Q&A: SHANNON MATTHEW VANYA
First finding success releasing sunburnt indie pop under Tom Lark, more recently the Tāmaki Makaurau based musician, producer and songwriter Shannon Fowler has been making music as Shannon Matthew Vanya - finely curating warm synths, snappy drums and funky bass into melancholic pop. He chats to us about his latest catchy single ‘It Gets Better’ featuring Lévyne and more.
HEY SHANNON! THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO CHAT TO US - WE'RE SUCH A HUGE FAN OF YOUR INCREDIBLE MUSIC! HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN SINGING & MAKING MUSIC?
My brother had an old version of FruityLoops 6 on our family computer and we used to make these electronic punk songs they were totally awful! But that was my introduction and how I got hooked on production. When I think about it, they were super annoying … but was gonna be worth it when your haters saw you had a new song up on MySpace.
HAHA LOVE IT! CONGRATS ON YOUR AMAZING NEW SINGLE 'IT GETS BETTER' FEATURING THE EXTREMELY TALENTED LÉVYNE! CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE MEANING OF THE SONG AND THE INSPIRATION BEHIND IT?
‘It Gets Better’ is like two characters talking about how they’re feeling. Me reflecting on some of life’s experiences, and Lévyne talking about how she hopes things are going to get better. I often write about the the spirit of endurance, I don’t know why?
PLUS WE ARE OBSESSED WITH YOUR RETRO-INSPIRED MUSIC VIDEO FOR THE SONG! WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE PART ABOUT FILMING THAT?
The video was directed by Ezra Simons - I really loved working with him! The part I enjoyed most was the tea break shot from the bridge that carries on to the last chorus. It was really fun, we all had to run then crawl to get back behind our instruments in time and it looks so great.
SO GOOD! QUICK THROWBACK TO YOUR SELF-TITLED DEBUT EP BECAUSE WE ARE SO IN LOVE WITH EVERY THE TRACK ON IT! WHAT WERE YOUR MAIN HIGHLIGHTS WORKING ON THIS PROJECT?
I really enjoyed the process of working with A Label Called Success. Both Connor and Jordan pushed the art direction out to be a really great companion for the music. I breeze around making lots of indie pop in my studio, so it was really fun to make something really polished and slick.
MORE MUSIC ON THE WAY SOON?
Yes! I’ve been working on a bunch of new songs.
WHO WOULD YOU SAY ARE YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATIONS IN MUSIC?
I think my biggest inspiration is Beck - he’s really clever and seems to just do what he wants, following his muse making things that interest him.
WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE NZ ARTISTS RIGHT NOW AND ARE THERE ANY SONGS IN PARTICULAR THAT YOU ESPECIALLY LOVE?
My favourite artists at the moment are Phoebe Rings, Merk, and Thee Golden Geese.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT NEW ZEALAND? DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVOURITE PLACES TO TRAVEL TO OR LOCAL SPOTS THAT YOU LIKE TO VISIT?
Last year I went to Queenstown for the first time on holiday (instead of just playing there and leaving in the morning) and it’s sooo nice, I want to go there all the time. Probably seems like a boring answer - but I guess I can confidently say is really lovely down there.
DEFINITELY NOT, IT’S SO STUNNING THERE! WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST LESSONS YOU’VE LEARNT AS AN ARTIST, AND WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER ARTISTS OUT THERE?
Art is super important, it helps us make sense of the world and challenge things and figure out how we feel about stuff. Also you have to show up every day then when the ideas come, you’re ready to listen.
LASTLY, WE END ALL OUR INTERVIEWS WITH THIS QUESTION - IF YOU COULD SAY ONE THING TO EVERY PERSON IN THE WORLD, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
It gets better.
THANKS SO MUCH SHANNON! MAKE SURE YOU KEEP UP WITH HIM ON INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, SPOTIFY OR APPLE MUSIC.
