We were lucky to catch up with Shawn Smith recently and have shared our conversation below.
Shawn, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?
The first paying gig I ever got was for a small brewery in western Massachusetts. The place had just opened and I walked in to ask to speak to the manager about playing guitar there. I’ll never forget the guy, Ed. He was an Army veteran that always wore a bowtie to work. Most guys can’t pull that off. Anyway, he asked me what experience I had and I said I had played some local private parties (which was a lie) and that I was the best acoustic musician in the area (which was also most likely a lie as I didn’t even know what the music scene in the area was). He asked how old I was, I said 19. He said, “You’re 21. Here’s what I’ll do, I’ll pay you $75 an hour for 3 hours and we’ll try you out two Saturdays next month. If it works out, I’ll have you be the house band every Saturday.
Needless to say I was thrilled to get that much money (back in the mid 90’s) and I played there regularly after that trial month. Confidence got me in, but busting my butt learning enough tunes and getting better as I went kept me on.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’ve been playing music since I was about 6 when I started teaching myself piano. I’ve been a singer as far back as I can remember. I’ve always played by ear. I picked up guitar in high school because carrying around a piano wasn’t a viable option. I co-founded The Sons of Liberty with my co-songwriter Randy and my drummer friend Adam back in 2015. Randy and I had played in a cover band together back in 1999-2001 when we were stationed in the UK together. When we realized we were living close to each other again in 2015, we had both been writing songs and realized we needed each other to finish them off. The Sons of Liberty was born from that. Now we’ve got a solid line-up with Kyle on bass and vocals and Scott on drums solidifying our rhythm section. These guys are a solid foundation for Randy and I to lean on at live shows and when we write original songs. The Sons of Liberty plays rock & blues covers and originals regionally throughout the Mid-Atlantic. We play bars, festivals, private parties and everything in between. I also recently graduated from Berklee College of Music with a BA in Music Production. I have a dedicated studio that I use to record, mix, produce and master our band and I’m planning to open these services up to others. I’ll also be assisting local artists with publishing, distribution, and copyright.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
There are really a few things that I’d say are tied for being the most rewarding thing about being a musical artist. One is performing live. Performing on a stage in front of people and having them provide feedback back in real time is a tremendous high. There’s really nothing else like it. Knowing people are into what you’re playing and dancing, singing, cheering…they become part of the show with you and that makes each show a unique experience. Playing in a BAND is a huge part of it for me as well. I’m a big fan of getting people in the band that are better than me. I learn from all of them and grow as an artist because of what they can bring to the table. Another often overlooked aspect of good bands is how they fit together personally. A great musician can ruin a band if they aren’t a good fit personality wise…and vice versa. Another big thing that is very rewarding is publishing our own music. Being able to write good songs and share them globally through publishing is mind blowing. While it’s true that streams will likely never be enough to pay the bills, seeing that music WE wrote and played has been listened to by people all over the world is a humbling and amazing feeling. The music will be there long after I’m gone.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Get out and support live music. Go see local bands at local venues. Instead of paying $200 to see an international act (and likely be watching a huge video screen because you’re so far away) go spend $20 to see a local band crush it and be able to chat with the band during breaks or before/after the show. Let local venues know who your favorite local bands are and tell them you want to see them there. BUY local band merch and music. FOLLOW bands on social media and share their posts whenever you can. Our band has gotten gigs solely because of how many follows we have on Facebook. Agents and promoters look at that stuff. Organic growth in followers through shares and fans spreading the word help local bands more than you can imagine, and it doesn’t cost people a cent.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thesonsoflibertyband.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonsoflibertyband/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sonsoflibertyband
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sonslibertyband
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9dFepQPigsla80A4HT4oIw
- Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1nb7sT0tcC8I5L7ANbN3n0?si=SkVOeapBQlm47dRNCRxCmA Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/the-sons-of-liberty/1158029870 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/artists/B01LXMRKFI/the-sons-of-liberty