Hiya folks thanks for joining us in the virtual RGM lounge today, grab a brew and take a seat.
What made you decide that music is a thing for you?
I have always enjoyed music, even at school it was one of my favourite lessons. It’s not exactly a thing for me but I use it to help raise funds for the charity I support. I enjoy different genres of music ,but especially country music. I started off singing when my Mum entered me into Stars in their Eyes Kids as Darius Danesh. I never got through to the live shows but was told I was talented and should start working on my voice which i did. I went to a music teacher who put me into a competition and it snowballed from then, I was performing regularly at Weymouth Pavilion and was signed up to management after my first appearance.
Introduce us to you and your musical history.
I’m Shane and I enjoy all kinds of music. I started off performing at events as a teenager with a dance troupe, we all looked the part and were told our look made us very commercial. We did festivals and outside events and back then I was performing tracks by all sorts of artist, but Darius and Ronan Keaton were what I loved doing best. We also did a bit of S Club 7 and the catchy chart hits that were out at the time.
That was enjoyable, but as I got older I wanted to take it a bit more serious and craved my own tracks. Simon Ellis saw me performing somewhere and contacted my Mum for a meeting in London as he thought I had great potential.
That’s how it began with him and myself, talking things over and him writing my feelings to music. Together we made some amazing music that was enjoyed by everyone, but we didn’t have the means to afford PR so some were left unnoticed, a lot of which I believe are great tracks and mean so much to me and would do to others if we could get taken seriously and get more radio play. I’m grateful to Abbott Diabetes Care business for making this current track happen and for DEAP for sponsoring the PR for me and I really hope by getting this out there we can make some money for Diabetes research.
Name me your 3 favourite albums.
I don’t really have favourite albums. I have my music on my Spotify which is a mixed bag, but I guess if I had to choose albums, they would be from artists like Keith Urban, Brad Paisley and Darius Danesh/Campbell.
What was the first song you heard that steered you into a music path?
Darius Danesh/ Campbell. I loved his music as a teenager and always wanted to perform his tracks, my favourites were ‘Rushes’ and ‘Colourblind’.
The music industry is the hardest industry in the world to progress in, how do you feel you are doing?
I’m happy doing what I do and just use my music to support the charities I support, but as for the music industry as a main career it’s not for me. I have met so many people through my music and I know its hard in the industry as I have had offers and meetings etc and from that, I know it’s not something I would like to be in as a career -you certainly get to meet some interesting people!
I’m seeing a lot of debate about women not feeling safe at music gigs, any thoughts on what we need to do to help?
I don’t know the answer to this it’s just the way this world is now but really hope things improve for the better as everyone should feel safe wherever they are.
As you develop as an artist and develop using socials what ways do you get new ears on your music? Any tips?
It’s word of mouth really and among the diabetes community but would love to branch out further as all proceeds from sales of my music are donated to Diabetes research.
Tell us two truths and a lie about you.
I love going to the Gym.
I was a body double in Harry Potter in Order of the Phoenix.
I love sprouts.
Whats your thoughts on Spotify’s monopoly on the music industry?
Well, it’s up to artists not to accept it, but say that it’s a great platform and so popular.
What was the worst experience on stage?
I think it has to be a few years back, myself and my dancers were performing at Bournemouth Pier theatre and the dressing rooms were quite a long way from the stage. We were chatting away and suddenly realised we were being introduced so we had to run on stage already performing as we went as our music had started.
Tell us something about you that you think people would be surprised about.
I’m actually quite a private person and don’t really talk about myself or what I do as I just want to be myself and not Shane who performs, but yes I have performed alongside a number of famous acts and met many famous people. I have been honored with a British citizens award at Westminster Palace for my charity work and I have letters after my name (BCAv). I don’t use the letters after my name although I can but I don’t want to make people think I’m anything special, I just do what I do because it means so much to me too. My greatest achievement was being a warm-up act for Westlife.
What makes you stand out as an artist?…
I don’t want to feel like I’m blowing my own trumpet but I think it’s because of why I do what I do. I also don’t perform that often unless it’s a charity event so people don’t see me all the time.
A lot of artists are always on stage because for them it’s a career, for me it’s just to raise awareness of my cause so it’s very different every time you see me.
I hear you have new music, what can you tell us about it.
My new track is written and produced by Brit Award winner Simon Ellis. It’s inspired by a great guy I met through my charity work, his name was Lynwood Newman. He sadly lost his life to cancer during lockdown so I had not seen him for quite a while before he passed away.
He was the most inspiring person I have ever met and worked tirelessly to help make a difference in the future of people living with Diabetes, I hope I can keep his legacy alive and carry on the great work he did by supporting the charities he supported. The track is about how we meet people in our lives and every person is for a reason, be it good or bad. They all teach us a lesson and the ones who change your lives are the ones you never let go of.
I was lucky to be able to duet with Harriet Bibby from Coronation Street for this as she plays a character with Diabetes.
Talk me through the thought process of the new tune.
Simon Ellis is an incredible songwriter and producer and I tell him how I feel and he puts it in to words. Harriet and myself recorded this in Bradford at Simons studio. Simon has the main input and he asks me if anything needs changing and always takes my thoughts in to consideration, but he’s the main man behind the majority of my tracks.
What was the recording process like?
Recording the track and filming the video was great fun for Harriet and myself!
She’s a lovely girl and we got on well. I loved being up North and seeing the amazing countryside and would love to go back sometime and spend time exploring.
What was the biggest learning curve in writing the new tune?
Choosing PR wisely is what I have learned from this experience, we were let down with what was supposed to happen so that’s why we are re-releasing and doing our PR through Ditto. I won’t go into details but we learned a lot!
Would you change anything now it’s finished?
I was worried that maybe I should be in a higher key on the track but Simon said no and he’s a professional so I trust him.
Is there anything else you would like to share with the world?
I would love to promote Pop 4 Diabetes which is the not for profit organisation that I am the director of. Please like our Facebook page and support what we do. Each year we hold an Annual Charity Ball and always have celebrities there supporting us. It’s always a great night and this year we are celebrating 25 years of one of our charities(DRWF) so its going to be special with some fantastic entertainment and amazing home cooked food, details are on our facebook page: