Shane Shu

SHANE SHU BIOGRAPHY

Shane's start in music came with a miniature keyboard he got for Christmas when he was 4 or 5. The kind where you follow the dots that light up in red. Though a child of Dutch parents (Dutch/Chinese in his mother's case), Shane grew up in British Columbia, Canada. Both parents were musical: Dad played guitar, Mom sang. Every weekend, his parents had people over who played music together.

In elementary school Shane danced to Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis,... Meer »

SHANE SHU BIOGRAPHY

Shane's start in music came with a miniature keyboard he got for Christmas when he was 4 or 5. The kind where you follow the dots that light up in red. Though a child of Dutch parents (Dutch/Chinese in his mother's case), Shane grew up in British Columbia, Canada. Both parents were musical: Dad played guitar, Mom sang. Every weekend, his parents had people over who played music together.

In elementary school Shane danced to Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry and the rock 'n rollers of the fifties. Once, his father took him to a London market where he could pick anything he liked. He chose a Beatles tape and one by Joan Baez – because, he says, 'she looked like my mother'.
In his pre-teens, he remembers: 'I was a sucker for romance. My next-door neighbour was classically trained so we spent a lot of time practicing and singing together. We learned every horrible pop tune of the eighties. Soundtracks (Dirty Dancing, Footloose, Stand By Me) were also a favourite with us.'

Shane came to Holland when he was 18, though just for the summer. Returned to Canada to finish college but came back at 21: Europe was an undeniable attraction. 'I used Amsterdam as a hub and base to my adventures throughout Europe. I wrote and read poetry, met new and interesting people from all parts of the world, tried my luck at photography and played and wrote music.'

The latter stuck. 'I didn't set out to be a professional musician, the opportunity simply presented itself to me. I was writing material, recorded an EP and got warm reactions from friends who had a certain amount of success. So I thought, why not earn a living with something I love?'

2008 saw the release of Shane's self-titled debut album. The first single, The Way She Talks To Me, received critical acclaim and went into wide rotation on MTV Europe. Shane was given tons of airplay on Radio 538 while another station, 3FM, even named him Serious Talent. Shows throughout and outside of Holland followed, among which a complete tour supporting singer Ellen Ten Damme. His second single, All Of Me, got played all around the world as a staple song in DJ Don Diablo's set.
For Shane, there was no way back. 'Hearing your song on the radio is great. Having complete strangers coming up to you in the supermarket and ask to be photographed with you is simply a wonderful feeling. I suppose you could say it brought success in what I'm passionate about.'

That was two years ago. Now it's time for a new album: Let's Burn This Town. 'I had a strong feeling about what the new record should look, feel and sound like', Shane explains. 'The title track illustrates this the most. The song is about lovers who are fed up with the clandestine operations of their government and decide to burn down the establishment. I felt I had to do the same. Start anew.'

The first single off the new album is Push Me To The Ground. 'I wrote it in my backyard on a sunny afternoon. I was living in a beautifully restored farmhouse from the twenties at the time. I was just about to jam with a friend when he realized we were missing a special cable. He went to get it and when he got back an hour later, I had the song finished. I was listening to a lot of 80s pop and 80s-style music at the time, so you'll probably hear those influences.'

Like his first, Shane recorded the new album with producer Paul Willemsen. 'Paul has a studio located in an old vacant building. We recorded and played the instruments ourselves except for the strings and horns. I assembled a quartet for those. The children's choir was recorded in Purmerend on the coldest day in Dutch history! Apparently, you weren't supposed to leave the house, and there I was with a dozen kids directing Let's Burn This Town.'

Describing his style of music in a few words is still impossible. We'll let him try, shall we? Shane: 'The sound and writing is unlike any other Dutch artist. A well-written and credible pop album with intelligent arrangements. A mature and soulful departure to my previous album. I think I'm heading in the right direction.'


Let's Burn This Town will be released late Summer 2010 « Minder