ISINA Finalist Interview: Shannon Prior
Shannon Prior is a singer/songwriter from Los Angeles. She was a previous finalist back in 2017 as part of the ISINA Arrival Program, and is now a finalist in July 2021. We asked her some questions about her career and past experience with ISINA.
What were you thinking when ISINA said they wanted you to come back?
When ISINA originally came back to me and asked me to be a finalist for July 2021, I was super excited. The first time around was great, so I’m just excited to be a part of it again. And I’m super excited that they’re remixing [my single] “The Usual”. I think it getting another life is just amazing and I think it’ll be really fun.
How does it feel to be able to work with Walter Afanasieff again?
Working with Walter Afanasieff is amazing. He’s so talented at music. There’s no other way to say it. Just being able to work with someone of that caliber in the industry is an honor. So I’m just really happy that I get to work with him again and it’ll be great to see him again.
Has your musical style evolved since the 2017 ISINA Arrival Program?
My musical style has definitely evolved and I’ve been working on it a lot more in that now I’m focused a lot more on guitar playing. So now I’m doing a lot more writing just on the guitar. And then with that, of course, I’ve just been strengthening my voice and working on it that way. My taste in what I’m geared towards, recording-wise, is definitely still a kind of alternative pop, indie, sort of vibe. I’ve always loved that. It’s definitely my roots. But getting to learn and play more guitar has been something that I feel has really improved and rounded out my musical abilities.
What was your favorite part of the previous ISINA mentorship program?
My favorite part from the previous mentorship program was definitely getting to collaborate with all the different musicians and people, and just developing those relationships. Really just learning from each other, and being able to spend so much time together, creating new music and just having fun. It was such a great environment that so much creativity and positivity was born out of it. It was a really cool experience for sure.
Is there one special experience that sticks out to you from the previous program?
A crazy moment that I still remember was the first night when we were all getting to know each other, we were out sitting around the firepit, writing songs and just goofing around, and then we all had the bright idea to jump in the pool. So we did! We had a lot of fun. That was a really cool first night experience.
Is there something you would suggest to someone thinking about submitting to ISINA?
If there’s one thing that I would share with someone who’s looking to submit to ISINA, it would definitely be: do it, number one. Because it’s probably one of the best things I have done. It gave me just so much experience and really broadened my view of different kinds of music and different ways I can develop as a musician, as an artist. So, for sure, just number one: do it! And number two: follow up. I would say just do your best to keep active and keep reaching out and keep posting on ISINA. I think that’s probably the best way to do it.
ISINA Team
