Interview: Shaney Poo
Salute to you on the re-release of your debut album “Touch By An Angel”. What motivated you to release this project again in 2023?
When I first started releasing music I really didn't know what I was doing, at that time I was just enjoying being a new artist on the scene. I only understood how to make the music and how I wanted it to look, I had no O.G's, no manager or label to give me advice or point me in the right direction, I was pretty much winging the whole process.
I also had a handful of songs I didn't include on the album back in 2015 so this time around I was motivated to include those unreleased songs so my full vision would be realized for that album. I also wanted to reintroduce myself to a new audience.
Of all the songs on your debut album, why did you select “POM” to create a music video for?
“POM” was a smash song from the moment we cooked it up. There was this feeling in the studio where everyone just knew how special it was.
Back in 2015 we made other videos to songs on the project like “Been Loving U” and “Girl Next Door”, so it only made sense to do a video for “POM”.
At first the idea was to shoot a performance video for “POM” but then the video took a life of it's own, and here we are today.
Tell us about your creative process for the “POM” visual, which was directed by XdaGod.
Me and XdaGod go way back like rice and beans. We've been working since 2012, even before “Touch By An Angel”. He actually shot and directed most of all my early videos so working with him is always easy. But like I said before I originally just wanted to shoot a performance video but once I came up with the idea of using a green screen, I knew we had to go all out.
The video is about having fun, not taking life serious and just celebrating for no reason. It's a vibe hopefully any age could enjoy.
What’s your greatest memory of the period when you were songwriting and recording the “Touch By An Angel” album 8 years ago?
The best part were the people that were around me at that time. Some of these same people are still around today, but it's still very hard to replicate the same feeling you had back then. So many people inside and outside of the studio contributed to the creation of the album. Like I wouldn't have been able to make “Been Loving U” if I wasn't in love at the time, I wouldn't have been able to make some of the songs if it wasn't for Roosevelt Browns production and I wouldn't have been able to make “POM” without Che Afrique.
There's a lot of people to thank. But the best memory that stands out, was the reaction I was getting from the people who loved the music...that feeling is absolutely priceless.
With “Touch By An Angel” now re-released, what’s next up for you musically when it comes to new music?
The next step is to release my newest album “Alien Priest” dropping April 28th 2023. It's my best work yet in my humble opinion. It's my first album since my 2020 release "Mr Shane".
This album means so much to me because first; the music is dope and second there's a spiritual energy around this project that aligns with my real life experiences. I've always planned to release this album for a while now, I just didn't know when...but now is the perfect time.
Listen to “POM” on: Spotify
Listen to “Touch By An Angel” on: Spotify
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