Phillip Hong
18 March, 2009

 

I must admit: Sometimes the pace of life tends to make me forget about what life should be about. In these days of gloom and doom, combined with the inability to slow down or turn back time, I tend to listen to music for a bit of comfort.

 

For those in need of a bit of calm, the meaningful sounds of Shannon Venasse will at least help you put life in perspective. It takes a lot of effort to write a song that does more than aesthetically please and that's the product of this indie artist.

 

If you're interested, her CD titled "The Lion's Share" can be purchased from her official website.

 

PHIL: What, whom, and how were you influenced into becoming a singer songwriter?

 

SHANNON: I would say my mom Helen, was my first musical influence. She didn't sing or play an instrument but she absolutely loved music. There was always music playing in our house. My mother like most people from her generation loved Elvis and ABBA but she'd also listen to stuff from tons of newer artists as well. I'd say she taught me to appreciate music of all kinds. I didn't start playing the guitar until I was a bit older. I always wanted to learn an instrument so when I moved to Toronto and had some friends who played I decided to learn. I was always under the impression that it would be too hard but I picked it up fairly quickly.

 

PHIL: What inspired you to write "Days Roll By"?

 

SHANNON: The inspiration for my songs generally comes from various different emotions or situations I'm in. I think the main message I was trying to convey with that song was how we all let things slip away from us. Nothing lasts forever and some of us forget about that simple fact of life. We let the days roll on and on without thinking of the consequences. If you want something or you want a relationship to last you have to work hard to make it happen. Otherwise, it'll just pass you by.

 

PHIL: Toronto Experimental Artists describes you having a "K.D. Lang-ish dreamy romanticism". What's your favourite K.D. Lang song, if you have one?

 

SHANNON: "When We Collide" would have to be my all time favourite. I used to only like a couple of KD's songs. It wasn't until her 2000 album "Invincible Summer" that I realized what a great songwriter she is. I used to take the bus from downtown Toronto out to Scarborough to my guitar teachers house where I was recording my first demo. I was crashing at my brothers house at the time and he used to go to the music store and buy about 10 new CDs a week from Billboard magazine's top ten list. So I'd always just borrow a couple for every trip because I had to take the subway and two buses to get there and it took over an hour. When I discovered the "Invincible Summer" CD I couldn't stop listening especially to that one song. Perhaps it subconsciously inspired some of my songwriting at that time. Hmm I wonder if I ever returned that CD to my brother?!

 

PHIL: Reading your biography, you were originally from Ontario. What caused you to move to Nova Scotia?

 

SHANNON: I moved here for a job as a radio announcer. I went to Humber College for radio broadcasting and graduated in 2006. I wanted to be in music but was having cold feet about just working on my own music. I worked a couple jobs in Ontario and then applied for a whole bunch of radio gigs across Canada. I got the job as afternoon announcer at a classic rock station. I was going through a very tumultuous time in my life so it was the break I needed from the big city of Toronto and all the drama in my life at that time. I had never even been out east before but always wanted to check it out. I didn't know anyone here which probably helped me to get out of my shell. I met a bunch of friends and then met my wonderful girlfriend Carrie after a couple months of living here. I admit it took a while for me to get used to Nova Scotia because it's a so small but now I really enjoy it here. We are planning on moving to Ontario in the next couple years though because I'd like to be closer! to my father who just turned 75 years old. Sorry to let the cat out of the bag dad.

 

PHIL: Do you have any other interests besides creating music?

 

SHANNON: I'm currently really interested in Olympic style weightlifting. It's a great way to get in shape and build muscle even if you have no plans of competing. It's not like anything people are doing at commercial gyms. I wasn't able to find a certified trainer or even a weightlifting club in Halifax but I did find a couple trainers who know a little about the two lifts called the Clean & Jerk and the Snatch lift. You have to learn the exact technique step by step or you won't be able to work up to lifting heavy weight. I love the challenge! Someday if I get good at it I could potentially be lifting my body weight over my head. How cool would that be?!

 

Phillip Hong is a presenter on Centre Street, our current affairs programme featuring alternative stories and interviews.