Shawn Snyder hates these token bios. Glorified. Hyperbolized. Self-Aggrandizing. With the cellophane appearance of third person journalistic objectivity. These bios, what with their “Not since John Lennon†s and their “Reminiscent of the young Bob Dylan†s and the quintessential quote from this or that college newspaper.
Yet Shawn acknowledges the necessary evil of the singer-songwriter bio-construct (particularly on a web page devoted to self-promotion) and woefully consents to following suit. Though he hopes to do so in a more straightforward fashion. Down to earth. At times tongue in cheek. Yet favorable, of course, to the artist in question, with a general confidence and pride in what he does and has to offer, but by no means a narcissistic cockiness.
Having thus disclaimed, he’ll now proceed: “Shawn Snyder’s original acoustic folk-rock is lyric-driven, with an organic simplicity, utmost sincerity, and unmistakable groove†(Beat Magazine, Melbourne, Australia), soulfully blurring the lines between folk, rock, jazz, and blues. Whether treating audiences to an intimate solo-acoustic performance or collaborating with other musicians, his live shows are always impassioned and expressively earnest. Shawn considers among his influences the likes of James Taylor, Paul Simon, Lyle Lovett, Martin Sexton, John Gorka, and Louden Wainwright III.
A relatively recent Harvard graduate (with a degree in religion), Shawn has opted to make the most out of his diploma by pursuing a career as a singer-songwriter. Now twenty-four years old, he has been playing the guitar from the age of five and writing music since he was thirteen. Such early compositions will not be made available for public consumption. Alas.
Only in the past four years, however, with the mentorship of seasoned singer-songwriter Livingston Taylor, has Shawn upped the ante on his own musical endeavors, bringing his songs beyond bedroom walls (amicable, though they were) and to the thus-far receptive ears of others in coffee shops, on the street, at music festivals, and in clubs.
After graduating, Shawn spent 2004 in California’s Bay Area playing West Coast gigs with his mix and match crew of incredibly talented musicians (including mythic drummer Dave Krusen of Pearl Jam “Ten†fame). His growing American fan base has begun to straddle both coasts; he’s played stages in San Francisco and Los Angeles’ hottest singer-songwriter spots (including Gary Jules’ Hotel Café in the heart of Hollywood), Boston’s legendary acoustic venues (most notably, Club Passim), and South Florida’s premiere folk/blues clubs (Chocolate Moose, Luna Star, Alligator Alley, and The Mainstreet Café, to name a few).
With more than a touch of wanderlust (and not without consideration for the current American climate), Shawn kicked off 2005 in solo-acoustic troubadour mode, taking his music international and down-under. Setting up gypsy-style shop in music-loving Melbourne, he managed to “win over the Aussie ear (blank-slate, grass-roots, ground-up fashion) with his distinctive, heartfelt, and homegrown style†(Beat Magazine). In only five months, Shawn obtained quality street press, national radio-play, and an in-the-works distribution deal (for his solo-endeavor Dog Eared Pages); not to mention booking and playing over thirty shows in some of the city’s most respected venues (including monthly appearances at the renowned Manchester Lane, where Rufus Wainwright also performed during his 2005 Australian tour).
Shawn has recently returned to his hometown South Florida for a longer-than-usual stay, and is already eagerly immersed in the local musical sub-sub-culture (a scene he’s only flirted with during his brief homecomings over the last six years, but is excited to find passionately vibrant once its Top 40 layers are peeled).
