An Interview with Shadow Animal, July 2025
How would you describe your sound? What interests you about your genre specifically?
I am an indie-rock songwriter that creates music about the hope and hardship we face in our daily lives.
Genre is a tough one for me. I don’t like to color inside the lines. If something inspires me I will use it in my art. There are rock, folk, jazz, punk, funk, hip hop and classical inspirations that make their way into my music. While most of my finished songs could be seen as indie-rock meets singer-songwriter, I am excited by the fact if I find an idea inspiring, I am going to try and find a way to work it into my music.
Who/what inspires your music?
I love music. While I have my personal musical preferences, I also listen to a huge variety of music. I listen to rock, jazz, pop, singer-songwriter, classical, hip hop, rap, metal, folk, fusion, etc. I try to learn from all of it.
I can’t emphasize enough how important it is for me to experiment through play and trying new things. I also work to maintain the skills I already have. I take all these experiences and experiments, mix them all together and see what comes out the other end. I keep the best bits. I learn from all of it.
What does making music mean to you? What got you into it/keeps you continuing?
I could literally drum before I could walk, talk, or feed myself. In the womb I was moving to the beat of music that, split the air, vibrated my mother’s belly and shook my little bones. I could not speak a word, but I could kick my feet to the rhythm. I was not taught. I felt and I moved.
I don’t fully understand it myself but music resonates with me in a way that nothing else does. It’s like drinking from a firehose of thoughts, emotions, new ideas, philosophy, and self expression all at once. It helps me express myself, process my own feelings, and share my ideas with others.
Music has always connected with me on a deep level. I don’t think I could stop that passion, even if I wanted to. It would be like trying to tell my lungs I did not want them to breathe any longer. I could hold my breath to the point I passed out but then my body would take over and I would wake up lightheaded but breathing again. I can’t turn off my passion for music. It’s a part of me.
How do you keep yourself motivated and inspired/how do you work through creative blocks?
When I feel a creative block I take a break! I step away. I do something non-musical for a while. When I come back I give myself permission to play, experiment, and make bad art. I give myself permission to write quickly and just finish a song. I also give myself permission to record a great idea without creating a whole song and move on so I can save it for later.
Not every song I write is a hit. Not every thought is an inspired work of genius. That’s ok. I don’t want to get caught up on failure. I don’t want to let perfection get in the way of progress.
You make music outside of Shadow Animal! What inspired you to start a separate project such as this one? (was it more for organizational/separation of genre purposes or was it a more conscious artistic choice?)
Great question. Five years ago I was teaching guitar lessons, playing drums for multiple bands, and performing solo. When the pandemic hit, most of my music work disappeared but I could still find work as a solo performer playing at outdoor restaurant patios, farmers markets, and corporate events. I leaned into the opportunities I had and my solo performances morphed into a business playing family friendly music. It’s great to bring joy to people in a public place where there is no paywall between the crowd and the art. I love sharing music.
I also have things that I want to say artistically. I want to explore my own thoughts, emotions, and struggles. Music has helped me through a lot of difficult times.
The music of Shadow Animal tackles more difficult topics, feelings, and emotions. The songs are born in large part from hardship. I wanted to create art that lets others know that they are not alone in their struggles. I want to share my experiences and help others feel seen. I feel compelled to share difficult experiences with the hope that these songs connect with other people going through similar situations. I want to create art that makes people think. I want to create art that makes people feel seen. I don’t want my music to tell people what to think but I hope it helps them think about difficult topics in new ways.
Tell me about your upcoming album, Dreams We Build! What was your creative process like when curating a full album? Did the songs come together more chronologically or were different ideas meshed together over time? What were some of the main themes/ideas you wanted to convey through the album?
Great question. When I started putting this record together I had around 50 songs already written that I was considering for this album. Some of these songs were brand new. Others I wrote years ago and had never recorded. I narrowed that list down to about 30 pretty quickly. When I looked at the lyrics of the remaining songs, I started to see a pattern emerge. There were lots of songs about dreams and the challenges we face when pursuing our dreams.
Once I started looking at the remaining songs through the lens of “What is life like when you are working to pursue your dreams,” the song choice and order happened pretty easily. Of the thirteen tracks I recorded for the album, I think that I had already written the music or lyrics for eleven of those when I went to begin recording.
In short, the theme of the album really informed the song selection. The final album is about the hopes and hardships we face in everyday life while working to pursue our dreams.
What was it like to record a full album in a professional manner/with an experienced crew? Did having outside influences inspire or change the direction of the work at all? What was the process like gathering the team and going from an idea to a finished album?
Recording in a professional studio is a whole different experience! I have been DIY for a long time. For this album, it was amazing to just be able to focus on being an artist rather than trying to flip from being an artist to an audio engineer or producer. It allowed me to work faster and accomplish better results.
Before I brought other musicians into the project, I built a framework for the songs so they knew what they were working with. At a minimum I sent my collaborators demos of the songs with guitar and vocals. When I did have other people in the studio with me, I really tried to record with the philosophy of “best idea wins.” If another person had a great idea we would try it. If it worked, we would keep it. As a result, some of the songs took a different direction from what I originally imagined.
One advantage was that I worked with people I trusted. I knew what they had done musically and how capable they were. Every person who worked on this record is great at what they do. Having multiple people in the room with backgrounds in rock, jazz, classical music, etc. resulted in a wonderful diverse set of musical options to choose from. The record is better and way more interesting because of it.
What are some of your rituals/inspirations when writing music? (do you listen/pull inspo from other artists? Do you have a specific place you like to write at? etc.)
For me, no two songs come together the same way. Sometimes a life event hits me hard and I just need to write about it. Sometimes I am playing guitar and a certain chord progression or riff catches my ear. Sometimes I create a drum groove and feel the need to write a song around that. A lot of my songs come together in bits and pieces over time. I have hundreds of voice memos on my phone and iPad with partial song ideas. Only some of the ideas wind up becoming fully recorded songs.
The one thing that is common to almost all my songs is that it takes me a long time to settle on the final lyrics. When I first write a song I will figure out the rhythm and melody of the vocal parts. I will also write lyrics that capture the general idea of what the song is about. However, if I am in a creative space mentally, I won’t slow the creative process down to try and perfect the lyrics. After the song is mostly written I will go back and adjust the lyrics to say exactly what I want.
Which song of yours do you consider to be your favorite? Why?
Oh…difficult question. I can’t pick just one.
From a musical composition standpoint, I really like “Everybody Wants.” The song combines a wall of distorted guitars layered with orchestral strings. In under three minutes it takes you for a ride from in your face to soft and beautiful.
Lyrically, there is a song called “Follow Your Dreams” (which will be released on October 17) that always hits me hard. When I listen to it, I feel like it says exactly what I wanted it to say without telling the listener what to think. The lyrics always leave me thinking about life.
From a groove perspective, I love “Another Night.” It has so many layers of percussion and every time I hear it I want to move! The rhythm absolutely carries that song! If I am just going about my day and want a musical kick to help me feel like I can take on whatever the day is going to bring me, I listen to “Another Night.”
What is your current big goal? What does the future hold/what are you working towards right now?
In the short term, the goal is to help the Dreams We Build Album find its audience. Between now and the end of October I will be releasing nine new songs and multiple music videos. One of the music videos being released has already won Best Music Video at three film festivals. The full album will be released October 17. There will be a big album release show in Denver, Colorado. I am excited to share this work with the world! My job between now and the end of the year is promote the music online, play this music live, and help this art reach its audience.
The long term goal is for Shadow Animal to become a bigger part of my life. I would love for the project to become financially self-sustaining. This will take some time. The big goal is that I want my original art to connect with people and impact their lives in a positive way. With Shadow Animal I have a lot to share with the world.
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