Shannon Ferry
THE ARTIST
“The best way to drive me to success is to tell me I can’t do something”, laughs Shannon. “When I first brought home this rickety ol’ classical guitar, let’s just say my college roommates were a little less than supportive of the joyful noise I was attempting to make. I swore that day I’d master this thing, so I could give them a hearty shout out at the Grammy’s as quickly as possible!!” Twelve months later, she had a full band, was headlining shows at Indiana University and had recorded her first independent album.
Born in the small town of Garrett, Indiana, Shannon Ferry was raised the youngest of five full-time, feisty athletes. One may argue her ability to craft catchy melodies on their upright piano before she could even write words on a paper should have been a nod to her artistic abilities. Alas, her youth was spent on swimming, volleyball, softball, running and a slew of other athletic outpourings. It is pretty clear, however, that the passion, the healthy competitive spirit and the drive-to-excellence she developed through sports has served her well as an independent musician. “Making it as an independent artist these days takes a lot of commitment and passion. You can’t just show up and expect an easy ride to the top. You have to have the heart of a writer, the persistence of an athlete and the thick skin of a salesman. Most of all, you better love what you’re doing. People want to hear authentic songs that breathe life back into their souls”.
Shannon truly delivers on the call for authenticity. Observing a performance by her is like watching a child tear open a present and marvel at its contents. Her vibrant energy, impassioned vocals and heartfelt lyrics make her a compelling performer. Influenced strongly by singer-songwriters Lucinda Williams, Tom Petty, Patty Griffin and Todd Park Mohr, she is a prolific songwriter with over 300 original songs in her collection. "To me music is journaling, so I do tend to find a tale in almost every situation. Songs need to represent everyday life struggles and relationship roller coasters. Otherwise, you’re just a clanging symbol”.
THE MUSIC
Shannon's first release, entitled Liquid Confidence, earned her original band (Automatic Earth) an invitation to play the CBGB in New York and a spotlight at the Chicago New Music Fest. The release was also featured in the Bloomington Voice CD spotlight. Critics described Shannon's vocals as "smooth", "powerful" and "entrancing". She continued playing with Automatic Earth for three years and then fronted both a torch blues and a Motown cover band. "I was captivated by the opportunity to explore various styles of music. These projects allowed me to experiment with new techniques and to discover the full range of my vocals."
Around this time, Shannon was being scouted by Legends Entertainment and was invited to perform live in Cincinnati. Her self-titled second release contains tracks from that session. Its first track, entitled "Sunshine", continues to receive regular airplay on AAA formatted WTTS in Indianapolis.
Shannon moved to San Francisco in February of 1999 to continue her pursuit of music. She immediately entered the studio with producer Chris Daddio (Stroke 9, The Fingers, Noelle Hampton) to begin co-production on her third album entitled Watch Your Step. The album, which released in April 2003, was a strong offering of her musical tastes, ranging from rock to classic country to 50’s styled sounds. “I was really proud of that piece of work”, she says, “but I knew Chris and I had better things in us”. In 2006, they entered the studio again to start production on her newest full-length album, Mend My Ways. She is currently touring to support this new offering, which can be found here on the "Buy" page.