Rock and blues singer Shawn James releases his eighth studio album, Passage , this Friday, the 12th .
Previewed by the singles “Icarus”, “My Juliet”, “It's Alright” and “Tired of Trying”, the new work by the American singer emerges as a true rite of passage after 14 years on the road, blending the raw and nostalgic elements of his first album, Shadows (2012), with the experience and level of production achieved in The Dark and the Light (2019).
Unlike the conceptual Western narrative of his previous album, Honor and Vengeance (2023), the new album doesn't follow a script. Instead, Passage functions as a sincere portrait of the artist's recent emotions, delivering a rollercoaster of feelings that travels from mental exhaustion and loneliness to moments of acceptance, hope, and liberation.
In an interview with Wikimetal, Shawn reflected on the current moment in his career, which tracks from the new album could become highlights, and much more.
The musician also commented on the inclusion of his hit “Through The Valley” in the successful game The Last of Us Part II (2020), the reason why his music is so well received by hard rock and heavy metal fans, and his relationship with Brazil, since he will be performing 3 shows in the country in August – information about ticket purchase here. Read the full interview.
Wikimetal: You're about to release your new album, Passage. The title suggests a rite of passage, both musically and personally. Where do you come from and where do you hope to go with this new record?
Shawn James: I'm getting older. I have more gray hair, things are happening in life, and I've been touring for fourteen years now. It's a beautiful thing to look back and see the journey to get here. When I was writing this album, the reason it's called Passage is because each album is like a different chapter in my life. The first album, Shadows, was the first one I recorded alone. It was done at my house, in a small room with a microphone. It doesn't have great quality, but there's a raw magic captured there. Moving forward, now I know more, I see more, and I have more means to record.
I also feel different from fourteen years ago, which is insane. This album is me maturing and looking at life differently with the knowledge I have now. Each album is a portrait of where I am at that moment. This one is the same, it's the progress of where I've arrived. To be honest, when I listen to this album again, it reminds me of a mix of my first album, Shadows, with the album I released called The Dark and the Light. I feel there's a lot of nostalgic emotion from Shadows, but with the production of The Dark and the Light. They are two of my fans' favorite albums. I feel they will be very happy with the direction of this one, because it pays respect to the old and the new.
WM: Is there a central theme that unites the songs within the album's narrative?
SJ: The last album we released, Honor and Vengeance (2023), was a concept album. It was kind of a Western, outlaw cowboy album, with a very specific idea. Before writing the songs, I wrote the story, and then the songs fit into the story. So, when I decided it was time to write Passage, I said we wouldn't have a central theme. Each song has its own independent story. I don't feel there's one big message on the album. It goes in all directions.
The only thing about the album is that it reflects what I've been feeling lately, over the last year and a half. Some songs, like “Tired of Trying,” “Sometimes,” and “It's Alright,” came from a time when I was feeling depressed and sad about things, not feeling good about life in general. These songs helped me release that. Conversely, other songs on the album, like “Headed for the End,” “Peace of Mind,” and “My Juliet,” are more rock-based, more groovy, reflective songs where I'm feeling good. The album, like my shows, is an emotional rollercoaster.
WM: Speaking about “Tired of Trying,” it’s a song that deals deeply with themes like mental and emotional exhaustion. What’s the process like for transforming something so heavy into a work of art that resonates with so many people?
SJ: First of all, when you're composing, you know you're writing a song that will be heard by many people. But I don't think you should think about that while you're composing, because then it becomes the pursuit of a hit or the pursuit of pleasing someone else. The reason it resonates with people is because it comes from a genuine and authentic place. These are the things I was thinking, these are the emotions I was feeling, and this is what I wrote to free myself from those feelings and overcome them.
The process is about remaining honest and authentic, and not thinking too much about everyone else, thinking about myself. When I do that, almost every time, it resonates more with people. They feel that it means a lot to me. It's a challenge when you know you'll be heard by many people, but you don't want to write for them (laughs).
WM: “Icarus” is one of the main tracks on this new album and caught my attention because it addresses Greek mythology, a theme that frequently appears in your compositions. What does the metaphor of flying very close to the sun represent in your life and career at this moment?
SJ: That's a good question, I've talked about this a few times. When people think of Icarus, the first thing that comes to mind is flying too close to the sun, the melting wings, and the arrogance—that he was very confident and thought he could do anything. But what people don't realize is that his story is a little deeper than that. The only reason Icarus put on wings and was flying is because he was trying to escape being a prisoner on an island where he and his father were slaves. That completely changes the concept of why he did it.
There's a particular phrase I wrote that kind of encapsulates this: "if flying means falling, then so be the cost, at least on the way up I found what I lost." I think what that means is: "am I just going to live like a slave and imprisoned, or is it better to be free and take the risk of dying, but being truly free in those moments?"
The way this relates to me in my life and success is through the lens of arrogance. Even though I now have millions of listeners around the world and we tour all over the globe, it can be easy to get carried away by the thought that you're an amazing artist, which I think is reaching too close to the sun. The best way to be is not to think about that and remain authentic and genuine. For me, this relates to my career because I don't want to focus too much on the curse of the modern age: more followers, more streams, more likes. You can chase that and never be happy because there's always more. For me, “Icarus” is kind of about being real and content, and staying rooted in what it is to be a true artist and not just chasing fame and trends.
WM: Every darker, more introspective album tends to have songs that aren't necessarily made for radio, but end up becoming fan favorites. Which songs on Passage do you think will have that effect and why?
SJ: That's a great point, and a big part of what I was talking about a moment ago as well. Some songs just weren't made to resonate the same way, and aren't easily appreciated by many people. But those that perhaps are, I've discovered in my past, are the ones that have a deep emotional connection with me. I'm talking about something heavy, something dark, something melancholic. Immediately what comes to mind is "Show Me the Way." It's the first song on the album and it's about chasing inspiration, chasing the muse, but every time you get her, she runs away and disappears, and you have to find a way to chase her again. Another group are the darker ones like "Tired of Trying," "Sometimes," and "It's Alright." I'm talking about depression, heavy emotions, being alone, and how the only cure is not giving up and keeping moving forward.
In life, the only constant is change, so if you're going through the worst time of your life right now, just keep going. It will change. I feel like these songs will resonate with people because I think they use a lot of music as therapy, and they need something to help them let go and put it into words. I'll tell you this right now, my favorite song on the album is "Burn," one towards the end. It has that emotional weight, but it also has this building energy to it that then collapses. The main melody at the end feels like a liberation, like you're out there in the rain and just loving it.
WM: I found the way you talked about "Burn" very interesting, could you explain more about it?
SJ: I think “Burn” kind of encompasses what I was talking about regarding the album Passage. Burn sounds like me, where I am now, reflecting on myself as a musician when I was younger, and noticing how different I am and what happened. The same sadness I had when I was younger and didn't have this life, the instruments, the tours, or the music, is still in me. It doesn't go away. That's what it means to be human. The opening lines are: “I never thought I’d get to this point where all my dreams came true, and yet I feel so alone even though I have you.”
Despite having all these things, sometimes you'll still feel alone, sometimes you'll still feel gloomy and depressed. I think there's a beauty when you finally accept that and know it's okay to feel those things. “Burn” is me accepting and letting go of trying to control, trying to be happy all the time. That's not realistic. That's not life. One of my favorite quotes there is: “No matter how hard I try, I can't find a divine sign. All I see is what we overcome and year after year, I hope to see the world grow and renew itself, while I stand here and watch the roots around me burn.”.
This directly relates to the current state of the world. We all hope that, as time goes by, we will become better and learn to take better care of each other and the earth. But, unfortunately, the more I see, the more I see us destroying it. I don't know if there's any hope, but I refuse to give up and will always remain hopeful that we can make a difference. I know that was a long answer, but that's the truth. (laughs).
WM: Even though your music is primarily rooted in blues and folk, you have a large following of hard rock and heavy metal fans. What do you think explains this strong connection with your listeners?
SJ: I think it's because when you listen to a lot of blues and folk, sometimes it can be – when those artists perform – it can just be playing the music. In contrast, when you listen to metal and listen to hardcore, there's an intensity with which they perform. They're moving, they're feeling, it's loud, it's intense. I think we bring the intensity of metal and hardcore to a genre that doesn't normally feature that intensity.
I think that's why it connects so much with metal fans, hardcore fans, and heavy music fans. We're bringing that intensity that music has to a different genre, and I think people can find new ways to enjoy something that might not always be their genre, but they can find a way to enjoy it because it has that.
WM: The inclusion of “Through the Valley” in The Last of Us PartI was certainly a milestone in your career and introduced your music to many new listeners. Did you ever imagine it would become such a huge viral phenomenon, especially considering the song had been released years before the game?
SJ: No, I never thought that song would become what it became. And I'll tell you a story, if you have time. I wrote… That was one of the first songs I ever wrote. And it had a lot of meaning for me and a lot of personal connection. And I remember putting it on Shadows, and it was the least popular song I had released on that album. I stopped playing live because at that time we were playing in these bars where people were drinking and having fun and making noise, and they didn't want to hear a sad ballad. So I learned to adapt and play blues music and play more things that would grab their attention.
And I stopped playing “Through the Valley.” So no, not in a million years did I think it would become what it became. Then the game trailer came out, at the end of 2016, so more than 4 years after the song was released. It blew my mind. It became the song I’m most known for. It’s like, how did that happen? It just shows that you can’t judge a song you released if it’s not resonating with people now. And I have issues with that sometimes. I’ll release a song and I’ll be like, “oh, it’s not resonating with people, what’s wrong with it, it’s not good enough?”
And then I realize, looking back, and I remember "Through the Valley." And I think, "Maybe it's not the right time." You have to be patient and let these things find the right people. But no, I don't write music to be popular or famous. So when it happens, it's like an emotion, you know? It's a beautiful thing.
WM: If you could choose any artist for a collaboration, regardless of genre, what would your dream collaboration be and why?
SJ: That's a tough question. Because I listen to so many different styles of music, you know? If you're talking about someone who's still alive, I really like Ray LaMontagne. He makes this darker, more focused music. That's a great question because, in a way, if it's about focus, I'd say Ray LaMontagne. But if it's about the metal side, I'd love to do something with Russian Circles, Gojira, or something like that, in a different and weird way. But yeah, if we're talking about deceased musicians, then I'd have to go with Nina Simone, Bill Withers , or the old blues musicians, like Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters.
WM: Your shows often feature covers, and “Like a Stone” is one of the songs you frequently perform. What makes you choose that particular track? What is your connection to it?
SJ: I think I heard that song a lot growing up, you know? And it's something I knew, but it never really resonated with me. Like, I never thought it was the best, until I got older and I think I saw Chris Cornell do an acoustic version of it somewhere. I wasn't there, but I really would have liked to be. And when I saw him do it, I was like, "this has taken on a whole new life." I'm listening to it in a different way. And it made me have a different respect for it, and it inspired me to pick up the guitar, learn it, and then do my own version.
And it was really only after he died, to be honest. Because often I feel like I didn't just want to do a cover of a song just because it's popular. So I waited a few years after he passed away to play it, out of respect for him. So that's kind of what appealed to me. And also, it was easy to play and easy for me to sing, and I feel like I was close to a similar style to what he sings, so it just made sense.
WM: I always ask musicians about Artificial Intelligence because it's a very widely discussed topic in the world right now, and it raises many ethical questions. What are your thoughts on AI?
SJ: I think if it's being used in any way for creative artistic purposes, it's wrong. But I think as an assistant and as a tool for everyday things, or thought processing, jotting down your ideas or summarizing things, I think it's an incredible tool. There's a lot of potential to improve human life with it in certain ways, but it's a double-edged sword because it can also hurt and take things away if we're not careful about how it's being used.
And I'm also disappointed and disgusted that she uses the creations of real artists to learn from and create from them. I think that's just wrong. There are good and bad things like anything in life, but I think as a tool, used with the right kind of method, it's amazing. But anything in the artistic creative form, or trying to pretend it's real and using AI to create, forget it, I hate it.
WM: Many of your songs deal with mortality, the weight of our choices, and what we leave behind when we're gone. Looking to the future, what feeling or message do you hope your music will leave for future generations?
SJ: I hope it can encourage people to find hope and keep going. In my life, I didn't grow up in the best way. I had many difficult moments. I had many losses, deaths, illnesses, and complicated times. And I think the only thing that kept me going was music and my love for it. And I think it doesn't have to be music for everyone, it can be anything. It can be martial arts, cooking, hiking, anything.
But I think everyone needs to find something. And I just hope this gives people inspiration and hope to keep going and pursue their dreams, because I never thought I'd get this far. And I also hope it helps people feel something deeper and inspires them to do what they want, to find meaning in life, and to find reasons and purpose to keep going. That's the most important thing to me.
WM: You're coming to Brazil in August, but you've been here twice before. You've had the chance to experience a bit of our culture, and has that influenced your artistic perspective?
SJ: I think the curse of touring is that it's beautiful, you travel to all these places, but the reality is that you don't really have much time. But in the past, we've had a few days off here and there in Brazil. In São Paulo, we had a lot of free time. We had some time off in Rio, we had some time in Minas Gerais. I think being able to see the nature of Brazil is one of my favorite things. The countryside, the beaches, the forests, and the real nature, you know. But the cities are beautiful too, I liked São Paulo, especially Pinheiros and some other neighborhoods. One of my favorite things we could do when we were there is that we had a few days off, so some people recommended some local places playing authentic Brazilian funk, a bit of bossa nova, and other things.
So we were able to see it in small, live locations, and it was absolutely beautiful. And the food, don't even get me started. We loved feijoada, we loved so many different things. We're looking forward to going back and hopefully we'll have a little more time to explore. But my favorite thing about Brazil is the people. The connection with them, the community you have, and the passion of the people is incredible. And it's unlike any other culture I've seen in our travels around the world. Brazilians are a different group. So we loved it. We can't wait to go back.
WM: Could you send a message to your Brazilian fans and tell them what they can expect from these upcoming shows in August?
SJ: Absolutely. My name is Shawn James, and we're coming back to Brazil in August, and we're really excited to see you all again. The shows in the past have been incredible, and we have a new album. You'll hear a lot of new songs, but we'll also play old stuff and classics that you love. We love making the setlists a journey through our entire discography, so you can check out a little bit of everything. And I think they'll be magical nights that we can remember forever and have a great experience. So, see you soon.
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