Simon RushworthNewcastle’s witch-pop sensation Shannon Pearl headlines The Cluny in December with a show dedicated to Pan — packed with folklore, female power and the sound of the North East’s most enchanting new voice, Simon Rushworth reports.
When Shannon Pearl steps onto The Cluny stage on December 11, it will mark a first — and a homecoming. “It’s the first time I’ve done a headline show at The Cluny,” she says. “I’ve played there lots of times in support of other people and I love the venue. The people and staff there are lovely. But it’s just different, isn’t it, headlining it yourself?”
For the Sunderland-born singer-songwriter, whose star has risen rapidly over the past year, this show is a milestone. “I’ve got some of my friends on the bill — Chloe and the Brainwaves are my pals from college and they’ve always been really supportive of us,” she says. “It’s nice to be on the same bill as Chloe — she’s a powerhouse woman. I like to support female musicians. And we’ve also got Dikajee, who is a witchy woman. So we like to showcase the witchy people too if we can.”
That sense of community runs through everything Shannon does. Her headline performance will be dedicated to Pan — the pagan god of the forest. “Pan is sort of the watcher of the woods,” she explains. “He traditionally has appeared in many forms — sometimes with hooves and horns, part man and part goat, a bit devil-like. In other traditions, he looks like Jack in the Green or the Green Man. It’s going to be full of foliage, full of folklore, and a little bit more theatrical than my normal performances. I’m really excited for it.”
The performance will also tie in with her new song Stag Man, inspired by the same myth. “It’s all about the personification of frustration and sort of masculine energy and anger and aggressiveness,” she says. “As a girl, I don’t get to show that much, so to have a song that releases all of those things feels powerful. It reflects some of the attributes of Pan, and I thought I’d just throw it in there to tie it all together.”
A practicing pagan for more than a decade, Shannon has built her artistry on her spiritual connection to nature. “It’s very much been interwoven into my family tree,” she says. “Some generations missed it, some picked it up again — I just happen to be one of the generations that have reverted back to traditional pagan beliefs. It’s something that makes me feel grounded and I like to offer that to other people.”
Her invitation to newcomers is simple. “If people want to get into what I’m into, you just start with one interest,” she advises. “Say you’re interested in Pan — you’d just research that story. There are great books by Ronald Hutton and loads of lectures on YouTube. You start with one point and expand your mind. Then you find people who practice near you. I offer Moon Circles and retreats and all sorts of things to do with it. It’s about finding ways to be more connected to nature and the earth because that’s all paganism is, really.”
It’s also the spirit behind the Shannon Pearl project — her musical alter ego that took shape only two years ago. “It’s mad because for me it feels longer,” she laughs. “I’ve carried all of this energy and music within me for a long time, and to finally have an outlet where people can connect to it — it’s amazing.”
That connection is spreading fast. Her viral kulning performances — inspired by Scandinavian herding calls — have clocked up millions of views and drawn praise from music icons like SZA, Dave Stewart and Imelda May. “When I did it on the internet, everyone loved it,” she says. “The kulning went viral. People said it sounded like fairy music, so I called my first EP Fae Fälla, which means ‘fairy trap’ in Swedish. The new one, Fae Fälla Part Two, comes out on Winter Solstice — December 21.”
That date holds deep significance. “The winter solstice marks the return of the light. It’s basically celebrating being alive and I think that’s enough, isn’t it? We’re all breathing!”
Shannon’s spiritual practice has also found a home at The Glasshouse in Gateshead, where she’s running sold-out soundbaths and wellbeing workshops. “Oh my God, it was amazing,” she says of the first event. “There were 60 people, which is the biggest soundbath I’ve ever done. We had all the incense, the vibey lighting, my giant gong and drums laid out. Everyone had a really good, relaxing hour while I sang and drummed, and John [Timney] played guitar. It turned out amazing — the feedback’s been excellent.”
Each of her soundbaths is themed around the elements. “There were four sections — water, air, fire, earth — and earth was last on purpose to ground people again,” she explains. “It’s all about reconnecting people with themselves and nature.”
Shannon’s creative year also included a sold-out show in Newcastle’s historic Victoria Tunnel on November 14. “Singing in strange places has been the theme of my whole life,” she laughs. “I’ve recorded EPs in caves in the Lake District because of the natural reverb, so a tunnel under the city felt perfect. There’s lots of storytelling in my tunes — it was less a gig and more a performative experience. The tunnel lends itself to that completely.”
Beyond music, Shannon’s vision is ever-expanding. “I’d love to sing for film — that’s a huge dream,” she says. “People online are always like, ‘You should be on the new Lord of the Rings film!’ and honestly, I’d love that. I’m always keeping an eye out for sync opportunities.”
Next year promises new releases and even more range. “There’ll be single releases until autumn,” she says. “I’m sitting on a goldmine of brilliant work that I’m really proud of. The next EP is called Wild Folk. It’s more folky — going back to my roots — because I don’t believe in genre. I think you should just do what you feel, because that’s where the magic is.”
Shannon laughs when she describes herself as a musical chameleon. “I couldn’t imagine sticking to one thing. There’s so much to be explored,” she says. “If something comes into my head and it’s K-pop or something wild, I’ll just do it. I trust what’s given — and it’s working so far.”
Shannon Pearl: creative, grounded and unafraid to cross boundaries. “A lot of people identify with what I do and the way I work,” she says. “It’s cool to bust the norms and make new ones — make new traditions.”
Tickets for Shannon’s Cluny headline show are available here.
All images by Adam Kennedy