alt living. There’s definitely a welcoming, happy vibe and there’s always someone playing, performing, busking or showcasing. It’s a very supportive musical community full of encouragement and praise. I think it’s impossible to be in an environment like this and not learn from it or be shaped by it.
- Can you introduce us to some of the other talented musicians who lent their musical alchemy into making Dance The Night Away a reality?
Of course! I feel so lucky to have these amazing humans on my record and in my songs. I work with good people that I like being around, it helps that they are phenomenal musicians as well! We recorded most of the track at “Sundown Studios” just outside Fremantle.
Elliot Smith plays drums, he also engineered the album. Elliot has such a great way of playing exactly what the song needs without having to show off his chops, and he has chops! It’s his subtleties that I love in his playing. Knowing when to hold off on something and placing a rim click right where it’s needed. He has to be one of my favourite drummers and one of my favourite people to work with.
Ben Franz on bass is a master musician. He has such a great feel in his playing and he and Elliot are one of THE best rhythm sections to record with. He always has really poignant insights and suggestions to bring the song to the next level.
As I mentioned before Phil Richardson is on Piano and the Hammond organ throughout the song. These three absolutely nailed the sound and vibe I had in my head when we were recording the beds of the track. So much so, that when I heard the song being played in the “real world” outside of my head, it brought me tears. It was exactly how I heard it for so long that the emotion of it overwhelmed me.
Then we have Dan Carrol who wrote, recorded and played the guitar parts for me at “Rada Studios” in Fremantle. I love watching Dan’s approach to writing the guitar for this song and seeing it all come together. He is one very talented man and he is one of the best guitarists I know in crafting a guitar part that just works!
Robert Bresland wrote and arranged the brass section. He plays trumpet on the track and brought in Marek Sprogowski and Catherine Noblet on Tenor Sax and Trombone respectively.
The brass section added the punch I wanted to the song, and I love what Rob created. We recorded this at Crank Studios under the great Lee Buddle, who engineered the recording, but is also a brass player. Having a brass player record and produce the brass section, I felt, was the smartest way of getting the brass down. I was beaming in the studio and just couldn’t wipe the smile from my face as they were playing along. It was a great experience!
Then I laid down the vocals and layered harmonies, with Helen singing harmonies along the main melody line. I love Helen’s voice, its so present with such a beautiful tone. There’s a sweetness and sincerity in her voice that makes everything she sings so believable. Besides, the song is about us, and I wanted her on this song!
- On the heels of the October 17 release of Dance The Night Away, can fans look forward to catching you on the touring/performing circuit?
We have shows here in Australia, but we aren’t likely to tour until after the album release in mid 2024. We are looking at a UK tour in June 2024, the wheels are in motion on this.
- Any final thoughts which you might like to share about your debut single Dance The Night Away?
I spent most of my life supporting others. I would put my own needs to the side and help others in achieving their goals and their dreams, but after encouragement from Helen, I am finally pursuing my dreams.
Recording and releasing my original music is something that I have wanted to do for so long and I’m loving it!
I’m excited and relieved that “Dance The Night Away” is out in the world and people are telling me it makes them happy! That’s an amazing gift I never expected!
I suppose my final thoughts on this would be that it’s never too late to go for or do something you love! Happiness from the joy of creating and doing what you love is something everyone deserves. So go find your happiness and spread it!
