Shawn McDonald Balances Both While Recording Next Studio Set
by Robert Mineo
Shawn McDonald is not an easy artist to pin down, and the ramifications of that play out in a variety of ways.
Musically, this acoustic-based, folk-flavored, rock-skewed singer/songwriter has folded a few different styles into his mix, including worship, pop and even a slight tinge of hip-hop. This can make for interesting music, but it does make it harder for listeners to get a handle on a still-developing artist.
Lyrically, the relatable honesty projected on McDonald's 2004 major label debut, Simply Nothing, was vital to it being so well received. But the cooler response afforded his 2006 sophomore effort, Ripen, indicates—by his own admission—that he may have gone too far into moody introspection.
And career-wise, McDonald is still reconciling the more flexible creative ethic he enjoyed as an indie artist with the accessibility necessary for the major label act he is now. "I was an indie artist for six years," he states. "I find it challenging to now be a major-label artist. I am taking it as a challenge to do both worlds, since we are called to do the best we can and to follow our heart. I am blessed that [Sparrow Records] still let me be an artist."
Lately this dichotomy is being manifested in newer ways as McDonald immerses himself in the creation of his third studio set, due to hit late summer/early fall. Besides any artistic identity crisis, he is also confronting and/or revisiting, among other things, the balance of studio work versus live work and the requirements to be artistic while considering the benefit of radio hits.
On the first matter, he states, "I was never a studio guy and [as an indie artist] I only recorded one studio project. In an artistic sense it is easy to sound good in a studio, but not so live. Live speaks better because people catch the emotion of the song better, which is hard to catch in the studio. I really try to put emotion in my songs, so I prefer live over the studio."
So far, McDonald has dealt with the paradigm shifts by releasing live sets between his studio sets. The just released Scattered Pieces:Live will fill the gap until the new studio set arrives, and in 2005 Live From Seattle was slipped in the middle of Simply Nothing and Ripen.
He also continues to tour, currently wrapping up spring dates opening for Shane and Shane while spot dates pop up throughout the summer. But he will have to be in the studio for a good portion of the next month or so.
Regarding the second matter, McDonald is not clear on how it will be rectified. A strong radio single like "Gravity" did an amazing job of anchoring his debut disc and cementing his place in the market. But he did not—and does not—want airplay considerations to dictate his subsequent output, especially since it never factored into a song like "Gravity" in the first place.
But with radio support already evaporated for Ripen, he cannot avoid reality. "Just to appease," he says, "that is not how I write. Yet I understand that I want my music to get out and radio is the way to that."
So this seems to be the rub for McDonald though he is not really complaining. God stormed into his life nearly 10 years ago when he was heavily involved with drugs as a manufacturer, a dealer and a user (he was busted twice and numerous pending felony counts could have sealed his fate). After such a dramatic deliverance, proper perspective is easily found amidst the relative struggles and pressures that now color his life.
"I can't communicate how crazy I was," he said back in 2004. "Who I was then and who I am now is like night and day. I was extremely rebellious, miserable and lost. What God has done in my life is amazing."
That amazing back-story, along with recent events like a mission trip to Zimbabwe and a baby on the way, encourages Shawn McDonald to press forward. And they are perpetual sources of inspiration whether or not radio airplay, career maintenance or stylistic shadings are even considered.
"I really am content with where I am," he states. "I can play to 500 - 1,000 kids and it's intimate and I enjoy it and that is good."
