Shelley Segal Interview

new single Mother from Melbourne singer-songwriter Shelley Segal simultaneously tugs at the heartstrings and awes with warmth. A stirring ode to Shelley's own mother, Mother is also accompanied today by a sentimental music video featuring footage of Shelley with her mum that perfectly complements the raw and beguiling new track.

 

Showcasing Shelley's lead guitar finger-picking and haunting vocals alongside a captivating mix of strings, lead violin, trumpets and electric drums, Mother is a powerful and honest outing that also affirms Shelley's own eclectic musical influences, ranging from Ani DiFranco to Ben Harper, as well as more recent inspiration from Phoebe Bridgers and Tiny Ruins. And while Shelley's enchanting sonic stylings permeate every corner of her latest single, it's also her genuine reflection of her relationship with her own mother and herself that beats at the sublime heart of Mother, as Shelley elaborates, "The start of the song came to me when I walked past my bedroom mirror. I caught my reflection in the corner of my eye and my first thought for a split second was that it was my mum. I'm not sure what it's like for everybody else, but for me - some days I see myself and my body and I feel great, other days I may have negative thoughts or focus on things that I don't like rather than see the whole image. When I thought for a microsecond that it was my mum who I was seeing, I realised how differently I viewed the image and how external some of those negative thoughts must be because when the same image is projected in my mind as her, I saw and experienced something completely different.

 

"Now in my mid-30s I'm finally starting to see and appreciate the ways in which I am truly like my mother," Shelley continues. "In character, in my looks and my body, in the way I laugh, my personality. All these qualities I am now able to appreciate in myself through this new lens because I appreciate them in her. I would never accept those hateful messages if they were directed at her. So, I have reached a point in life where I am immune to these harmful ideas. I will no longer accept, absorb, or give power to these messages when directed at myself since I now see her in me. Her beauty is undeniable, and carrying her beauty myself, means that my beauty is undeniable as well."

 

A family affair both in the studio and on camera, Shelley co-produced Mother with her husband Rob J Robertson (Humans As Animals), with many of her nearest and dearest also co-producing, and her father Danny Segal appearing on violin and friend Kelly O'Donohue (Vance Joy) on trumpet. And creating the accompanying music video for Mother with creative powerhouse Lex Giana, the end result of the heart-warming clip will hit you right in the feels with actual footage of Shelley and her mother also featured throughout the video. "The goal of the music video is to express the journey to unbreakable self-love, through the love that I have for my mother, from insecurity, self-doubt and self-criticism to freedom and joy," shares Shelley of the brand new Mother music video. "Throughout the video clip there is old footage of my mother and me from when I was a child. It was very special to be able to include these precious moments with my mother, I feel very grateful for the unconditional love I have experienced."

 

Starting her musical journey at an early age, performing in her father Danny's wedding band as a pre-teen and writing original material before releasing her first self-titled EP in 2009, Shelley has spent 10+ years on the US touring circuit, and the last seven of those years based in Los Angeles firmly spreading and galvanizing her creative wings. Establishing a strong foundation working across a broad range of styles since day one, Shelley has gone on to work with a dazzling array of artists over the years while also racking up millions of streams worldwide, including creating music for documentary Transmission Love, working as a publisher for Prince Chapelle on his Billboard #1 charting song with NCT 127, working and touring with Vanessa Amorosi at her independent label Scream Louder Records, and landing sync deals with major networks, including HBO MAX, Peacock, Riot Games, NFL and more. Shelley's diverse yet powerful skillset has also seen her appear in Germany in 2022 to perform her new work Murtadd at the Celebrating Dissent Festival, alongside work on German artist Betül's Eurovision contending song and creating an English version and video for Shervin Hajipour's Grammy Award-winning protest song Baraye, supporting the Mahsa Amini protest in Iran.

 

Pivoting during the pandemic to opening her own studio and production house Secret Sauce with good friend and collaborator Prince Chapelle, Shelley is set to return to Australia this September for some special performances, while also working with Music To Life to develop her conservation-themed program The Watershed; a multi-disciplinary project geared at inspiring environmental activism. As one of 10 selected in a national cohort of music-changemakers with the American non-profit, Shelley's 2023 dance card continues to burgeon; but it's her latest single Mother that ultimately offers fans a chance to intimately step into Shelley's sensational world; and it's a moment equally special for Shelley, as she concludes, "This song has been a long time in the making. Being a tribute to my mother and her incredible beauty (inside and out!) is very meaningful for both of us and it's so special to be able to release the song for Mother's Day."

 

Mother is out now

 

Shelley Segal Interview

 

 How would you describe your music?

While I loved the upbeat pop that got everybody dancing, the songs that always moved me the most were more folky, singer songwriter, story-telling type of songs. Songs that were lyric-focused and pushed me to think about things in a different way and that inspired me a lot in my own writing. I play an acoustic, nylon string guitar and accompany myself so that is really the core of my sound.


Can you tell us about your new single Mother?
Mother is a tribute to my mum Jenny and the ways in which I see her in myself. There are so many ways we're taught to dislike ourselves - by the media, society, peers. I think I absorbed a lot of that messaging growing up. I'm in my mid 30's now and I'm really starting to see and appreciate all the ways that I'm like my mother. It makes it hard to see myself in a negative light. I wouldn't accept those messages if they were directed at her and that helps me to deflect them from myself.

Is there a particular message you hope listeners take from your music?
I hope I can create a space for people to challenge the way they see the world. That is what my favourite music has always done for me. I also want to show people that their lives and their experiences are valuable and beautiful!

Do you prefer performing live or recording?
I love both so much! Before the pandemic I was touring 6 months out of the year. When everything shut down, I had to pivot and I opened a studio and music production company with my best friend. We now make music together for artists and film and TV.

It's great but I miss being on the road as much as I was. Connecting with folks and really sharing your work and your message in real time is healing and cathartic and tbh I'm struggling without having it as much in my life.

For recording, being in the studio, getting to experiment and try different sounds and voices, creating music and moods with my best friends, there's so much joy and creativity in that. I think you really need both sides.

 Which is your favourite song to perform live and why?
I love performing with my father Danny. He plays the violin and we've been performing live together since I was 11 years old. When we play together, time slows down, it's the greatest feeling in the world. Here is a live video of us performing one of our favourite songs, 'Dance Me To The End Of Love' by Leonard Cohen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10XCczZXzgc

What motivates you most when writing music?
What motivates me the most is capturing a feeling or an idea. When I know exactly what I want to say then it's up to me to find the way to say it as well as I can. The sense of accomplishment and joy when you have perfectly captured and expressed an emotion , especially a complicated one, it's very meaningful and fulfilling.


Which music/artists are you currently listening to?
I'm really loving Big Thief at the moment. I always love listening to Mark Kozelek and Tiny Ruins.

What or who was your inspiration to go into the music industry?
I was very lucky to be born into a musical family. My dad had a wedding band and my mum managed the band so I grew up surrounded by working musicians. It was something that I was just a part of as soon as I was old enough to do so.

If you could collaborate with another artist, who would it be?
I'd love to get a chance to write with Ani Difranco or Mark Kozelek - my songwriting heroes!!
Also, I've already lived a dream collaboration, creating my album 'Little March' with singer songwriter and guitarist Adam Levy! https://shelleysegal.bandcamp.com/album/little-march

What has been your favourite part of becoming a music artist?
That is a tough one!! There are so many rewarding parts. As I mentioned above, I love that experience of capturing the way I feel in a song. It's like a musical diary of emotions and life experiences that I can revisit anytime. I love being on stage and feeling as though I'm actualising my thoughts and life lessons. I love connecting with audiences during and after shows, hearing from folks that a song of mine meant something to them or reminded them of a time in their life.
I love pushing myself in the studio, to achieve a sound I didn't know I could, or be a character I've never been before. I love working with other artists, helping them to achieve that feeling of having a song that expresses the way they feel, that makes them excited and proud and connected to their own artistry. I love seeing my music in films, as a collaboration with visual artists adding to the meaning and depth of each other's work. I need music, it's all I have when I don't know what else to do or say. 


What's a typical day like?
What's great about working in music is there's no typical days! Life can be pretty crazy and I love it! Life on the road consists of early mornings, packing, driving to the next town, setting up/sound check, performances, packing down and heading back to the hotel to unload and passing out all to do it again the next day!!

I have tried to get more rhythm in my life lately though. I get up early and go to the gym, then I usually head to the studio. I might be working on my music or with another artist or on a sync project. Some days I might be heading to a video shoot and or to a gig at night.

What advice do you have for aspiring songwriters or artists?
I would say to love what you do, and do it because you need to, any other reason is not gonna cut it in the long run! Find your tribe, people that you care about and love to work with and build together. Bring value to every situation that you are in! Everything you do and love to do is a skill and you deserve to be compensated for your time and your talent, move to that realization and place as soon as possible. Lastly, don't forget that what you do is essential, it's powerful and important and healing for yourself and the world!!!

What's next, for you?
This year I was selected to be part of US non-profit Music To Life's changemaker program. I'm one of 10 artists in a national cohort where we are supported in creating music programs of social impact. My project is called The WATERSHED. It's a collaborative musical and educational program with Pacific North West science educator Dan Lombardo. The program weaves together informative story-telling, spoken word, visual and musical performance to inspire people of all ages to take tangible action in the environmental fight with a focus on the Puget Sound Watershed and similar Pacific coastal and estuarine systems. I'm very excited to share this project with the world.

 Can you share your socials? (links please)

Website: http://www.shelleysegal.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shelley.segal.music/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShelleySegal @shelleysegal 

Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/shelleysegal 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shelleysegal/ @shelleysegal 

Bandcamp:  https://shelleysegal.bandcamp.com/ 

Triple J Unearthed: https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/shelley-segal 

BandsinTown: http://www.bandsintown.com/ShelleySegal 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3Is6CJbBt3YB6gDxnoNfiE? si=gMFhuPiCQy-DMFP0eR0E3w