Shannon Hurley is an American singer and songwriter. She was born in
South Bend, Indiana
South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total of 103,453 residents and is the fourt ...
and currently lives and works in Los Angeles. She was voted by ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...
'' as one of the top 25 artists on Myspace in 2006. Music from her 2007 debut album Ready To Wake Up was licensed by
Muzak
Muzak is an American brand of background music played in retail stores and other public establishments. The name has been in use since 1934, and has been owned by a division or subsidiary of one or another company ever since. In 1981, Westing ...
and has been played in department stores and restaurants throughout the world. Her music can be heard on television shows like ''
The Young and the Restless
''The Young and the Restless'' (often abbreviated as ''Y&R'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in fictional Genoa City (not the real-life similarly-named Genoa City ...
'', ''
90210'', ''
So You Think You Can Dance
''So You Think You Can Dance'' is a franchise of reality television shows in which contestants compete in dance. The first series of the franchise, created by '' Idols'' producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe, premiered in July 2005 and has ...
'', ''
American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to A ...
'' and ''
Giuliana and Bill
''Giuliana and Bill'' is an American reality television series that premiered on the Style Network on August 5, 2009. It features ''E! News'' host and ''Fashion Police'' host, Giuliana Rancic and her husband Bill Rancic, an American entrepreneur ...
'', among others. Shannon's second full-length album, ''California'', was released independently in July 2011 and her third full-length album, ''The Light'', was released in 2014. She is also producer and main songwriter in the
downtempo
Downtempo (or downbeat) is a broad label for electronic music that features an atmospheric sound and slower beats than would typically be found in dance music. Closely related to ambient music but with greater emphasis on rhythm, the style may ...
duo Lovers & Poets, along with husband and bassist Ben Eisen. Their self-titled debut album was released in 2010. Shannon was invited to be a featured vocalist on "Sun Gone Down", a track b
Protoculturereleased in July 2011 o
Re*brandArmada Music
Armada Music is a Dutch independent record label that specialises in releasing electronic dance music. The name Armada derives from the first two letters of the founders' first names: Armin van Buuren, Maykel Piron and David Lewis.
Signed a ...
. She has since become a sought-after vocalist and songwriter in the
trance
Trance is a state of semi-consciousness in which a person is not self-aware and is either altogether unresponsive to external stimuli (but nevertheless capable of pursuing and realizing an aim) or is selectively responsive in following the dir ...
community. She has collaborated with trance producers such as
Giuseppe Ottaviani
Giuseppe Ottaviani (; born 12 November 1978) is an Italian DJ and record producer. He's best known for his 2019 album, EVOLVER, which included the hit singles Tranceland, 8K, & Panama. A long-time veteran of trance music, Ottaviani is also a me ...
,
Ronski Speed
Ronny Schneider (, born on 18 March 1975), better known by his stage names Ronski Speed and Sun Decade is a German electronic dance producer and DJ.
Biography
Ronski Speed started his career as a DJ in 1997. Ronski Speed was influenced by grou ...
and
Alex M.O.R.P.H.
Early life
Shannon began studying music and singing at an early age. Her grandmother was a performer in
vaudeville
Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic compositio ...
and her mother and aunt sang in several local bands. Shannon learned piano at age 8. Her family moved to
Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...
while she was a teenager. She took up trombone and enrolled at the
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder, CU, or Colorado) is a public research university in Boulder, Colorado. Founded in 1876, five months before Colorado became a state, it is the flagship university of the University of Colorado s ...
, where she earned a degree in music composition. While a student at CU, she composed and published a sonata for piano and trombone. Shannon became the stage manager for Boulder's
Fox Theatre, working with such artists as
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer and guitarist. In 1971, Raitt released her self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums that incorporate ...
,
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of '' Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and ''Stardust'' (1978 ...
and
Julian Lennon
Julian Charles John Lennon (born John Charles Julian Lennon; 8 April 1963) is an English musician. He is the son of Beatles member John Lennon and his first wife, Cynthia, and he is named after his paternal grandmother, Julia Lennon. Julian ...
. Shannon studied songwriting under
Patrick Leonard
Patrick Ray Leonard (born March 14, 1956) is an American songwriter, keyboardist, film composer, and music producer, best known for his longtime collaboration with Madonna. His work with Madonna includes her albums '' True Blue'' (1986), ''Who's ...
, who wrote many hit songs for
Madonna, such as "
Live to Tell
"Live to Tell" is a song by American singer Madonna from her third studio album '' True Blue'' (1986). The song was originally composed by Patrick Leonard as an instrumental for the score of Paramount's film '' Fire with Fire'', but Paramount rej ...
" and "
Like a Prayer". During this time, Shannon began playing in bands around Boulder, including a folk trio named Frieden and the jam ban
Jyemo who toured the midwest and mountain region throughout the 1990s and 2000s.
Music career
After graduating from college, Shannon moved to Los Angeles in 2001. She joined Planet Earth, a tribute to
Duran Duran
Duran Duran () are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer and bassist Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor. With the addition of drummer Roger Taylor the following year the band wen ...
. It was in this band that she met bass player and future husband/collaborator Ben Eisen. Shannon began writing songs, and they toured the grueling open mic circuit of Los Angeles. In 2003, Shannon recorded her self-titled EP and she toured the west coast in support. In 2004, Shannon co-founde
Don't Call Us Tori a showcase for Los Angeles' best female singer songwriters, which included Kyler England of
The Rescues
The Rescues are an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2008. Their music can be classified as indie pop/rock, and is notable for its use of three and four-part vocal harmonies.
History
"The Rescues" were formed in 2008 ...
,
Kat Parsons, and
Marina V
Marina Gennadievna Verenikina (born 3 October 1978), known as Marina V, is a Russian singer and musician. She has released 12 albums and toured internationally, performing over 1,300 concerts.
Early life and education
Verenikina was born to ...
. Shannon also performed as a touring keyboardist for former
Disney Channel star
Brie Larson
Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers (born October 1, 1989), known professionally as Brie Larson, is an American actress. Known for her supporting roles in comedies as a teenager, she has since expanded to leading roles in independent films and blockb ...
, seen on the
Showtime
Showtime or Show Time may refer to:
Film
* ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film
* ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur
Television Networks and channels
* Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global ...
series
United States of Tara
''United States of Tara'' is an American television comedy-drama created by Diablo Cody, which aired on Showtime from 2009 to 2011. The series follows the life of Tara ( Toni Collette), a suburban artist and mother coping with dissociative ident ...
and the film ''
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World''.
Shannon recorded her second EP, Sunrise in 2006. She began to gain a sizeable following online, utilizing social networking websites and garnering praise from ''Rolling Stone'', who listed her as one of their Top 25 Bands on
Myspace, along with notable artists like
The Airborne Toxic Event
The Airborne Toxic Event is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2006. It consists of Mikel Jollett (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Steven Chen (guitar, keyboards), Adrian Rodriguez (electric bass, backing vocals), Daren T ...
. ''Rolling Stone'' called Shannon's music "something you could see playing in a college dorm room of the girl you're making a move on." Shannon's full-length debut ''Ready to Wake Up'' was released in November 2007. The album featured tracks produced by
Guy Erez
Guy Erez ( he, גיא ארז) is a Los Angeles-based songwriter/producer, composer and virtuoso bass player. Born and raised in Israel, Erez moved to Los Angeles in 1992. His songs have appeared in hit movies and TV shows including the soundtrac ...
and Michael Woodrum, and was applauded by many in the blogosphere like the sit
Lyrical Venusand numerous online radio stations lik
KGRLand
Sirius XM Radio
Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. It was formed by the 2008 merger of Sirius Sa ...
The music licensing company
Muzak
Muzak is an American brand of background music played in retail stores and other public establishments. The name has been in use since 1934, and has been owned by a division or subsidiary of one or another company ever since. In 1981, Westing ...
picked up on the album and began playing tracks from it in their thousands of stores, malls and restaurants throughout the world. While continually writing, Shannon performed live and toured with Russian-born singer songwriter
Marina V
Marina Gennadievna Verenikina (born 3 October 1978), known as Marina V, is a Russian singer and musician. She has released 12 albums and toured internationally, performing over 1,300 concerts.
Early life and education
Verenikina was born to ...
and was featured on her albums ''Live at Soundmoves'', ''Modern Fairytale'' and ''My Star''. In 2008, Shannon decided to submit tracks from ''Ready to Wake Up'' to the music sampling and remixing sit
CCmixter inviting fans to cut up pieces of her songs and remix them. She received hundreds of entries, the best of which were released as the album ''Second Light: The Ready To Wake Up Remixes'', which was released in December 2008.
In February 2009, Shannon and Ben moved to
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and t ...
. While she worked on songs for her follow-up album, Shannon was directed to an ad on
Craigslist
Craigslist (stylized as craigslist) is an American classified advertisements website with sections devoted to jobs, housing, for sale, items wanted, services, community service, gigs, résumés, and discussion forums.
Craig Newmark began the ...
posted by local producer Bryan Talbot, who was looking for a pop songwriter with songs to add electronic and ambient beats to. Inspired by the overwhelming response to her remix contest, Shannon decided to pursue the new project. Title
Lovers and Poets the band featured Bryan and Shannon's production efforts, Ben Eisen's bass lines and Shannon's pop songs. Shannon and Bryan eventually parted ways over creative differences, but the project continued, this time as Shannon and Ben. In August 2010
Lovers and Poetsreleased their self-titled debut album, to much critical praise from blog sites lik
We All Want Someone To Shout Foran
Keeping an Ear Out. In October 2010, several tracks from the album were featured on th
ACE Broadcasting Networkpodcast ''The Film Vault''.
Shannon spent three months as a lounge performer at the
Park Hyatt
Hyatt Hotels Corporation, commonly known as Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, is an American multinational hospitality company headquartered in the Riverside Plaza area of Chicago that manages and franchises luxury and business hotels, resorts, and vaca ...
in
Ho Chi Minh City
, population_density_km2 = 4,292
, population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2
, population_demonym = Saigonese
, blank_name = GRP (Nominal)
, blank_info = 2019
, blank1_name = – Total
, blank1_ ...
,
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making it ...
from December 2009 to March 2010. She performed at the Park Lounge six nights a week to packed audiences. While in Vietnam, Shannon watched the devastation of the earthquake that ravaged
Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
in January 2010, and decided to team up with her musician friends all over the world. Together they created Songs For Haiti,
last.fm
Songs For Haiti review a compilation of songs of hope. All proceeds went to OXFAM America
Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of 21 independent charitable organizations focusing on the alleviation of global poverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International.
History
Founded at 17 Broad Street, Oxford, as the Oxford Co ...
, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending poverty and aiding in disaster relief. Songs For Haiti featured many well known artists, such as Peter Murphy, Leigh Nash
Leigh Anne Bingham Nash ( ; born June 27, 1976) is an American singer and songwriter who was the lead vocalist for the Christian alternative rock band Sixpence None the Richer and was also a member of Fauxliage. Her debut solo album, '' Blue ...
and Jenni Alpert.
In April 2010, Shannon and Ben moved back to Los Angeles and once work on the Lovers and Poets album was complete, Shannon began focusing on her follow-up. An early single from this album called Beg Steal Borrow was used in the web soap opera '' Venice: The Series'' in November 2010.
In the fall of 2010, Shannon was approached by songwriter and produce
Aruna
to sing on a trance track she had penned wit
Sir Adrian
and Raz Nitzan. Nitzan had Shannon in mind to sing it after he discovered her album with Lovers & Poets on the music site Amie Street
Amie Street was an indie online music store and social network service created in 2006 by Brown University seniors Elliott Breece, Elias Roman, and Joshua Boltuch, in Providence, Rhode Island. The site was notable for its demand-based pricing. T ...
. The song debuted at Armin van Buuren
Armin Jozef Jacobus Daniël van Buuren ( , ; born 25 December 1976) is a Dutch DJ and record producer from Leiden, South Holland. Since 2001, he has hosted '' A State of Trance'' (ASOT), a weekly radio show, which is broadcast to nearly 40&n ...
's A State of Trance
''A State of Trance'' (often abbreviated as ASOT) is a Dutch trance radio show hosted by Armin van Buuren and co-producer Ruben de Ronde that first aired in June 2001. It is aired weekly every Thursday at 20:00 (CET) and 14:00 (EST). As of Janu ...
festival 500 in Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a Megacity#List of megacities, megacity, and is List of urban areas by p ...
, South Africa in a set b
Protoculture
on March 18, 2011. ''Sun Gone Down'' premiered on A State of Trance Radio (#511) as track of the week on June 2, 2011. On July 4, 201
Re*brand
Armada Music
Armada Music is a Dutch independent record label that specialises in releasing electronic dance music. The name Armada derives from the first two letters of the founders' first names: Armin van Buuren, Maykel Piron and David Lewis.
Signed a ...
released "Sun Gone Down" with an extra mix by Alex M.O.R.P.H. an
Chriss Ortega
This single introduced Shannon to the world of trance music and she became a sought-after vocalist and songwriter in the trance community. Since 2012, she has collaborated with Lange
Lange may refer to:
People
* Lange (surname), a German surname
*Lange (musician) (born 1974), British DJ
*Lange (Brazilian footballer) (born 1966), Brazilian footballer
Companies
* Lange (ski boots), a producer of ski boots used in alpine (downh ...
, Ronski Speed
Ronny Schneider (, born on 18 March 1975), better known by his stage names Ronski Speed and Sun Decade is a German electronic dance producer and DJ.
Biography
Ronski Speed started his career as a DJ in 1997. Ronski Speed was influenced by grou ...
, Giuseppe Ottaviani
Giuseppe Ottaviani (; born 12 November 1978) is an Italian DJ and record producer. He's best known for his 2019 album, EVOLVER, which included the hit singles Tranceland, 8K, & Panama. A long-time veteran of trance music, Ottaviani is also a me ...
, The Thrillseekers
Steve Helstrip, known by the stage name The Thrillseekers, is an English DJ and record producer. His debut single was "Synaesthesia", released in 1999.
Helstrip has worked under the guises of En Motion, Insigma, Rapid Eye and Hydra. He also w ...
and others.
Shannon produced all but three tracks on her second full-length album ''California''. It was released on her imprint For Lenore Records in July 2011. California featured the singles "California" and "Slow Down", both produced by Guy Erez
Guy Erez ( he, גיא ארז) is a Los Angeles-based songwriter/producer, composer and virtuoso bass player. Born and raised in Israel, Erez moved to Los Angeles in 1992. His songs have appeared in hit movies and TV shows including the soundtrac ...
. Shannon's third full-length album, The Light, was released in February 2014. Shannon is currently at work with Ben Eisen on a second Lovers and Poets album and her fourth solo album, both slated for release later.
Discography
Albums
*''Shannon Hurley (EP)'' (2003)
*''Sunrise (EP)'' (2006)
*''Ready to Wake Up'' (2007)
*''Second Light: The Ready to Wake Up Remixes'' (2008)
*''Lovers and Poets'' (2010) (released under Lovers & Poets)
*''California'' (2011)
*''The Light'' (2014)
*''Switch It On'' (2015)
*''Lovers & Poets II'' (released under Lovers & Poets) (2016)
*''New Day'' (2017) (New album by Shannon)
Trance Singles
*''Sun Gone Down'' (2011) (released under Protoculture
In physical anthropology, protoculture is the passing of behaviours from one generation to another among non-human primates. These cultures are very rudimentary, and do not exhibit complex cultural technology.
For example, tool usage is learne ...
featuring Shannon Hurley)
*''My Heart Is Breaking'' (2011) (with Indivision)
*''Lost in Space'' (2012) (with Julian Vincent)
*''I Want to Believe'' (2012) (with Andy Duguid
Andy Duguid (born 16 November 1982) is a German- Scottish DJ and producer. His best-known singles, "Don't Belong" and "Wasted", were included on Tiesto's in Search of Sunrise-series in 2007 and 2008.
Career Early life
And Duguid was born in ...
)
*''Monday Morning Madness'' (2012) (with Alex M.O.R.P.H.)
*''Love Survives'' (2012) (with Tenishia and Ruben De Ronde)
*''Something to Say'' (2012) (with Stonevalley)
*''I Am Your Shadow'' (2013) (with Giuseppe Ottaviani
Giuseppe Ottaviani (; born 12 November 1978) is an Italian DJ and record producer. He's best known for his 2019 album, EVOLVER, which included the hit singles Tranceland, 8K, & Panama. A long-time veteran of trance music, Ottaviani is also a me ...
)
*''Superstars'' (2013) (with Lange
Lange may refer to:
People
* Lange (surname), a German surname
*Lange (musician) (born 1974), British DJ
*Lange (Brazilian footballer) (born 1966), Brazilian footballer
Companies
* Lange (ski boots), a producer of ski boots used in alpine (downh ...
)
*''Summer Always Ends'' (2014) (with Ronski Speed
Ronny Schneider (, born on 18 March 1975), better known by his stage names Ronski Speed and Sun Decade is a German electronic dance producer and DJ.
Biography
Ronski Speed started his career as a DJ in 1997. Ronski Speed was influenced by grou ...
)
*''A Little Rain'' (2014) (with Mike Shiver)
*''Voice in the Crowd'' (2014) (with Misja Helsloot
DJ Misja Helsloot (; born 21 January 1973, in Rotterdam) is a Dutch Trance and Progressive DJ.
In 1992, Helsloot, at the age of nineteen, started to purchase albums and organize his own parties. Mixing music with a friend, Misja worked hard for ...
)
*''An Open Heart'' (2015) (with Hazem Beltagui)
*''Color The Sky'' (2015) (with Feel)
*''Stay (Here With Me) lub Mix Lub may refer to:
* Supremum, least upper bound
* Lub, Oman
* Liga Uruguaya de Basketball (LUB)
{{Disambiguation ...
' (2017) (With The Thrillseekers)
*''A Little Solitude'' (2017) (with Bissen, included a remix by Mohamed Ragab)
References
External links
Shannon Hurley Official Website
Lovers and Poets Official Website
Shannon Hurley on cdbaby
Shannon Hurley on thesixtyone
Shannon Hurley on Tradiio
Shannon Hurley on SoundCloud
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hurley, Shannon
Living people
American women singer-songwriters
Writers from South Bend, Indiana
Musicians from Los Angeles
Musicians from South Bend, Indiana
University of Colorado Boulder alumni
Singer-songwriters from California
Year of birth missing (living people)
21st-century American women
Singer-songwriters from Indiana