Adam Kennedy speaks with Sunderland-based viral Witch Pop pioneer Shannon Pearl regarding her new single, her meteoric rise on social media, and Sunderland’s Music City status.
You’re set to release your new single, ‘Wolves’, on Saturday 29th March. Can you tell us a bit about the song?
The seed for ‘Wolves’ was planted in early 2024. I had written the drums, bass, and guitar first for this song and I wanted it to sound heavier on purpose, to contrast with my light and airy vocal style. As 2024 went on, the song developed along with my emotional state. I lost someone very close to me in the summer and so this song evolved another meaning altogether. As well as being all about the death and rebirth of our spirit as humans through the lens of Neolithic burial rites, it’s also about my own loss, grief, and hopes for the afterlife and the future. I’ve included some Kulning in the middle of this song as well, which really contrasts with the crunchy guitar. I think people are going to love it! I know I do.
You recently posted a reel on Instagram showcasing one of your vocal techniques, known as Kulning. The video received 1 million views in a week. How did that make you feel?
It’s very hard to put into words because if you think about how many people a million people is, even 100,000 – it’s got 100,000 likes, that’s like stadiums and stadiums full of people. That’s mad. Imagine if I did that live to people. That’s a life-changing amount of people. So, the numbers almost get to a certain point and then they don’t mean anything because I can’t imagine what that looks like. But I’m really grateful to every single person who took the time to listen and comment. It really resonates on a deep level that the work I’m doing musically and building connections is working. So, thank you.
Hailing from Sunderland, how does it feel for your hometown to have received Music City status?
It’s very funny because I have lived and been brought up in Sunderland and I am Mackem through and through. I’ve been part of the music scene here for more than 10 years. But to see it go from a tiny little seaside town to grow on the world stage musically is nice. It’s a step in the right direction because I think it’s got a lot of potential and it’s not harnessed enough. I think there are a lot of creatives in the city who need to be given a bit more attention because there are some world-class people that I know who are doing the usual circuit and I think they deserve more attention, as well as the city and its new venues and ventures. So, I’m really proud and happy to be a Mackem and to know that people are finally taking notice and putting Sunderland on the map for its music, as I’ve been part of that for so long.
‘Wolves’, the new single from Shannon Pearl, will be released on all streaming platforms on Saturday 29th March. The artist will mark the occasion with a show supporting The Blackheart Orchestra at The Forum in Darlington on Friday 28th March. For further details, visit: linktr.ee/shannonpearl.
