Nightflying: The Entertainment Guide

A Portrait of Shannon Wurst

---Anna VanHorn
    Fayetteville songstress Shannon Wurst is without a doubt one of the current top Arkansas musicians. With a brand new album, What’s More Honest Than A Song? and a recent Northwest Arkansas Music Award nomination for Best female singer/songwriter, she’s at the top of her game. Home fresh from a tour to California and back, Shannon graciously invited me into her home to chat about what’s going on in her life.
    Curled up on her couch with a mug of hot tea, it’s impossible not to be completely charmed by Shannon Wurst. With a quiet but confident demeanor, she smiles easily and often as she discusses her music and background. Her personality is as refreshing as her music, evoking the spirit of a simpler time when people sat on their front porches drinking lemonade and watching the sunset. Timeless is an adjective often attached to Shannon, and it’s not difficult to see why.
    Family, friends, and her values are the themes that have shaped the solid musical foundation on which Shannon stands. In addition to being blessed with a musical family, it’s clear that the importance of strong values have been instilled in her from an early age. She describes herself as having a pretty interesting and lucky background as far as music goes. Both her father and stepfather are musicians that have clearly made an impression during her younger years and continue to inspire and support her as an adult.
    Talking to Shannon you can tell that the sense of camaraderie she feels from her fellow musicians and music-lovers is a very important aspect of her musical career. Learning from her Southern Rock musician dad, Ronnie Wurst, Shannon said she always had the influence of him playing and surrounding himself with a network of musicians. Stepdad, Ed Carr, provided a similar experience as a Bluegrass flat-picker who often opened their home to traveling musicians who would perform at house concerts. Carr also had the tradition of hosting Saturday evening jam sessions with players filling their home with the sounds of the old Bluegrass standards. She was able to learn from not only her dad and stepdad, but also from the musical company they kept.
    Her first personal foray into music started with guitar lessons at the tender age of seven, but didn’t yield the seasoned player that she is now. She explained that while she was working with a guitar teacher on learning chords and the mechanics of the instrument, her mom and sister were at the movie theater. “Only so many months I could take of them coming home and talking about these awesome movies. So I thought I should just quit guitar and go to the movies instead.” Shannon says with a laugh.
    Fortunately for her fans, Shannon picked up a guitar again. Around the age of 16, she began toying with the idea of songwriting. She says that she always had aspirations of being a songwriter, but it seemed like an intimidating idea. She felt that a person really had to have something to write about to be a songwriter. She began studying the craft of songwriting by spending years learning other peoples’ songs and trying to understand what makes a song good. When asked what does in fact make a song good, Shannon says that there is no definite formula to what she feels makes a song successful. Drawing inspiration from personal experiences, stories told to her, and history; the traits that she tries to incorporate into her own songs range from “sing-ability” “relate-ability,” and conveying that a song is coming from a genuine place.
    A relative newcomer to the world of touring musicians, Shannon has forged ahead with vigor to create for herself a full time job as a musician. With her first album release, Sunday Pie, securely under her belt in 2007, she set off to play her music for regional audiences while steadily expanding to the enviable tour schedule that she currently keeps. It takes a lot of money to be on the road and though she’s not getting rich, Shannon says that it is a “pretty special thing to be able to play music for a living” and “I really love to travel and tour. It’s about trying to spread my music, as opposed to making a lot of money.”
    In addition to a touring schedule that usually keeps her on the road three weeks out for every one spent at home, she makes it a point to network with those in the industry and create for herself a sense of community among musicians. One of the ways that she does this is by attending conferences and becoming a part of musical alliances. This is a trait that she originally learned from her stepfather by attending Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival in Winfield, Kansas. She is still a regular at the Kansas festival and also consistently attends the Folk Alliance International Conference in Memphis, Tennessee as well as the Kerrville Folk Festival held in Kerrville, Texas.
    All of these events differ slightly, but provide a unique opportunity for folk musicians to network with each other. At these alliances, the musicians are able to swap stories from the road, tips they’ve learned while touring, and give each other insight into their own creative process and music. Shannon and other members of the alliances often cross paths while on tour. From this community, she may find someone to share the stage with, or someone who can provide a free place to stay for the night. Shannon says, “It’s about the community and relationships that builds the support network” and that “we’re basically all co-workers scattered across the county.”
    These alliances also provide musicians with the opportunity to play their music, receive feedback and see what everyone else is doing with their own music. She says that the atmosphere among the members of this musical community is supportive rather than competitive, but that being able to hear the music that their peers are playing raises the bar and gives musicians a model to base their careers around. Frequently members of these alliances will tour in tandem or meet up on the road to play a few dates together. Shannon says that by hearing what people are playing at the conferences, usually the players are familiar with each others’ music and are able to back each other up. Something that comes in handy, especially when traveling solo like she does. Everyone is encouraged to share their music at these events in what Shannon describes as “jam sessions where you can be at any level and play any style and be able to fit in.”
    Traditional venues are just part of the stops that Shannon makes when touring across the country. House concerts, just like the ones that were hosted in her home as a child, make up a significant number of her stops while on tour. House concerts are an opportunity for musicians and music-lovers to experience a more intimate setting, and an alternative that many people find to be a refreshing change of pace from the traditional bar/club concert. At a house concert, the host opens their home to the musician and invites friends to come hear them play. It’s a pretty cool setup, because the host doesn’t have to pay the musician to play, but instead asks their guests to contribute a suggested donation (usually around 10 bucks) to the artist. There’s an entire network of people who regularly host these events, and they are a staple among folk musicians. (You can learn more about house concerts at www.concertsinyourhome.com)
    Moving from town to town, meeting new people and sharing her songs are what keep Shannon going. She’s currently promoting her sophomore album What’s More Honest Than A Song? And it is truly a beautiful record. As a musician, it’s not always an easy thing to show tremendous growth or maturity from one album to the next, but it’s something that Shannon has seemed to do seamlessly well. This collection of songs shows cohesion that was just slightly off the mark on her first album Sunday Pie. The instrumentation, the flow of the record, and the well-crafted songs make What’s More Honest Than A Song? an album that can be heard from beginning to end as a musical experience that is quite refreshing to listen to. This album feels like the kind of CD that you put on in your car and listen to on a sunny day with the windows rolled down.
    When asked about the difference between the first and second albums, Shannon says that the albums subtly mirror where she was in her life and how she’s grown as an artist and songwriter. Sunday Pie was largely a collection of songs that she heard growing up and songs written by good friends that she has met along the way in living room picking circles, with just a few original tunes. On playing other peoples songs, Shannon says, “It’s something I really love to do. There’s something special- really beautiful about being able to interpret someone else’s music in your own way.”
    Even without knowing that the first album is largely a collection of other people’s songs, it’s obvious that What’s More Honest Than A Song? is a more authentic portrayal of Shannon herself. It’s almost as if she was testing the waters with the first album, and now she’s found that the water is fine and she can really show her audience what she’s made of. This album comes from a genuine place, from a phenomenally talented artist. Of the twelve tracks on the album, ten are Shannon’s original songs.
    Touring as a solo artist, Shannon had the opportunity to utilize some really talented musicians on the album. The roster that backs her is quite impressive and includes: Shannon’s stepfather, Ed Carr, Brian and Bernice Hembree (3 Penny Acre), Kelly Mulhollan (Still on the Hill), Putnam Smith (Swamp Family Band), Robin Rues (Wildwood Bluegrass) and Michael “Stingray” Garrett (Mountain of Venus). The result of bringing these seasoned players on the album is understated and exquisite. The album isn’t overproduced, allowing not only Shannon, but also the musicians she is sharing the “stage” with to shine. With a voice reminiscent of Alison Krauss, and a style similar to that of Emmylou Harris and Gillian Welch, Shannon really has made a noteworthy album.
    Each copy of What’s More Honest Than A Song? comes with a packet of “forget me not” flower seeds. She said that the idea behind including the seeds was because she is on the road so much she doesn’t have as much time as she’d like to spend on a garden. By including the seeds, hopefully her fans and friends will plant them and during her travels she’ll be able to see their gardens. It’s also a throwback to her values “in a world filled with iPods and laptops, I’m always looking for something ‘real’ to grasp onto. Like planting a garden, and writing hand-written letters, or doing the dishes by hand.” she says.
    Shannon’s story isn’t that different from a lot of musician that come from musical families. What sets her apart is the way that she was nurtured by a community of artists to stay true to her values, the traditions set forth by those who came before her, and her ability to make smart and solid decisions about her career. Her talent is undeniable, and I expect nothing but great things from her in the future. Much like the seeds included with her album, her growth is apparent and Shannon Wurst is blossoming into a beautiful artist.

For more information on Shannon Wurst, or to buy her albums, please visit www.shannonwurst.com.

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