Alt-Rockers SHALE Captures Raw Anxiety In “Shake” And Announce B.C. Tour
Anxiety is a mental health issue that can make you feel very vulnerable. When you feel this fragile, it can be hard to talk about to your loved ones or anyone who hasn’t experienced it. Victoria, BC-based alt-rockers Shale captures the rawness of anxiety in their new single “Shake”, along with new British Columbia dates below.
The song opens with strong riffs from guitarist Adam Baines before vocalist Kiarra O’Connor comes in with haunting vocals that are reminiscent of ‘90s female vocalists such as Tori Amos and Alanis Morrisette. The first verse demonstrates how sensitive people with anxiety feel, physically and emotionally.
“Shake
I’m shaky babe
Don’t touch me there
Don’t feel my pain
Tilting ache
Rather waste my day
Blinking bare
Stern stare”
The vulnerability in the first verse is heightened by the chorus, which implies that they don’t want to admit that they are hurting. They feel stuck, because they want to give up the facade of being okay but they also don’t want to hurt more.
Yet the next two verses seem to show an internal battle of being torn between staying stuck, giving up, and hoping for something better. The contrast is demonstrated by O’Connor’s soft bleak sounding vocals in the second verse that grow braver by the third verse. These verses are given an even greater emotional impact with a brief guitar solo that follows.
In fact, the band confirms the song is about anxiety, specifically O’ Connor’s experiences. “The song tackles emotional overload and anxiety from my first year at university. The song digs deep into the emotional tapestry of overwhelm vs commitment, giving up vs pushing through.”
Without firsthand experience with anxiety or knowing the story behind this song, one might think it was about a breakup. Given that first year university stress is a subject rarely explored in songs, this particular track shines especially bright.
Finally, a notable feature about this track is that it was mixed by Darrell Thorp and mastered by Brian Lucey. Thorp is known for his work on The Foo Fighters’ recent album, while Lucey is known for his work with the bands The Black Keys and Cage The Elephant.
Shale formed in 2019 when drummer Michael Voytash and keyboardist Rowan Hensley served as theater technicians at Edward Milne Community School for a production of Grease and saw O’Connor’s leading lady performance of Sandy.
After recording their first EP Wither, they released their first single “To The Ground” in 2022. It would be streamed more than 4,000 times in five days. They would soon follow that with three more singles, “Get Lost”, “Held Up’, and “Wither”. The single “Get Lost” would be accompanied by a black and red music video that serves to heighten the somber and bittersweet mood.
Only one year after the release of their debut EP “Wither”, they have made a global impression, streaming to fans in over 60 countries and racking up over 40,000 streams. Now, the cathartic moodiness from Wither has carried over to their most recent single “Shake”, which signals the band’s newfound hope.
Listen to “Shake” below and learn more about Shale via our mini-interview.
Introduce yourself:
We are Shale:
Kiarra O’Connor – Vocals
Adam Baines – Guitar
Rowan Hensley – Keys
Breanna Montague – Bass
Michael Voytash – Drums
Shale presents a vintage flair and sultry style that carves a new groove in the vinyl of alt-rock. Silky smooth guitar and keyboard riffs are reminiscent of The Doors, Cage the Elephant, and Wolf Alice. Lyrical melodies from the voice of a post-grunge angel are backed by a thunderously precise rhythm section.
Supported on stage by a tophat-wearing tiger, Shale’s live shows are a maelstrom of energy the likes of which are seldom seen outside of metal. Drawing on the stage presence of David Bowie and Freddy Mercury, Shale rarely shies away from the dramatic. You have been warned.
Rising from obscurity, they have shared the stage with Juno-award-winning band Monowhales, and world-touring Red Rum Club, and rocked the hall at a TEDx event. Meticulous, dark, and deliberate, Shale embodies a sound you won’t be able to resist. Only one year after the release of their debut EP “Wither”, they have made a global impression, streaming to fans in over 60 countries and racking up over 40,000 streams. Shale was crowned the Zone @91.3’s Band of The Month with the release of their latest single “Shake”, which you can hear blaring on the radio stations throughout Victoria.
Process of writing/recording Shake:
The song formed during Kiarra’s (vocals) first year of University while she was fighting intense anxiety and emotional overload. “I laid on my back, blankly looking up at the ceiling, feeling an internal shakiness towards my day-to-day when the premise for Shake hit me. I took a break from studying, grabbed my guitar and songbook, and wrote out the lyrics and guitar hook that would one day evolve into “Shake.” I took the idea to the rest of the band, and everyone added their own flare. The song transformed from an acoustic singer-songwriter style piece into the hard-hitting rock song that it is today.” We recorded drums and bass at Catalogue Studios with Oliver Hollingshead, who’s the drummer from Hillsboro and a talented recording engineer. We then recorded everything else with our producer Brett Smith-Daniels in his attic, which allowed us more time to try different creative directions and to really focus on getting the perfect take of each part. “Shake” was then mixed by Darrell Thorp (credits include Foo Fighters, Paul McCartney, Metric, Elton John, Joni Mitchel) and mastered by Brian Lucey (credits are The Black Keys, Royal Blood, Cage the Elephant).
What is the music scene like in Victoria?
The music scene in Victoria is fiery, unstoppable, and up-and-coming. Filled to the brim with live music and festivals, top-notch recording spaces, and incredible creative minds, it shares a lot of parallels with the Toronto music scene. Shale made a huge splash into the Vic music scene with the release of their debut EP “Wither” and now with their release of “Shake,” they are becoming a household name around the city. Alongside Shale, you won’t want to miss up-and-coming bands like Cold Fame, Wet Future, Posh Coat, Base Collective, Hillsboro, and Faultline, who have all been on big music festival stages like Laketown Shakedown and Phillips Backyard Weekender this Summer.
You’re going on a pretty big tour – what’s the one item you can’t leave home without?
This might be breaking the rules, but Shale has 2 items! Our tiger and our top hat!
You can see our top hat-sporting tiger, Jimmy Tigerious Kirk, at any and all of our live performances. We never go anywhere without him!!! He is going to be the best tour tiger ever.
What’s the one song by a Canadian you wished you wrote?
Picturing Love by July Talk. July Talk is a personal fav Canadian band of ours. We’ve seen them live and they have this captivating stage presence that is hard to describe, but absolutely worth it to see. Picturing Love is punchy, sexy, dark, and groovy, which all members of Shale can get behind. Great lyrics, great vocal tone, and overall a great song to add to a Canadian Summer playlist.
Shale Canadian Dates:
July 15: 39 Days of July Festival in Duncan, BC
July 16: FiLoMi Days Festival in Port Hardy, BC
July 21: Capital Ballroom, Victoria BC, with Quadra Sound
July 22: Sookapalooza Festival, Sooke BC
August 5: Harmony Arts Festival, Vancouver BC
August 24 – Sept 2: BC tour with Cold Fame:
August 24 – Fox Cabaret, Vancouver BC
August 25 – TBD, Kelowna or Kamloops BC
August 26 – Riot on the Roof Festival, Vernon BC
August 27 – Mountainview Brewing, Hope BC
August 29 – The Maq Pub, Tofino BC
August 30 – The Terminal, Nanaimo BC
August 31 – Rainbow Room, Port Alberni BC
September 1 – Lucky Bar, Victoria BC
September 2 – Sooke Music Festival, Sooke BC