Shannon Pearl’s music is a delicate blend of folklore, personal storytelling, and experimental sounds, with her latest releases continuing to push boundaries while remaining deeply rooted in emotive storytelling and intricate musicality. Ellie Nicole Byrne caught up with Shannon to find out more about her experimental work.
Can you tell us a bit about your latest release? What inspired you when writing the track?
The last song we released is called ‘Echo’, and it was the latest in a string of four singles this year. I actually wrote the chorus when I was 17, and it wasn’t until last year that I returned to it and finally completed it. The song explores how I imagined true love should feel, which makes it something of an outlier in our catalogue, as it’s our only love song.
How does this new track differ from your earlier work in terms of sound or theme?
In that respect, ‘Echo’ diverges from our usual themes, which are deeply rooted in British folklore and history. For instance, the single preceding it, ‘Wolves’, was inspired by ancient burial rites and how they contrast with our modern approach to death and dying – not exactly lighthearted. ‘Echo’ is more introspective and personal, a reflection on youthful ideas of love compared with the reality of life.
Did you collaborate with any producers, writers, or musicians on this track?
We do almost everything ourselves. John Timney, our producer and drummer, and I record and mix all of our songs in our DIY studio. That said, our recent material has benefitted from more musical collaboration. The first album was almost entirely the two of us; we played all the instruments and wrote every part. Now we are fortunate to have an excellent band, and everyone brings their own ideas and influences. On ‘Echo’, for example, you’ll hear a stunning fretless bass part from Adam Cornell and beautiful violins from Jen Clewes, both staple members of our live line-up.
Is there a particular lyric or moment in the song that feels especially personal or meaningful to you?
The entire song feels incredibly personal. It represents a meeting between my younger self and who I am now, reflecting on my slightly naïve, fairytale-like ideas about true love. Surprisingly, life has unfolded almost as I imagined, which makes it very poignant. ‘Echo’ has also become a live favourite; we usually save it for near the end of our shows, and it’s heartwarming to see the audience singing along. While discussing the song, it’s worth mentioning the video we created in partnership with Crew Gal, a brilliant organisation supporting women in technical roles in the music industry. The video tells the story of a selkie woman falling in love with a fisherman. I won’t give too much away—if you haven’t seen it yet, it’s available on YouTube. In addition, I’m releasing a new EP on Sunday 21st December called ‘Fae Fälla Chapter II’, a follow-up to my a cappella kulning EP from earlier this year. The kulning – a Scandinavian singing technique – has been very popular online and features in our live shows as transitions between songs. After this, we’ll be releasing more full-band singles, some of which will gradually be incorporated into our live set.
You’ve got some upcoming gigs lined up. What can fans expect from your live shows?
The grand finale of the year is our headline show at the Cluny on Thursday 11th December – and tickets are selling fast! Fans can expect an intimate, immersive experience that combines our older favourites with newer material.
Are there any songs you especially love performing live?
Our favourite live song is the very first we wrote for this project, ‘Halcyon’. It’s always our set closer. We like to balance our sets with familiar older songs and newer ones that audiences are just discovering. Watching the new songs receive the same reaction as the older favourites is incredibly rewarding.
Are there any dream venues or festivals you’d love to play in the future?
That’s a tricky question. Perhaps Hall One at the Glasshouse – it would be a significant milestone for us and an unforgettable experience to share our music in such a space.
Tickets for Shannon’s Cluny gig, priced at £15.00 in advance, are available at thecluny.com.
