John Shane

Story

Instruments

• Guitar
• Vocals
• Bass
• Keyboard
• Drums
• Piano
• Saxophone

Genres

• Rock
• Electronic
• Punk
• Jazz
• Pop
• Indie
• R&b And Soul
• Classical
• Hip_hop
• Blues
• Metal

Influences

• Miles Davis
• David Bowie
• Iggy Pop
• Lou Reed
• The Beatles
• Pink Floyd
• Led Zeppelin
• Jimi Hendrix
• The Velvet Underground
• The Cure
• Siouxsie & The Bansees
• Pixies
• Sonic Youth
• Nirvana
• Tricky
• Morphine
• Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds
• Rolling Stones
• Bob Dylan
• Leonard Cohen
• Neil Young
• Bauhaus
• Queens Of The Stone Age
• Mark Lanegan
• Joy Division
• Irving Berlin
• Serge Gainsbourg
• Can
• Brian Eno
• Roxy Music
• Bryan Ferry
• Talking Heads
• Radiohead
• Peter Gabriel
• Steely Dan

Equipment

• Gibson Les Paul
• Fender Stratocaster
• Marshall Amp
• Moog Mg-1
• Behringer Deepmind

What is music to you? What does it give you?

Music is an energy that flows through all of us. Musicians are the ones who choose to harness that energy. It makes me feel alive.

What is your music dream?

To write an enduring classic. And to keep giving people the gift of the music that I channel.

If you could change the world - what would you start with?

I would start with the corporations that run this world. I would make them be more ethical and force them to do the right thing.

Which is the most memorable song from your childhood?

Too many to name. But Riders on the Storm- Doors.

Who are your favorite musical artists or bands?

Too many to name. The best singers: Sinatra, Holiday, Bowie, Plant, Leonard Cohen, Iggy Pop, Bryan Ferry, Mark Lanegan, Nick Cave. Many more of course. Best Guitarists: Hendrix, Page, Sonic Youth guitarists, Townshend, Neil Young, Zappa, James Williamson, All Steely Dan guitarists, Django Reinhardt. Bassists: Charles Mingus, Entwhistle, James Jamerson, Kim Deal, John Paul Jones, McCartney. Drummers: Grohl, Bonham, Moon, Gene Krupa! Best bands: Beatles, Zeppelin, Stones, Stooges, most 70s/80s goth/dark wave bands. Best songwriters: Lou Reed, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Lennon/McCartney, Jagger/Richards, Nick Cave, Johnny Cash, Irving Berlin. This is the tip of the iceberg.

What inspires you to make music?

I don't know anything else.

What is the message you want to send with your music?

There are many messages. Some songs tell a story, Some songs communicate a philosophical concept. Some songs are just plain meaningless. It's the feeling... as long as the feeling is true and not contrived, then that is what I'm trying to convey. It's tough to avoid cliche's but it's the only way we can move forward.

How do you feel when you perform in front of an audience?

Very good! i love it

How do you see the musicians’ reality nowadays? What could be improved?

Well, companies like Spotify need to fork over some dough to the artists. That's number 1. But in today's world, you can reach an audience. It's how much work you put into growing that audience- that's the big difference.

What do you think of Drooble?

It's good. I like it.

What frustrates you most as a musician?

Strangely, other musicians.

Do you support your local scene as a fan? How?

I try. Doing shows is a great way of connecting and right now that is all I have time for. Sadly, there isn't much of a 'scene' in Chicago. It's pretty much a mashup of a bunch of different acts. The Hip Hop scene is happening here. But it's not my scene.

What qualities should a musician nowadays have in order to get their music heard by a larger audience?

I don't know. Pander. Pander a lot. Kidding... I think the best way to get noticed is to just be yourself. Be the most real you you can be. Because if you fake it, even if you fool them initially, you can't always fool them forever. So better come out the gate being what you really are as opposed to what you think people want. And if they're not ready for you, then screw them. It's just not THEIR time to understand your art.

Share some awesome artists that we’ve never heard of.

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