Drew and Shannon

Every once in awhile, if you’re lucky, you’ll come across something that’s ultra-rare, ultra-special, ultra-extraordinary. This is what it’s like to be in the presence of the two-time, Grammy-winning production team compromised of Drew Ramsey and Shannon Sanders.
Sure they’re talented. Their music resume proves that thanks to hit songs like the “The Truth”, “Good Man” and “I Not My Hair” (India.Arie); “In My Mind” (Heather Headley); “Turn Around” (Jonny Lang); “Ain’t Nothin’ Wrong With That” (Robert Randolph and the Family Band), and “Dancin’ in the Rain” (Nicole C. Mullen). But, if you’re fortunate enough to spend just five passing minutes with them, you will notice that the secret to their ever-evolving success goes far beyond the arrangement of music chords and the writing of song lyrics.
These two guys are not just songwriters, artists and musicians (Shannon plays trumpet and keys; Drew plays bass and guitar). They are friends. And, in an industry where honesty, integrity and respect can rise and fall just as quickly as a chart-topping single, that is something that you don’t witness often. There are several factors which make them exceptions to the rule: They’ve been working together for over 15 years. They both live in Music City, USA, just a few miles apart. They consider iconic production teams like Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to be great mentors. They mutually enjoy hard rock and old school gospel just as much as contemporary R&B, street rap or down home blues. They revere one another as amazing storytellers and visionaries. And, although they are humbled, grateful and sometimes even taken aback by the notoriety that has come with earning two Grammys and one Dove alongside countless accolades and nominations, they are more concerned with the legacy they leave in their music than the present-day popularity that they may gain from it.
“This has not been an overnight success by any stretch,” says Drew. “We have been working at this for a really long time and there have been a lot of sacrifices a long the way. But, I think what makes it work is that we try not to tell artists what they want. Because we started out working on Shannon’s debut project, we personally know what it’s like for an artist to want to find that particular sound that shows who they really are to the world. As producers, as good producers, that should be the first priority when working with anyone.”
“Chords are letters just like words are,” expounds Shannon. “We don’t want to talk for you…we want to know what language you speak and help you translate it to your audience.”
Are they always this prosaic? This concise? This sincere? Yep. As a matter of fact, sometimes they wonder if, due to the high and often impulsive demands of the industry, if it’s to a fault, but they just can’t help it. To them, being genuine people is just as important as being good producers.
“Because Drew and I co-write together so much, we know it takes awhile to develop a trust,” says Shannon. “Co-writing with someone is like playing football. It’s a team effort with the focus being on simply winning the game---‘the game’ being producing a song that everyone involved can be proud of…today, tomorrow, ten years from now.”
“It takes awhile to get to know the essence of someone,” says Drew. “But it’s when they let you in that you can get a good song. That’s why it’s rare that we will ever immediately jump into the studio with a new artist. Sometimes it takes a few dinners or trips to the record store before they feel comfortable enough to trust us with their thoughts…with their voice. The money or production credit that may come later down the road is a byproduct, not the bottom line.”
So, for them, what is the bottom line? What is the goal? What is the winning objective in this never-ending “game” known as the music industry?
“We remember when we got our first song picked up by a major label,” recalls Shannon. “It was by the R&B group, Next and the song was ‘Call On Me’. We remember when we won our first Grammy. It was in 2003 and it was for India’s second album, ‘Voyage to India’. We remember when we had our first really big R&B hit. It was in 2006 and it was a song off of my first album, ‘In My Mind”. Heather Headley re-cut it. We remember winning our second Grammy. It was just last February (2007) and it was for Jonny Lang’s LP, ‘Turn Around’. And now, we are back on the grind again. The goal is to always top what you’ve already accomplished…to be better than you were before. When you have a good partner that makes it so much easier and for me, that’s Drew. He’s a spin master; a bridge king. I can trust him to come with a different perspective, a deeper insight, another way to approach a concept no matter who the artist, no matter what the genre. But that’s just the thing: I can trust him. If I don’t think of it, he will. If I don’t catch it, he’ll catch it.”
“I agree,” says Drew. “I know Shannon will always be ready to go digging to make something the best that it can be, even if it means turning an idea on its head to get it right. Shannon can sell sand in the desert. When we're trying to convince someone to let us lead them down a new path, I can always count on him to not only back me up, but to take the pitch to whole new level. The whole room will be hugging and high-fiving by the time he’s done.”
A spin master? A bridge king? A man who can sell sand in the desert? All this and they can write, sing and play, too. Really now. At the end of the day, who doesn’t want to work with a winning production team like that?
For interview requests contact [email protected]. For more information on Drew and Shannon’s production skills check out www.myspace.com/drewandshannon or www.drewandshannon.com.