“Shawn Z. has an unvarnished vocal suited for Americana and an unpretentious yet thoughtful way of looking at things.” – Amplifier Magazine – May 2005 “He talks funny, can’t dance, And he owes me money.” – Todd Snider – Singer/Songwriter and Traveling Gypsy “After listening to the cd, I found myself entertained. Shawn’s love for Americana is obvious!” – Ryan Hoffer, A&R – Shut-Eye Records “Shawn Z could very well be the long lost son of Steve Earle.” –
NEPA Today – www.nepatoday.com Currently in rotation on Americana and NPR stations across the US, including Sirius XM Satellite Radio. Shawn Z. fits the bill of rock, country, folk and humor all in one. Presenting a mixture of stories and songs designed to awaken the slumbering subconscious of any crowd. And his debut record titled Wishful Drinkin proved it.. And his follow up record “Saint Jude Avenue” continues that path. He’s written songs with some of the best songwriters in country and rock and he’s only getting started. “I guess being famous and well known started off being important, But over time I’ve found that fame isn’t nearly as much of a focus as doing something significant with my music or my songwriting.
Not that it’s significant yet, but at least I’m getting there… I think.” Perhaps not surprisingly, the national exposure has opened doors nationally for Shawn that are nearly unheard of with an artist who has no record label support, Management or Publicity team. “i’m just trying to open my heart and not be a coward about what’s in there. that’s how i make my living. i tell the stories that i know.. and if you learn from them, that’s your own fault. music is fun for me.” Shawn performs nearly 200 shows a year, insisting he continues to write songs so he can play them in front of an audience. “Inside my own little musical concert act is where I most like to be. And I stay in that place all the time, not just during the show. And that’s part of it – That’s more than any of it to me, living out these songs and stories. The songs and records come when they want to, but the show never has to stopâ€.
His records contain songs about optimism, compassion and the ache and humor of aging in the struggle to find something meaningful. It’s about never being too old to learn how to feel new things. It’s about song and dialogue and cigarette smoke and, ultimately, redemption (and, yes, the word is chosen carefully).
Website: http://www.shawn-z.com