A Chat with Shane Rennison (12.11.23)
Described as “expressing complex emotions and inner turmoil…”, “heartwarming” and “larger than life”, US-based singer-songwriter Shane Rennison blends various genres in his diverse sound. From his cover singles to original material, Rennison oozes sophistication, innovation and the raw honesty at the core of music. We speak with Rennison about his new EP Nice To Meet You, why he chose to be a musician, future plans and much more.
OSR: What drew you to music? Why did you choose to pursue a career as a musician?
Rennison: In 2018, I dropped out of college and moved back to my hometown in upstate New York. I was depressed, unemployed and had a lot of student debt. I was searching for something to commit my life to but just couldn’t find anything I cared enough about. I tried everything from painting to playing soccer. Then I started thinking back to high school when my friends and I used to rap over beats we’d find on the internet. I remembered how much I loved doing that and how I had a knack for coming up with melodies. I decided it was worth exploring and so I found a beat online, wrote some lyrics and booked studio time in NYC to record what would become my first song. It was called ‘GALAXY’ and I released it under the moniker RENNII. I would go on to release a few more rap songs but honestly, the genre never felt authentic to me.
In 2019, I purchased my first guitar. However, I never had much time to play it. I often would wish that my financial situation could just be put on autopilot for an extended period of time so that I’d be able to just lock myself away for a while and practice tirelessly at the guitar. Then ironically the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 gave me just that opportunity. At the time I was living in NYC but I decided to wait out the pandemic back home in the Catskill Mountains. I purchased a keyboard to go with my guitar and then constructed a practice regimen that included 2 hours of vocal training and an hour each on both the guitar and piano daily. Slowly but surely my skillset began to develop until I was able to write songs that felt truly my own. Eventually, I felt confident enough with my new material to record them with Julian Giaimo and before we knew it we were off and running. That first single was ‘You Don’t Wanna Hear It’ released in 2022.
OSR: You recently released the EP Nice To Meet You. What can you tell us about it?
Rennison: The EP was a litmus test for my team and me as before it we had yet to release a full-length project. It allowed us to understand our creative process and how to work efficiently and effectively with one another. The project itself is a collection of five tracks that I wrote on the piano. Each song represents a chapter in my life.
OSR: What is your creative process?
Rennison: My creative process involves creating a safe and comfortable space in which to allow the energy of the universe to manifest through my being. I surround myself with various tools (instruments) in a safe space and allow whatever energy I am experiencing in that moment to flow through all aspects of my being. My songwriting process is really just a lot of getting out of my own way so that this pure, intentional energy can speak to me. It’s hard to articulate because I’m referring to a phenomenon that’s just beyond our human ability to comprehend.
OSR: What do you hope people will take from Nice To Meet You?
Rennison: Honestly I hope people understand the project as a whole. We created it as one idea separated into five songs. The songs are intended to flow from one to the other so that there is one continuous thread of energy that carries throughout the project.
OSR: If you could change one thing about Nice To Meet You, what would it be and why?
Rennison: To be honest, nothing. We got it to a place where it feels just right and truly timeless. I’m grateful for that.
OSR: If you had to introduce yourself to a new listener, which of your songs would you recommend?
Rennison: Either ‘COLD WINTER’ or ‘GHOST’. Both of those songs really represent my creative identity quite well.
OSR: Why is music important in society?
Rennison: Again music goes beyond our human ability to comprehend. It’s a feeling that resonates with our deepest nature. Through music, we can heal, connect and love one another. It’s a matter of representing pure, unconditional love through all aspects of our material. Once we do that, there’s no telling what positive impact our work can have on the world.
OSR: If you could change one historic event, what would it be?
Rennison: I truly believe everything is as it should be and in the butterfly effect where one small change could have an unimaginable impact on future outcomes. Therefore, I wouldn’t change a thing. Who am I to say what should be different?
OSR: What is your most treasured memory?
Rennison: It’s hard to pick just one but a great memory I have is my first paid gig which took place on Memorial Day in 2021 at the Russian Mule Brewery. This was the first time I felt confident in my pursuit of music. I knew it was only the beginning of something special.
OSR: Which moment in your life would you most like to do over?
Rennison: I hate to think I would’ve done anything differently but I often feel I could’ve done more in high school. I was an above-average student who absolutely phoned it in my last few years. I didn’t go for many extracurriculars and I had various disciplinary problems. I was kicked off my high school basketball team for smoking weed and instead of pursuing a healthy relationship, I chose to engage in meaningless relationships that made me suffer emotionally.
OSR: What can we expect from Shane Rennison in the future?
Rennison: I’m just fully committed to growing my skillset and surrendering all aspects of my mind, body and spirit to the universe so that I may used as an instrument of love. I really don’t know in which way things will manifest but I have every intention to use my platform for good and I’m just grateful for the opportunities before me. In the short term, we have a Live EP called Live at the Outlier Inn releasing on November 24th and a full-length LP set for an early 2024 release so stay tuned!
OSR: Do you have a message for our readers?
Rennison: I just want to thank anyone who takes the time to check out our music. We believe wholeheartedly in what we’re creating and I just hope to help in some way. I’m grateful for this moment and for the opportunities before me and I’ll continue to push this ball forward. Thank you for your time!
Many thanks to Shane Rennison for speaking with us! For more from Shane Rennison, check out his official website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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