Page 29 - Black Velvet Rock Magazine Issue 109

BV109 pg 28-31 Rews.qxp_BV109 pg 29 11/12/2023 16:46 Page 2

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ans of the hit TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer may be familiar with one of its most memorable
F lines, said by the show's star just before she sacrificed her own life to save the life of her sister: ‘The
hardest thing in the world is to live in it’. These are words which many are only too familiar with at
present as, for many, it seems living in the world becomes a tougher and tougher challenge with each
passing moment, but, if you can be, as Buffy told her sister, ‘brave and live’, the rewards can be tremendous.
And this is something that Northern Irish songstress Shauna Tohill has tapped into with the creation of
the third album of her alter ego Rews, 'Meridians', where she has wonderfully taken all the emotions and
upheavals that life can throw at you and mixed in the remarkable human spirit it takes to face them,
using it to make not only brilliant music, but also, music that can inspire and motivate.
ews is a unique concept. It's not a "I want to try and be able to help people and a difficult way to live life.
Rband. Even though it has a band name, through difficult times, but also help them feel "So, to see younger generations feel that
it is more of a solo project conjured up by the in- good when they have good times and hopefully they have to do that is quite sad, because I feel
credibly talented Shauna. But, if you are unfa- provide a soundtrack which can help facilitate that, when I was younger, social media was
miliar with her work, it's not the most life, because, sometimes, it can be a very hard there, but it wasn't something to live your whole
straightforward of things to explain. So, before thing to go through. We all go through ups and life on and would have to constantly deal with
we delve deeper into the new music, we ask if downs and that's why I do it, and what I hope those things, so, in some ways, it would be great
she would mind explaining to any readers that other people get from it." to see people not do so much social media. To
are new to Rews, exactly what it is. She says that what she gets from her music see more magazines for people to read, or listen
Joining us fresh from the completion of her herself is "a bit of everything you know. Because to the radio more. I know people do still pick up
'Meridians' tour, she tells us, "Rews is essen- I value that connection, I just love it whenever I magazines and read them, but it's not the phys-
tially my little brainchild. It's sort of become an see people resonating with it. It just fills me with ical thing so much anymore.
alter ego now, and I have a revolving door of so much joy to see someone has actually gotten "But then, on the other hand, it is also won-
musicians who come and join me at different something from it. derful that we don't have as much waste by hav-
gigs and events to make it sound like it does on "Sometimes, it does surprise me, the differ- ing magazines digitally, for example, so I think it
the record. I write all the songs myself, but I still ent ways people will read into the lyrics and is about finding that right balance between
do some collaborations with people, because I they'll hear the songs and that it can affect them everything and if you do need to do things on-
really value that connection with people. in a different way to someone else, and I always line, you need to find a healthy way of going
"But it works a bit easier for me to do it this find that amazing and very interesting to see about it.
way and a bit more fluid, because I've got lots what different things people come back with. "For me, I now schedule a lot of things, so I
of good musician friends who can just jump in And again, that creates that connection between set a time and a day to create lots of content,
when needed while being able to do their own me and the person who listens to my music. and then I schedule it to go out when I want it
projects, so there is no pressure on anyone "But also, on a non-connection basis, I find to, which means I can live my life and enjoy the
else. It just makes it a more creative and fluid the creative process, I just love being in that little moments that come with it rather than being on
environment for me. headspace. If it's just me writing on my own, I my phone all the time, because I really value the
"It's a very high energy thing, but it's not ex- really value that time, getting lost in a flow of time I spend with the people in my life."
actly a band; it's my own thing, but, when you music, and, for me, that is a very beautiful place
go and see it live, it's a band." to be, and I enjoy that moment, so that is an- e ask our songstress what world she
Having mentioned she writes all her songs, other reason why I do it." Whopes she will leave behind, both per-
we feel it is important at this point to also ad- "Musically, the things that drive me, I'm quite sonally and musically, and what she hopes she
dress how much of the music you hear when an ambitious person anyway", she tells us. "I might be remembered for in years to come.
you listen to Rews away from a live show comes suppose, a lot of what I said before, about how “I'd like to just make sure whatever music of
from her own hands as well. "The only thing I good relationships with people, have happiness mine is left behind continues to inspire people
don't play is drums," she tells Black Velvet. "But, and be able to talk about things openly and hon- to do what they love and add a little positivity to
I do write some of the drum parts and I can play estly. Those are the kind of things which really life, which can often be a little up and down.
the drums, but I think, for the record, I'm not as drive me as a person, and also with my music. And, I suppose, I also want to inspire more
good as those who I've had come in and play "From a music point of view, I also love women,and people who identify as women, to
for me on the record. And, while I hope I will get songs that have slightly different chord se- feel empowered in the musical world, and I hope
there eventually, it's nice having other people in- quences and make the hairs stand up on the that it continues to be more equal, in time."
volved, because I do really enjoy collaborating back of your neck. Those kind of songs that I Her last words bring to mind another lyric in
with others. hear and wish I had written them myself and that the song of, 'Crossing your borders', so we ask
"But everything else you hear is me!" will drive me to think about certain chord se- of the kind of borders she would like to see
quences in my future songs in the hope I can brought down in the future.
hat explained, we turn to the songs to achieve that myself." "I think, generally, just acceptance across
Tbe found within the new record and the The album’s opening track, 'The World That the board for people who are maybe a little dif-
many themes and emotions it contains. 'Breathe You Left Behind', contains the simple, but ferent. The thing is, the people who are in the
Into Me' was one of several songs released as thought-provoking question, ‘Is this the world minority are sometimes the people who get
singles in the build-up to the album launch. With that you left behind?’. We ask Shauna for her overlooked and their voices aren't heard as
the lyric, ‘Everything I do, I did all for you’, we thoughts on the world that this generation is loudly, and I think it is important to fly the flag for
ask why Shauna does what she does, who it is leaving behind. anyone and maybe there are groups who don't
for and what she gets from it herself. She responds by telling Black Velvet, "It's have their voices heard.
"Music, for me, is a therapy, I guess, in difficult to tell, isn't it? Because sometimes, we "So, I do think if everyone was a little more
many ways," she replies. "The main reason why get so stuck in our own ways and the way we accepting of everyone, regardless of what their
I do music is because I really value connection think things should be and sometimes we differences are, we would have a more trusting
in my life and, I feel, music really helps connect should embrace the change. and beautiful world. Not that we don't have one
people from lots of different walks of life and "I have eight nieces and nephews who are already, but there is definitely room for improve-
backgrounds. I really value honesty through aged 16 to 2, and from them, I'm able to see the ment."
music and the way it can speak to our souls generations change, in a way, so I'm seeing
and, in different ways, that language itself can, things like social media become such a big thing nother of the many highlights of the
in some way, if you know what I mean. now. For me, sometimes, I find it quite frustrat- Arecord is ‘Pretty Face’, where she sings,
"It speaks to deeper levels of your con- ing because it's becoming a world where you ‘Hold your pretty face like that, or else I'll take it
sciousness as well, and it helps you through have to be constantly living online in order to do away, yeah that's what he said about it,’ and,
hard times, but can also intensify the good times or achieve anything, especially if you are a cre- given her comments about social media, we ask
in your life as well, and that is what I hope to ative artist. You have to juggle many plates to if she feels that there is an increased pressure
achieve with the music I write. do these things and I find that quite fatiguing for people to look and act a certain way for fear

REWS