As he gears up for the release of his self-titled EP next month, singer-songwriter Shaun Black has given us the first glimpse of what’s to come, and it’s an anthemic slice of acoustic rock tinged with sun-drenched melancholy in the vein of the Australian greats.
“This single is about having the girl, but not quite,” Shaun explains. “It’s probably the most energetic track on the EP. The theme of the record is based around relatable relationship struggles and situations, with the final track being about just packing up and getting away from the world.”
Co-written with Andrew Furze (Andrew De Silva, Delta Goodrem), and recorded at the famed studios of Sing Sing with producer Simon Moro, the EP takes cues from heroes like Hunters & Collectors, Paul Kelly and Dan Sultan, sounding like a serious step forward from his self-recorded debut LP a couple of years back.
“The debut record was recorded at the home studio of a local guy in my area and with a very small budget,” Shaun admits. “This record was a massive step up in budget and professionalism. It is also a massive step up in song quality as well.
Regardless, that record saw Shaun supporting one of his musical heroes in Rob Thomas at 2017’s A Day On The Green alongside Pete Murray and Powderfinger’s Darren Middleton – an experience that inspired the Yarra Valley boy to dive head-first into music full-time, with a proper team behind him.
“I had never really written with anyone else before, and I don’t think I’ll write on my own again,” Shaun tells us. “It’s so much more fun working with others and bouncing ideas around. Things seem to happen faster, and it’s really exciting to build something and connect with other people.”
Shaun’s now hoping to connect with a new batch of fans with his beefed up sound and a few extra years of songwriting experience under his belt, and will have one eye on the festival stages come April 6 when his EP sees its release.
Until then, get stuck into his newest, ‘Come For You’, below, and follow along at his website and Facebook.
