SHAWN CROSBY
'BIO:Emerging from the shadows of a small town by a river to become one of the influential writers and performers of the 21st Century. Pulling influences from too many places to list Shawn, as so few do, has a unique sound of his own. This can be written off to the fact that Shawn stepped away from playing music for almost 8 years. During these 8 years, times and music changed...Shawn didnt really notice, didnt really care. While trends were appearing and disappearing over the airwaves and television at a rapid pace, Shawn sat back listening to Frank Sinatra, uncaring and going unnoticed as far as song writing and performing was concerned. In 2002 Shawn decided on a whim to buy a guitar again. Sitting and playing became sitting and writing. At the request of Shawns best friend Christ Bantlis, Shawn began to write more seriously and record a few demos here and there. These demos had a target audience that consisted of Shawn, Christ, and sometimes friends Mitch and Jerome. Christ took some of the demos Shawn had done and put them on a CD. The target audience for the CD was the same as the target audience for the demo tapes. Christ kept on pushing Shawn to do something with his music. Ideas were born during 4 am recording sessions, late night DVD sessions and talks of comic books. Out of these talks came the ambition and desire for Shawn to once again throw his hat in the ring. A sound was needed. But what sound? Would it sell? Would people listen? These questions were answered when Christ talked Shawn into entering an Acoustic Rock Challenge. The response was more than anyone expected and many live engagements followed. Oh, and the sound Shawn was searching for? He quit looking and just played...people listened....people showed up to watch and before long the target audience became much larger. A Shawn Crosby E-mail list soon came about and things took off. How do you describe his music? You dont, you cant, you just hand someone a cd, an email link, take them to a show and say Just listen
Tell me about your history? How did you get where you are now?
Not a whole lot ot put in here. At the moment there is no whole band....I will be building a band of 4 or five people to back me shortly. As I said, in the studio I do everything. I like it better thay way.
Have you performed live in front of an audience? Any special memories?
Shawn plays live around the Pittsburgh and surrounding areas, but will branching out in a MAJOR WAY in April. All engagements thus far have been acoustic intimate club dates. Shorty, Shawn will be putting together a band to back him.
Your musical influences
Shawns Influences include: Pearl Jam, Bob Dylan, The Doors, Morrissey, The Smiths, The Cure, Robbie Williams, John Mayer etc. The biggest influence of all to me is Frank Sinatra, My music sounds nothing like that but when Im not writing my own music or performing, thats all I listen to period. Not unlike The late Bobby Darrin, Shawn can do his own music or just as easily sing with an orchestra or jazz band. An upcoming side project is a CD of Shawn belting out standards such as Mack the Knife, witchcraft and more. Mack the Knife is available as a bonus track on the new CD The Hours Alone
What equipment do you use?
GUITARS: Ibazaez Electric Acoustic. Fernandes Electric Acoustic. Carvin Micraphones. Cool Edit Software.
Anything else?
What is music to me and what do I want to do with it? That is a question I had to ask myself when I started to write again. I have a plan. The obvious plan is get signed ect. But after thinking about it and meeting people in bands that I never heard of, and finding out they play out of the country and make good money, yet are not popular here in the states.....this is another plan for me. I want to get my music through Europe city by city. Radio 91.9 czeck republic is my first stop this month. Morrissey isnt getting any younger, Robbie Williams is lounging here in the states....Europe is WIDE OPEN FOR ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
