INTERVIEW: Shannon Vetter Discovers Magic With Every (Spooky) Song
Kentucky's Shannon Vetter discovers magic in every song -- and has a few bangers in store for spooky season.
Shannon Vetter is a singer, songwriter, multi- instrumentalist, and has been recognized as a Kentucky Colonel thanks to their work with the Pete Foundation, using music to promote mental health and de-stigmatize depression. They perform with their band Shannon Vetter & the Sleepless Pilgrims as well as Cam Clark,and Katie. D & the Bluegills. With their latest songs "Low Down Girl" and "Ghost," Vetter marks spooky season – after all, dating in a small town is not for the faint of heart. Below, Vetter explains why playing music is like discovering magic.
Name a perfect song and tell us why you feel that way.
"Simple Twist of Fate" by Bob Dylan. It has a perfect chord progression – 1 to Major 7 to Dominant 7 Major 4 to Minor 4; I love that. And it’s a beautiful story...though like most Dylan songs there’s always at least one unnecessary verse.
What are some of the best venues you've played? Why?
Just got done playing Moonshiner's Ball in Kentucky for the 11th time! I love that festival - tho not a venue in the strictest sense.
There was this honky-tonk called Duke's Indy (in Indy) that was legendary tho – a huge neon sign that said “Shut the Fuck Up!” Amazing fried chicken, a fridge on stage for the band stocked with Lonestars, a banjo in the green room. It was a certain kind of heaven.
How do you manage having a good time at shows, but also trying to stay mentally and physically fit?
Shew, how does anyone stay mentally and physically fit?
This month I’ve replaced my daily dose of political podcasts with classical music - and I try to hit up the gym once a week. But if I’m touring or gigging a lot it gets harder. I just released a song called "Sex, Drugs, Rock N’ Roll and Reading" – that is very much about moderation as an aging musician who on many nights would rather stay in and read in the tub than play a bar.
Do you play covers at your shows? Why or Why not?
Oh yeah! I usually like to keep it to about 10 to 20% covers and the rest originals when I play under my name.
We just finished working up some Dolly covers (RIP 😢) And now I’m working up some Grateful Dead songs for a festival I’m performing at with my wife. It’s important for me to remember and try and channel that feeling I had when I was young and singing and playing for the first time. Learning songs we loved and playing for other people who loved them was like discovering magic. Pure joy.
What 5 albums are you going to make your kid listen to and why?
I have long fantasized about a rigorous rock n roll history course for any offspring I might have. There are so many albums I will play, but here are 5 in unique styles of weirdness, that will hopefully help an adolescent find their way.
Black Sabbath - Paranoid -- A quintessential heavy rock album.
Neautral Milk Hotel – In the Aeroplane Over the Sea – A bit of my teenage self
Scissor Sisters – Self-Titled) – The funnest and gayest album I think I’ve ever heard.
Ramones – Self-Titled – Quintessential punk, perfect for an angsty kid.
Joni Mitchell – Blue –To keep them soft and sweet.
