Dig The Clams

Music | May 18th, 2016

As a child Shannon and the Clams singer and bassist, Shannon Shaw remembers listening to oldies with her parents, “My favorite things were frat rock, and sad teenager songs. ‘Teenager in love’, ‘Be my baby’, ‘The Wanderer’, ‘16 candles’, stuff like that,” says Shaw, “That was just the stuff that I’ve been drawn to since I was really little--the super-tragic, melodramatic, kitschy songs.”

With a sound reminiscent of The Ronettes, Shannon and the clams have doo-wop influences fused with lo-fi garage rock. “I mean I like all kinds of music, but that stuff is just ingrained in me. It definitely informs my songwriting--even when I think it doesn’t, later I’ll be like ‘damn! I did it again!’” she laughs.

Their fourth album, “Gone by dawn,” was released this past September. “My boyfriend of over five years broke up with me right when we started songwriting, and Cody’s [singer and guitarist] relationship that was going on for a number of years just started to have some major bumps,” says Shaw, “so it was kind of end for end. You get some time lines that are kind of off from each other, which I thought was really interesting.”

Shaw met Cody Blanchard while the two attended the California College of the Arts. They connected while taking a video class. Shaw initially went to school for illustration and has designed numerous album covers for other bands. Both she and Blanchard have hopes of collaborating on a book of poetry and short stories.

Blanchard has also been exploring animatronics. “He gets animatronic toys from the thrift store and he repairs them, you know like Tickle-me-Elmo,” says Shaw, “ but then he’ll pull off all of the fur and put his own fur on, and eyeballs, and teeth over the animatronic doll and he’s got this whole new thing.” The creatures made their debut in their “It’s Too Late” video, and made a small onstage appearance during their record release show in September.

The band not only has a modern-oldies type of sound. They have a modern vintage type of style as well. Shaw attributes her personal style to “making it work.” “Part of it is I can’t find clothes in my size, so over the years I’ve rigged everything, like, I want to wear a 50s prom dress--ok well, I will never find that, so I will just have to figure it out. I’ve always been used to looking at something and figuring out how to make it work.” says Shaw, “Fake it ‘til you make it has been my mantra since I was a little kid, and I use it in all aspects of my life. So I feel that my stage wear is kind of a reflection of that. I’ve just figured out ways to gussy things up, you know it’s just like my regular clothes and then I throw on an apron and put up my hair, and maybe wear suspenders or something--it’s quick and efficient, and it’s always different.”

IF YOU GO:

Shannon and the Clams with La Luz

Sunday, May 22, 9:30 p.m.

The Aquarium, 226, N Broadway, Fargo

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