It’s not every day a debut single stops you in your tracks, but Shannon Jade’s story is a bit different from most. Here at Local Sounds, we’ve seen plenty of artists come and go over the years, but Shannon has a perspective that only comes from hitting a real rough patch and coming out the other side.
Originally from Perth and now based in Victoria's Point Cook, Shannon didn’t actually start out as a musician. She’s an author and a poet first, which explains why her lyrics feel a bit more thoughtful.
The real shift happened in 2023 after a bad accident. Shannon became a finger amputee, and for a while, it looked like her music career was over. Most people told her she’d never play again, but she didn’t buy into that. She started playing the piano every day as a form of physio and fell in love with it.
"I’ve always believed that music is for everyone, and often, the beauty is in the way we can adapt and overcome," she says. "I also wanted to show other people who might be navigating a life changing injury that it doesn’t have to hold you back from achieving your dreams."
Her debut single, "Jack & Rose" has a really grounded feel to it. Between her background in poetry and environmental science, she’s got a knack for bringing nature into her work. If you listen closely to the track, it’s the actual sound of waves crashing against rocks that she recorded on her phone at a local beach.
"I also really love music that features nature soundscapes, as I think these kinds of sounds can often make the song feel more raw and real, like something you can reach and tap into as a listener," Shannon explains. "Not only did it add to the song, but it’s a really nice memory I’ll always be able to look back on."
Even though the title sounds like the move we have all seen, the song is more about how she views modern romance. She’s not one for "keeping it casual." For her, the track is about "loving with all there is of you, being willing to follow someone to the stars or into the sea, wherever the fates take you."
When it comes to writing, Shannon tries not to overthink things. While some songs are "hard-won" and take a lot of piecing together from different ideas, 'Jack & Rose' just sort of fell into place.
"I just tried to write from a place of emotion, and I let the song decide for itself what shape it needed to take," she says. "That’s my favourite kind of songwriting, and it’s something I try to remind myself of whenever I start to overthink it."
Shannon is already back at work on new music and more poetry. She says she doesn't always know where life will take her "more than a couple of months in advance," but she's keen to explore more of the Australian music scene. Since moving from the west coast, she’s found the local community to be incredibly supportive of her writing and music.
At Local Sounds, we’re keen to see what she does next. She’s a great reminder that it’s never too late to change tracks and try something new, even when the odds aren't in your favour.
Listen to "Jack & Rose" by Shannon Jade