The Shackshakers

Shackshakers Get A Little Help From Their Friends…

As popular Duluth, Minnesota band “The Shackshakers” prepare for a new CD release later this year, their upcoming single is proving to show promise for the group by not only getting them signed to a new label, but also catching the attention of one of the world’s most famous recording studios.

“It’s apparently all about who you know” says group founder and leader Shawn Nagy, who started the group in Saskatchewan Canada back in 1988, basing himself out of Duluth in 1996.

A friend of Nagy’s from England owned a popular British record store for many years and was an overseas supporter of their last oldies style release back in 2000. The group has undergone a total revamp since that release, with a new look and new sound for their upcoming efforts. Upon finishing the recording of their new single, Shawn sent their new track to his friend for feedback. Asking if Shawn would mind if he passed it on to a few friends, it eventually made its way to engineers at Abbey Road Studios in London, England.

“The next thing I know we’re in communication with The Abbey Road offering to put the finishing touches to the song and get it “radio ready”. To know our music will be traveling down the same halls that The Beatles and so many other famous artists have – that’s pretty exciting” says Shawn.

It is not the band’s first brush with Beatle related acts, having backed Joey Molland of Badfinger fame a few years ago. “It was a real blast to sit around visiting before and after the concert hearing his tales of recording with the Beatle members and it was fun to back such a seasoned performer”.

Distribution of the band’s demos for their upcoming album circulated among musical friends in California, which led to the group being signed to the A.V.R.A. Records label out of Hollywood a few weeks ago. The deal will help distribute their future recordings to radio stations and online outlets. Their new single has a laid-back and uptempo retro ’70s pop/rock sound to it that should appeal to adult-contemporary stations, reminiscent of artists like America, Dan Fogelberg or Pablo Cruise…it is their first release in 14 years. While Abbey Road Studios prepares the final touches to the track, there is already International interest in distribution of their new recordings. Nagy finishes saying “having such a notable name interested in our music will certainly help the final product be the best it can be. We’ll see what happens with it”.

The group also features the talents of Duluth musicians Darlene Nagy, Todd James and Nic Tucci. Former group member & drummer Tom Henderson is also featured on the new single.

While the band stays consistently busy performing in venues within the surrounding States, “Just Me & You” from The Shackshakers will be available on online download sites such as iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and others within the next few weeks.

Read more about The Shackshakers at their website.