Gigmor sat down with up-and-coming electronic/R&B artist Shana Halligan to discuss the trajectory of her career, her writing process, her inspirations, and what’s new in the studio. Shana is an independent, electronic/R&B artist based in Los Angeles, CA. Read up on what is new with her below:
So, first things first, how did you learn about Gigmor. What has your experience with it been like?
My manager turned me onto it. I was originally working with an agent who was laid off from his agency, so I had to go and look for alternatives in the meantime. Gigmor was a great way to do that, to fill extra space in my schedule with gigs nearby. I also had a publicist who recommended Gigmor. It has a good name around town, too, so I just got going on using it.
How did you get started in the music industry? Where did it all begin for you?
I was raised by wolves! I kid – I grew up in a family of musicians. I have been exposed to it since I could talk. I have been singing on commercials and all kinds of things like that since I was a kid, which eventually morphed into songwriting. I tried to go another route for a little while and took a detour from the music; I started working at banks or restaurants or on the music production side of things. But I eventually accepted my fate and went back to music.
What is your songwriting process like?
When I was going in-and-out of record deals, I didn’t write on my own too much. A lot of the time I was singing what others were writing for me, or songs that had already been written. But around the age of 19 things started to change for me. I started sitting down at the piano and writing on my own, and it all took off from there. I started to fall more in love with the music that I could create on my own. That’s where I started to build the craft, and get closer to the sound I wanted. I take a lot of influence from soul and R&B, and I grew up listening to the classics like Sarah Vaughn, Billie Holiday and Grace Jones. I work to focus my music so that it does have a raw sound of something from the past with electronic undertones. I see a lot of artists doing this together: the mixing of the new and old like that. It makes it more about the vocal and the sultriness less than a huge production style.
What artists have been inspiring you recently?
Like I said, I’ve always been touched by artists like Sarah Vaughn and Billie Holiday, but more current artists that I love right now are Flume, James Blake and AlunaGeorge. I also really look up to Marian Hill, or I love their music rather. I was touring with a French band, Morgan Kate, for a while and that was a huge inspiration for me because I tapped into the power of being a strong and sensual woman without comprising your integrity.
You can find Shana Halligan’s newest album, Back to Me, can be found here and is also available on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Google Play. Don’t forget to check out Shana’s profile on Gigmor, here!