Shannon Donald is a singer/songwriter from Mumbai. She has been singing professionally since the age of 16 & has performed & toured with many esteemed artists like Farhan Akhtar (Farhan Live), Ayushmann Khurrana, Salim-Sulaiman, Sunidhi Chauhan, Mohit Chauhan, as well as worked on background scores for A.R. Rahman, Vishal Bhardwaj, Pritam Chakraborty, & Amit Trivedi. Shannon also lends her voice to jingles for TV ads like Maggi, Lenovo, Coca-Cola, Phillips, Birla, Frooti & more.
In an exclusive interview with the Indian Popstar, she reflects on her road to success while sharing the joy of making an original song! Shannon also imparts her insight for surviving in these crucial times, while finding our ‘Happy Place’.
So Shannon, what inspired you to write this song?
I was working with Natania to write my songs a few years ago, and was noodling around on the piano, as I didn’t know how to play properly (still don’t!)
I liked the hook line of the notes & jammed along, humming a tune which turned out to be lyrically pretty simple, but about a dark time for the world. I remember ISIS & tsunamis was happening & it felt overwhelming, so I ended up writing about ‘saving what’s left of something good.’
Despite the uncertainty of the times, how can we find our happy place?
Everyone has a different version of what they like to keep safe & protected – it could be a person, a place, a pet or even a moment.
Finding your happy place is about accepting that there’s always going to be times when we’re down and out, but fighting for what’s right, good and true in your life. You learn to never take advantage of the good times. We’ve learnt that in 2020 for sure.
Could you please describe the artwork element to the song? What thoughts and feelings should it elicit?
The rainbow represents your Happy Place, person, pet or even a special moment & of course, the glass jar that protects it is held by none other than yourself. The vibe of the artwork being spacey & galactic was also chosen to match the soundscape of the production used in the song.
What genre of music does the song categorise itself?
Pop, or Electronic Pop.
Who would you say has influenced you in your musical journey so far?
A lot of indie artists from India who have gone on to release beautiful music are close friends of mine. One of them was my friend, singer/songwriter Natania Lalwani.
She mentored me in 2014 and taught me songwriting as a craft, so I always run everything by her when I write something new.
At an early stage, you took part in the Andrean All Bandra Zonals Talent Competition. How would you describe your experience? Does it make a difference in encouraging one’s talent?
I grew up performing at the Zonals from the age of 4 to 16! It gave me something to prep & train for every year, and it definitely motivated to be a team player because we’d also take part in duets, quartets & choirs. It was truly a great platform for any kid to hone their music skills & learn about healthy competition.
Besides a music artist, you’re also a teacher at Vocal Tribe India. What is your message to the younger generations who wish to be singers?
The Vocal Tribe is an initiative to bring quality vocal training education to upcoming singers and musicians. It’s something I started because as a vocal coach, which is my other full-time job, I was not able to teach so many people one on one.
This way I could reach out to more people & still have a connect with those who need help.
Young singers need to stick to what sets them apart from the crowd and use that to their advantage, stop trying to be like everyone else because there is only one of you in the entire world. Find that talent & practise like crazy. There is major competition, & in order to be heard through the mess, originality is necessary!
It’s a challenging time for musicians across the globe. What advise would you like to share?
This is the time to reset, learn, practise, write, make art & pay attention to our health that we neglect while always having crazy busy schedules. We’ll never get time off like this.
Music has the power of transcending change. What are some social causes you support and what’s your ultimate idea for a better tomorrow?
I just collaborated with Sakshi.org, an organisation that aids victims of domestic abuse and child sexual abuse. I did a vocal workshop where all the proceeds went straight to helping someone get education to protect themselves, prevent the abuse and also get them some legal aid. Was happy to be a part of something like that!
Can we expect to see a video of you in this song at your Happy Place?
Yes for sure, watch out for something real soon! There might just be an acoustic version of the song coming out. We discover our ‘Happy Place’ when we are truly grateful for everything we have! By listening to Shannon’s song, it will instantly teleport you to a super happy time in your life and who doesn’t want that? Lend keen ears to her song and give it your full-hearted encouragement alongside love & support by going to the top charts of Spotify India, Apple Music, Amazon Prime Music India as well as subscribe to her YouTube channel on Shannon Donald Official. Visit her website on www.shannondonaldofficial.com and don’t miss following her Instagram page on shannondonaldmusic. We could not be more proud of you, Shannon and we will continue to celebrate you voluminously along the way!
