Spotlight – Shane Connery Volk

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Today we Spotlight – Shane Connery Volk. The new release Shiver has been out a few days now and we chat about music and the solo side of things. Check it out now.

With everything still somewhat paused, how have you been keeping yourself busy during these weird times we are going through?

Most of my time through Covid has been taken up with comic art. I’m currently drawing series 2 of Nottingham so that won’t be slowing down anytime soon! I’m also writing and playing guitar every day.

You’ve toured all over with some of the biggest bands as part of One Bad Son, and now we get to hear you on your own. What was it like going from the ‘big rock’ sound to a more intimate sound like we hear on Shiver?

It’s been really fulfilling! I will always love playing big, loud Rock n’ Roll, but it’s exciting to embrace a different side of my music. I’m grateful to be able to express myself in so many different ways. I’m also finding that writing for my solo work is fuelling my writing for OBS.

As a fan of One Bad Son, it’s been fun to watch you branch out into other media, with your graphic novel work and other artwork. With everything going on, what made now the best time to release your first solo material?

Initially, I had plans for live shows and an EP release to go along with Shiver, but all those best-laid plans came to a halt with covid. In a world so full of uncertainty, I feel like taking action is always the best way forward. With that in mind, I felt like releasing the song now and just rolling with the reaction and opportunities it may bring is the best way to go.

Is Shiver something that you wrote in the past and tucked away, or is this a brand new creation?

I wrote Shiver in early 2019 and recorded it in Toronto after our show with the Rolling Stones that Summer. At the time I knew I had to finally get going on recording some solo material so I could stay busy when OBS had periods of downtime. Again, Covid stopped any plans I had for release so yes, it’s been around for a while!

How differently did you approach recording Shiver as opposed to your previous work with One Bad Son?

It was very different! OBS is a collaboration in writing and recording. That process can be tough sometimes, but it creates a lot of magic. Shiver was all on me. It’s freeing to just record a song as you wrote it, but it’s very daunting. In the end, I really enjoyed it! It’s cool to be able to write and record on my own and in the band. It’s really such a gift. I’m looking forward to a lot more of both!

It was great to get to hear Shiver, and I found it has a more brooding tone than we’ve heard from you in the past… Was this an opportunity to explore a style we’re not used to hearing from you?

Absolutely. The nearest OBS got to this sound is “The Outlaw Josey Wales” from the Black Buffalo record. I intended that to be a solo song, but the band liked it and absolutely knocked it out of the park! I’ve always loved this kind of dark, brooding songwriting. Probably from my love of Johnny Cash or spending my teen years listening to Rock in the 90’s haha.

How much are you looking forward to playing Shiver for a live audience?

I can’t wait. It’s another exciting challenge to figure out what my solo live experience will be. It will be different (and quieter haha) than OBS. This kind of music has a different energy that I can’t wait to explore.

With the success of Nottingham, and now the release of Shiver, will we get to see more multimedia projects from you in the future?

Absolutely! I’ve written and drawn a comic book that will be released along with the video for Shiver. It’s a really exciting time for art right now. There are so many ways to integrate the things I love and I will definitely be doing more of that on my own and with OBS.

Did your experience working on Nottingham have any influence on Shiver?

No. Shiver was written and recorded before I started drawing Nottingham. I will say that drawing every day has definitely opened up my creativity in new ways and I have written a lot of new song ideas while sitting at the drawing table!

What was the best part of creating Shiver?

I wrote Shiver at a time where my creativity was at a low point. I was in the process of rediscovering my connection to music and art, and Shiver was created directly out of that process. I’ll always have a special connection to this song.

Obviously you have plenty of experience recording with One Bad Son, but after Shiver, do you have any advice for any singer-songwriters out there that are preparing to record for the first time?

The best advice I can give is to just get out and do it. Experience is always life’s greatest teacher. The more you try, the more you learn. Trust me, there will be failures along the way, but those failures are the single biggest learning experiences we ever get in life. So get out there and be fearless!

As we’ve had to shift from interacting in-person to a digital world, how has it been as an artist to share your work in a digital world?

I believe there is no replacement for true, human connection. Losing that has been so difficult for so many people. I struggle to find authenticity in any digital space, though I am grateful that we live in an era where we can share our passions with the world. I’m excited for the time when we can fully integrate the digital and physical worlds again. Being able to hear new music, or see new art at the touch of a screen is incredible. When you can hear that music live again, or hold that art in your hands it’s even better!

What can we look forward to next from Shane Connery Volk?

There Studios called “Grimm Tales from the Cave”. The trade paperback of the first series of Nottingham is out this month, and I’m illustrating the second series as we speak. The band has had its first jams since early 2020 so get ready for more OBS soon! I’ve also been doing some acting and will have a few things coming out though the times on that are TBD. Basically, I have a lot of art coming out in a lot of different forms haha. is a lot at the moment! I have a 10-page story in a horror anthology coming out this month from Mad Cave

Thanks for your time, and before we go, is a hot dog a sandwich?

A hot dog, though delicious, is not a sandwich. I understand that on paper it has all the things that make a sandwich a sandwich, but it’s like the difference between a car and an SUV. They both have 4 wheels and go down the highway, but you just know the difference when you see it

Spotlight – Shane Connery Volk is a wrap! Big thanks to Shane for taking the time to chat with us

Check out Shiver now! It just dropped show some love

Keep up with Shane right here

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