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Since his emergence onto the Toronto music scene, Shawn Sage has established himself as one of the city’s finest new singer-songwriters. Beginning with solo acoustic performances at open stages, the response to his songs was immediate. Shawn’s songs with their sharp melodies and insightful, often sardonic, lyrics instantly struck a chord with listeners.
“When I first heard him,” says Michael Marian (musician, co-founder of Coffeehouse.ca), “I thought he had to be doing covers.” Listeners couldn’t believe that a kid in his twenties could write such sophisticated and well-crafted songs. After his short sets at open stages, people would ask him who wrote the songs he had just performed and were surprised to hear that they were originals. Listeners would compare him to artists like Bob Dylan, John Prine, Tom Waites and Neil Young.
In addition to his strength as a songwriter, Shawn is in possession of a strong voice that can convey the emotional depth of his lyrics. Surprisingly raspy for a non-smoker, he can sing in soft, breathy tones for the heartbreak ballads, as well as rough and gritty for the more raucous stuff. His range as a singer is fortunate for his eclectic nature as a songwriter.
“(Shawn Sage is) versatile,” says Gary 17, publisher of TO Nite Magazine. Due largely to this versatility and his eclectic nature, Shawn Sage is a very unique singer-songwriter. As a result, he is more than capable of entertaining crowds in almost any venue - whether it is a folk coffeehouse, a punk dive, or a blue collar pub. He puts no boundaries on himself as an artist, so the audience can easily free themselves of any of theirs. Shawn has played killer shows at venues as diverse as The Free Times Caf and Zen Lounge. Along the way, he has gained many new friends and fans and earned a reputation as a fine singer, songwriter and entertainer.
Currently working on his debut album, ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS, Shawn continues to play live and write songs, continually improving and growing as an artist and musician. ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS will contain many fan favourites and could prove to be a classic. The album is being produced by King Kong Girio, who records and plays bass with Microbunny and Tamara Williamson and has produced several acclaimed albums for artists such as The Kingpins, Cheap Suits and Gerry LeBlanc. As well, many artists have volunteered their services to play on the album because of their respect and admiration for Shawn and their love for the songs.
Indeed, ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS will be an impressive collection of songs. The album takes its title from the first line of the crowd-pleaser, “Marijuana & Alcohol,” a song with a simple statement about good times and friendship that has people singing along to its infectious chorus even after hearing it for the first time. The light-hearted tone of songs such as “Marijuana & Alcohol” is countered by dark, poignant songs with themes of loss and regret, such as ‘There’s Another Man,” “She Don’t Want My Eyes On Her,” “Anyway, Anyhow,” and “Cheap Seats.” Songs more in the spirit of “Marijuana & Alcohol,” include the improbable, flamenco number, “Sparrow,” the uplifting “Everything I Got,” the 50’s-style rock n’ roll of “Rock N’ Roll Fever,” and “The Meaning Of It All,” a song that manages to be funky and light-hearted while still name-dropping Socrates, Jesus Christ, and Sigmund Freud. Falling somewhere in between are the bitter-sweet “Caught In The Middle,” the retro-pop, love song “You Got Me” and the darkly comic, drunkard’s lament “Homesick.”
Praise for Shawn’s music is easy to find within the Toronto music scene. “Shawn is a brilliant songwriter,” says Sebastian Agnello (Seb), singer-songwriter and member of the popular 60’s band The Lords Of London. Seb has added Shawn‘s “Can‘t Play The Blues Blues“ to his live show and is working on a version of Shawn‘s “If There‘s Really A Place Called Heaven” for his next album. “He‘s one of Toronto‘s best young songwriters, if not the best,” says Peter Verity, local musician and songwriter. “He has written the best song ever about partying (“Marijuana & Alcohol”) and the best protest song ever (“Let’s Get Bush Off The Wagon”) says Norman Cristofoli, poet and co-founder of Coffeehouse.ca. Uncle Herb Dale, known as the “Bloor Street Cowboy” who hosts one of the open stages where Shawn began performing maintains that “today’s music needs lyrics like his.” ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS could be the album that establishes Shawn Sage as one of today’s music’s most forceful singer-songwriters.
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| track off Shawn Sage's debut album, ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS. |
CD: ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS
Credits: written by Shawn Sage, produced by King Kong Girio. |
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| track off of Shawn Sage's debut album, ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS. |
CD: ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS
Credits: written by Shawn Sage, produced by King Kong Girio. |
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| track off of Shawn Sage's debut album, ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS. |
CD: ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS
Credits: written by Shawn Sage, produced by King Kong Girio. |
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Shawn Sage
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