Shannon Hurley …Interview with The Siren of Trance!
Shannon Hurley is an American singer and songwriter. She was born in South Bend Indiana and and currently lives and works in Los Angeles.
Shannon is a great Singer, musician, songwriter that in the 2006 she was voted by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the top 25 Artists on Myspace!
In her career, Shannon has a great discography with Albums and Trance singles
She has collaborated with trance producers such as Giuseppe Ottaviani, Ronski Speed and Alex M.O.R.P.H.
The album “New Day” (2017) has optimistic songs such as “Here I Am” “Number One” and “New Day”, but also endoscopes such as “Solitude (ft. Bissen)” and “Someday”.
Today, Shannon is putting together a series of digital singles both solo and Lovers & Poets in collaboration with Ben Eisen.
These and many more could be noted for the talented singer-songwriter SHANNON So Athens calling G.R chat in very haut July day !
ATHENS CALLING G.R: Hi Shannon, it is a wonderful time for ATHENS CALLING G.R chatting you and something else my opinion is… that you are The Siren of Trance. Do you agree with it?
SHANNON HURLEY: That’s very kind of you! I do think my voice has a place in the trance world, but honestly I think of vocalists like Susana, Justine Suissa, and Emma Hewitt as the sirens of trance, because they are so deeply immersed in the trance world. I kind of fell in to the genre by chance, when producer Raz Nitzan heard my band Lovers & Poets on a now-defunct platform called Amie Street.
ATHENS CALLING G.R: In your email, you write to me ΄΄ Thank you for contacting me. Hope you are doing ok in this crazy time΄΄! And I ask… Yes I am, till now o.k. but I don’t know what will happen about, the next week or the next month… there are many problems just around the world! And I will ask you at first, cause I will ask you later something else, what are you doing all these crazy days, about COVID-19 pandemic?
SHANNON HURLEY: I have been working through the pandemic. I am a cashier at a hardware store and we never shut down, being an essential business. It’s scary and exhausting. I have been trying to do a lot of self-care, like running, bubble baths, getting lots of sleep, and making time for creative ventures. I have been sewing masks for friends and family. I still write and practice every day and try to write 1-2 songs a week.
ATHENS CALLING G.R: About all these crazy times! If you want it, please say to us your opinion about … Killing of George Floyd in America?
SHANNON HURLEY: It was horrible. And it opened my eyes to the fact that police brutality has been going on for a long time. My uncle was the chief of police in South Bend, IN for several years, and another uncle was in the police force for a long time as well. I grew up to always respect the police, but the George Floyd video made me feel like something needs to be done about the way the police are hired, trained, and react. And being white, I have never had to fear for my life when being pulled over in my car. I can’t even imagine the trauma that people of color have had to face in their lives. For that reason, I stand with the Black Lives Matter movement.
ATHENS CALLING G.R: O.k no good times… for all around the world, sorry but that is the truth no good times for the people! We must all the people to see how can change the world with what way! I am very sorry for that… but let’s change page traveling with the time machine in the year 2006,how was it … for you voted by Rolling Stone, as one of the 25 artists! Look I think that it was an amazing voting number… as one of the 25 artists!
SHANNON HURLEY: That was such a surprise! It was a list of 25 top artists on MySpace. I really miss those simple days of putting music up on that site. It was a really good way for bands to get discovered.
ATHENS CALLING G.R: Discography with EPs, Albums and many Trance singles!
SHANNON HURLEY: Of my solo output, I am proudest of “Sunrise” & “Matter Of Time” from my first album Ready To Wake Up. I got to collaborate with some incredible musicians for that they helped those songs shine. Guy Erez produced those songs and he really got my vibe. My favorite trance single that I put out was “Sun Gone Down” with Protculture. I went to Aruna’s studio to lay down the vocals. She taught me the ropes on good singing style for trance. It was thrilling to finally hear the finished track! I am also proud of “Nevergonnastop” from my band Lovers & Poets, with my husband and bassist, Ben Eisen. We wrote that song together and it came out even better than I had it in my head.
ATHENS CALLING G.R: In the year2017 released your new album, with the really brightness title ΄΄New day΄΄ ! I think that it is a great album with great lyrics and amazing music! Tell us about it.
SHANNON HURLEY: I was feeling down since the 2016 election. Ben and I had both volunteered to be poll workers that day, and as the numbers rolled in, I was somehow not surprised, but by evening, I was an inconsolable mess. I was looking for music as a way to comfort myself and hopefully to comfort others, so therefore I wanted an album to put a little optimism into the world.
ATHENS CALLING G.R: Alex M.O.R.P.H. and You and ΄΄Monday Morning Madness ΄΄ the song. I must tell to you that I am also Alex M.O.R.P.H. fan! I like very much the song and of course all around about the video clip and now please have you say something about this collaboration with Alex M.O.R.P.H. and about the video clip of the song…with about over 370.000 views!
SHANNON HURLEY: That was a fun and easy co-write! Alex is a gem to collaborate with. And it was cool making an international music video in our separate corners of the world. I got to work with my friend and frequent director Matt Dinan.
ATHENS CALLING G.R: ΄΄Monday Morning Madness ΄΄ With about over 370.000 views! It is something good for an artist about promo I mean and about the music career?
SHANNON HURLEY: Absolutely. Honestly I am so happy that people are listening, and I am seeing that my fan base is always growing. I think that “Monday Morning Madness” was the first big boost I saw in my trance career.
ATHENS CALLING G.R: And your preferences tell us your best band or your best singer/songwriter or your best c.d.
SHANNON HURLEY: During this pandemic, I am actually going back into the past and rediscovering my favorite bands from the 80s like The Cars and Queen. Ben and I just rewatched the entirety of Live Aid for its 35th anniversary. Queen absolutely killed it. And The Cars were so tight. I am a big fan of those compact little guitar riffs and synth lines. So anyway, we recorded an episode about the best live performances at Live Aid for Ben’s podcast All Time Top Ten and will be out on July 13th.
ATHENS CALLING G.R: I think that Rolling Stones is the really legend in the music scene. What is your opinion for The Rolling Stones new song ΄΄Living in A Ghost Town΄΄?
SHANNON HURLEY: I like it a lot. I can do without the excessive autotune but Mick’s voice is strong. I like the dub reggae vibe and of course the subject matter is something we can all relate to. A very good song about our current lockdown situation. We are lucky to have The Stones around!
ATHENS CALLING G.R: O.k now please give your vote, for Mister Ben Eisen!
SHANNON HURLEY: Ben Eisen is a 10 out of 10. He is my best friend and has been keeping me sane through this whole quarantine. My cats are also a 10 out of 10 for the same reason!
ATHENS CALLING G.R: Oh excuse me but I have another song from you, that I think it is my favorite the last month… Lovers and Poets and ΄΄ Sugar High ΄΄- Have you to say something for it?
SHANNON HURLEY: Thanks! Ben and I wrote that song with a 90s feel in mind, like Garbage. And naturally we wanted to make a video with a 90s feel, so we pulled from some Garbage videos like “Stupid Girl” for inspiration. Matt Dinan directed it and added all the cool textures and nailed the look we wanted.
ATHENS CALLING G.R: Many thanks Shannon all the best to you and to your family and … Stay- Safe- Healthy and Well – Best Regards from Greece.
SHANNON HURLEY: Thank you for having me and I hope you stay healthy and well too!
