Shannon and Natalie
Manorville, New York, United States | SELF
Music
Press
Shannon and Natalie are an acoustic duo with a sound suitable for cafes, places like The Sunset Cafe in Westhampton Beach (where Natalie works) that provide an atmosphere conducive to reading, quiet conversation, listening to the music, or a mix of all three. You’ll want to stick to listening when these two take the stage and sing their often sharp and witty songs about bad relationships and being afraid to leave the house. Remember The Murmurs? That duo featuring Leisha Hailey, who now plays Alice on The L Word? That’s an apt comparison. Except The Murmurs no longer exist, while Shannon and Natalie are very much alive and are playing two shows this weekend - one in Manhattan and another in Long Island. So either way, you really have no excuse not to go.
Friday, Feb. 15
7:30-8:30 p.m.
Eastenders Coffee House
40 East Main St.
Riverhead, NY 11901
Saturday, Feb. 16
8:00-8:45 p.m.
The Alphabet Lounge
104 Ave. C
New York, NY 10009
by John Coakley, Feb 15th. 2008
- The Soho Journal
There is something immediately agreeable about Shannon Hara and Natalie Hughes and their infectious enthusiasm.
Even as the two 17-year-old Eastport South Manor High School seniors fumbled with a sound system as they set up for a gig at Eastenders Coffeehouse in Riverhead last Friday, the attractive pair of Manorville teens exuded a candid charm that kept a full house glued to their every move.
But once the squealing speakers were tamed and the sound levels were set, it was the music that the duo, under the banner of “Shannon and Natalie,” offered that sealed the listeners’ infatuation.
Combining intricate acoustic jazz intonations with a wholesome folk feel, the twosome generates a pleasing resonance that can sooth even the most frayed of nerves.
“They’re like a ray of sunshine,” said Eastenders proprietor Diane Reeve. “You can’t leave here in a bad mood after hearing them. There’s just something about them. They’re young and they’re vibrant and they’re excited, and they are … they’re just like a little ray of sunshine.”
Shannon and Natalie met in seventh grade. Shannon, a deft jazz guitarist influenced by jazz greats Wes Montgomery and Miles Davis, had been studying music since the age of 13. In the eighth grade, she convinced Natalie to take up the electric bass guitar.
Shannon was able to help Natalie work through rudimentary bass lines and, once hooked on the instrument, Natalie stepped her music up to the next level by taking professional lessons. The result is a complex and impressive matching of voice, guitar and bass.
Shannon’s strong guitar skills allow her to hold down rhythm and lead guitar parts simultaneously, which can be like trying to drive a car while cooking dinner. Natalie matches Shannon’s stylish licks with involved bass lines that emphasize and complement each note.
“We pretty much started a band right away,” Natalie said. “It helped me learn, playing all the songs together.”
The songs are a mix that appeal to both young and old. Tunes range from songs made famous by 1960s folk legend Joni Mitchell to the pop rock of Green Day and then over to the sultry jazz of Norah Jones.
Other influences include The Ditty Bops, John Mayer, Dave Matthews, Rilo Kiley, Fiona Apple, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Eva Cassidy, KT Tunstall and Jack Johnson.
The two make each song their own, and while it may be enjoyable to hear old and new favorites performed, it is the girls’ original music that shines brightest from their repertoire. Original song styles run the gamut of the duo’s musical talent but tend to be inherently folksy, likely due to the pair’s match of earthy voices.
Each in the alto/soprano range, Shannon and Natalie have managed a perfect mix of vocalizations. Since neither is an overbearing power singer, the vocal match is seamless, and the two voices become one during harmonies.
But it is the cadence of their voices that resonates with a distinct folk feel. Shannon and Natalie call to mind the soft styles of Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez.
Subject matter of original songs mostly center on all-too-familiar teen angst, which, anyone who has ever been a teenager, or currently has the misfortune of being, can relate to. While song arrangements are combined efforts, Shannon typically creates the initial melody lines of each tune, while Natalie provides pithy lyrics that reflect her feelings about her coming of age years.
“Mostly, Natalie does the lyrics, but sometimes I write them as well,” Shannon explained. “We both switch back and forth.”
A favorite for the pair is Natalie’s “The Girl That I Knew,” which reflects on how fast the years have gone by for the young girl, combined with the anxiety of looking toward the future and dealing with parental expectations.
While both are viable singers, Shannon mostly takes lead vocal parts. The two stick to a melody line and honor every note.
In addition to their musical talent, the two are savvy self-promoters. Their MySpace page, under “shannonandnatalie,” has received thousands of hits. Performance venues include the Sidewalk Cafe, Alphabet Lounge, Border’s Bookstore, Eastenders Coffeehouse, Simon’s Beach Bakery, Village Way Restaurant, Sunset Cafe, and Cool Beanz.
The duo recently landed their biggest gig to date, at The Knitting Factory in New York City, on Sunday, March 9, at 7 p.m. Tickets will soon be for sale online at www.knittingfactory.com.
They’ll also be performing at The Wave in Patchogue on Saturday, March 29, at 8 p.m., during Folk Night, which also features other folk solo artists and duos.
Although they do not yet have an album, song samples can be heard on their MySpace page.
“Shannon and Natalie came on to our scene out of nowhere,” said Lindsey Reeve, co-owner of Eastenders Coffeehouse. “And as badly as we wanted to adopt them, they adopted us, it seemed. They’ve got so much talent and very cool charisma, and it awes me to think where they might go with this.”
At the end of this summer, where Shannon and Natalie are going, is off to college. Shannon intends to pursue a music education major, and Natalie is thinking of a career in either math or architecture. Neither has chosen a school.
The levelheaded duo understand that fame may never come. They’re just hoping to keep their band together, possibly add some new members, and see what comes next.
“It would be great if we could make a living through just performing,” Shannon said. “Not like a rock star, just being comfortable playing music and writing songs.”
By Jennett Meriden Russell, 2/22/2008
- The Press of Manorville & the Moriches
"...The first cover from a youtube duo named ShannonandNatalie has everything I love about the original: the folk overtones classically associated with Simon and Garfunkel and the harmonies in particular. The six-string along with electric bass provides a full sound that is hard to come by with a lot of acoustic covers. Additionally, I really enjoy the female voices in place of Simon’s and Garfunkels’. I don’t post a lot of female covers here, mostly because I think more guys post covers than girls, but their two voices have a really sweet sound that works well with the entire piece as a composition."
http://thecoverstory.wordpress.com/category/simon-and-garfunkel/ - The Cover Story
"...Last weekend we went to Meschutt Beach where we were treated to music performed by two young ladies, Shannon and Natalie from Manorville. The girls are graduating seniors from Eastport South Manor High School. Past venues include The Knitting Factory and Alphabet Lounge, both in New York City, Sunset Cafe and Simon’s Beach Bakery in Westhampton Beach and Eastenders Coffee House in Riverhead. Check ’em out at myspace.com/shannonandnatalie."
6/16/08 - The Southampton Press
"...We need to fit in three more artists, so I’m really not going to blab. Except to say, I was here at 1:00 today, putting this room back together from the summer concert, and the next artist that you are going to see came a little early, so they were jamming on the porch. I sat there listening to them, and it was incredible. Wait till you hear it. Please welcome Shannon & Natalie."
-Dave Dircks, Acoustic Long Island - Acoustic Long Island iItunes Podcast
Manorville's own Shannon and Natalie are home on christmas break from their respective colleges. Our favorite duo will be playing at Finn McCool's Pub, located at 101 Riverhead Road in Westhampton Beach, tonight, Friday January 8th, from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. So come on out and enjoy a great show.
By Patty Cruz, 1/8/10 - The Press of Manorville & the Moriches
...These two talented young ladies hail from Long Island and write quirky, cute pop songs with a hidden layer of depth. Below the surface of their angelic voices lurks wisdom beyond their years. This is Shannon & Natalie's first music fest appearance and it's bound to be a memorable one. - Block Island Music Festival
Discography
Laserbeams EP (2010)
Photos
Bio
It all started way back when Shannon and Natalie were middle-schoolers in a small Long Island town. It was a place where the air was characterized by a faint smell of manure and where the hottest hangout spot was it’s grocery store. However, you wouldn’t find the 7th grade Shannon and Natalie hanging out behind the strip mall. Shannon, who was the only seventh grader around who could play jazz chords on guitar, encouraged her friend from chorus to start playing electric bass. Her friend from chorus was, of course, Natalie. The girls started practicing songs together, and once the band was formed, there was an amazing transformation. Previously known as two girls with the names Shannon and Natalie, they became… (drum roll please)… SHANNON & NATALIE. Instead of hanging out behind the strip mall, they’d be playing for cash in front of the nearest ice cream shop or singing Beach Boys songs to their peers (who’d simultaneously be enthralled and confused as to who the Beach Boys were exactly).
Now, seven years later, these troubadours are still going strong. They progressed from playing open mic nights at the local coffee shop, to booking their own shows all across the state, making their way to famous venues such as The Knitting Factory and The Bitter End in NYC. They started out playing the popular rock covers, steadily branching off into other genres like folk, jazz, and blues, and soon moved on to writing their own songs. Their original songs are what currently hold the attention of listeners, with a sound uniting the modern and old, taking the homegrown feel of folk and adding a playful and hip style to it. In their songs you’ll find tight melodic vocal harmonies, carefully arranged over the instrumentation of guitar and bass (sometimes mandolin and piano), all of which is juxtaposed with quirky lyrics. Basically, at any given performance, audience members are not sure whether to cry (tears of joy, of course), laugh, tilt their heads to the side like confused dogs, or flat out get up and shimmy around the venue. Chances are they will do three out of the four.
Song-writing is done by both members, often Shannon writes the music and Natalie does the lyrics. However, sometimes Shannon writes a complete song, Natalie writes one, they work together on an idea, Natalie proposes a melody, Shannon writes a poem or they just pay someone to do it (joking on that last one).
Temporarily, 300 miles of New York state land have separated the band because the girls are studying at different colleges. They mostly play shows in the winter and summer months, but are completely able and planning on performing around upstate New York during the semester. Despite their distance, they work individually on new and old songs while apart. When they do finally get together, it is like fitting the last piece into a 5000-piece jigsaw puzzle, and some really catchy tunes are produced.
Music video to original song "Afraid of Mike"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ruNMyiyoBc
Live performance of original song "Monopoly Money"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V73cD7ELtWs
Cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IPj6SjhNbU&feature=related
Links
