Wild and witchy warbler Shannon Pearl is a woman after my own heart. She frolics in nature, sings to the birds and the hills, and regularly freaks out the lads. What’s not to love?
Musically, Shannon Pearl summons the spirits of pagan mysticism and mythological tales through the medium of beguiling witch-pop and rousing neo-folk. Her live shows are far from your average gig – they are spiritual happenings. When the magical Miss Shannon Pearl isn’t enchanting audiences at festivals and venues across the North East, she can be found orchestrating and performing her healing ‘Spirituality in Sound’ events, which incorporate immersive sound baths, group drumming sessions, and meditation.
Shannon is also known for her beautiful explorations of reverb and echo in natural settings, as well as her practice of the ancient art of kulning – a Scandinavian vocal technique traditionally used for cowherding. Her kulning videos caused such a sensation that she released ‘Fae Fälla’, an EP composed of intuitive a cappella calls to sacred trees featured in the Ogham, or Celtic Tree Calendar.
This month, she will play Newcastle’s Newgate Social Club, with support from K-pop-inspired Talk Like Tigers. Twin sisters Charlotte and Stephanie use their unique sororal bond and combined musical prowess to create upbeat, empowering alt-pop that has won the adoration of international audiences. The Newcastle-born pair are no strangers to the stage, having previously worked as backing singers for Duffy, and they also lend their talents as songwriters for other artists. Their immaculate harmonies and camp, colourful compositions are a burst of joy, bringing a sun-soaked, summertime feel to the evening. If you’re new to them, listen to their gloriously catchy track ‘Annabel’s Calling’ – and prepare for it to stay in your head indefinitely.
Another addition to this genre-diverse celebration of empowering feminine energy comes in the form of Ani Sandwith. The singer-songwriter, who hails from the sea-glass hunter’s haven of Seaham, has been performing her chilled-out, jazz and traditional folk-infused music since her teens – and it shows. Listen to Ani’s laid-back and soulful ‘All Summer Long’, which she describes as “a hazy love letter to endless summer”, and you’ll understand why.
Together, Shannon Pearl, Talk Like Tigers, and Ani Sandwith are set to have Newgate Social swooning.
Tickets, priced at £6.00 in advance, are available from newgatesocial.ticketlight.co.uk.
