Interview: Pomona, CA Based Soul Artist and Poet/Author Shalane
We connected with Pomona, CA based soul artist and poet/author Shalane for an exclusive interview to discuss her very DOPE new music video “Home”, the album it appears on, “The Search”, the influence of her personal experiences on her music and much more.
After reading our Q&A with Shalane, be sure to stream both the “Home” song and “The Search” on Spotify. Also, support Shalane by purchasing her book of poetry, “Recollections: A Collection of Intimate Passages” and follow her on social media.
We're thoroughly impressed by your song "Home" and its visuals. Who produced the song and who directed the video?
Thank you all so much for listening. A producer named James Bayliss (JXXBX) produced the song (RIP). He passed away this past summer, but I plan to make sure his music lives on forever. The video was directed by the dude who shot it on his for me, for the most part.
"Home" appears as the last song on your "The Search" project; why did you select "Home" to create a video for?
I can’t take full credit for choosing “Home” to be the song we used for the video, it was between a friend Anthony, my engineer Jack and I. But I can tell you that “Home” is the final song on the album because it was a huge underlying theme of the whole project - the biggest realization. It took me a while to realize that I will not find my Home in People, Vices, Things, Material Objects, Money, Fame etc. I will find Home in the love that I give myself, and life I create for myself, so I’m spending time building that foundation within now. It’s a true journey.
As a songwriter and poet/author, what's the difference between the two from a creative standpoint?
Writing poetry and creative writing is more of a serious act, while writing music is a very charismatic and deep creative experience for me. In both situations I’m pulling from past experiences, life, love, my emotions and feelings. But while I’m writing poetry, it’s more structured, I am usually sitting still with furrowed brows, in deep concentration about the topic. I am feeling the feelings and emotions, they surge quietly through my veins and creep into my writing through my thoughts, but I’m usually more focused and engaged with the pen, pad and actual words on the paper. And usually, what comes of it is extremely more detailed and telling. But while I’m writing music, I’m usually full of energy, or heavily emotional, I may be a shot or 3 in, with lyrics dancing off of my tongue, melodies churning in the pit of my soul, music filling the atmosphere around me and my troubles far removed. Vivid memories are usually repeating in my head. And the end result is usually more thematic and summarizing but can be felt in a sensory way that words on paper cannot be. They are two drastically different writing processes and birth two different forms of art.
Following up on the last question, are there poems that you've written in the past that you attempted to make into songs?
Yes there are. I have poems that I both intentionally and unintentionally turned into songs.
If you had to describe your music to a stranger in three words, which ones would you select?
Warm, Relatable & Authentic
How would you say that your music and poetry are influenced by your environment and personal experiences (ie relationships, struggles, etc)?
My music is directly influenced by all of those things. I document the most significant and heartfelt moments of my life in my music for the world to interpret as art, relate to, connect with, vibe to and more.
When you aren't writing poetry or lyrics or in the studio recording, what do you enjoy doing for fun?
I play shows every so often, but to be honest, I don’t really love the spotlight. I enjoy nature so I am going to national parks and the beach and things like that often. I like creative events, so I attend them every so often as well. I’m spending time developing my non-profit to launch again in 2019. But outside of my 9-5, I’m usually putting in work for my music and the other creative services I have to offer.
Stream and Share “Home” on Spotify
Stream and Share “The Search” on Spotify
Purchase “Recollections: A Collection of Intimate Passages” on Amazon