Austin Shaw

Austin Shaw

Santa Cruz-rooted songwriter, singer, guitarist and producer Austin Shaw makes free-flowing music that invites a nostalgic escape into a feeling world and tells genuine tales of the human experience. Each intimate song is a melodic diary that glows with warm, intricate instrumental and rhythmic layers, catchy guitar hooks and bittersweet lyrics baring Shaw’s perspectives on love, loss, longing and self-discovery. His skill at improvisation shines through his handcrafted recordings, which capture the spirit of a live performance. A born collaborator, he often summons other local artists on stage with him during his intimate shows. Shaw carries the torch of the rock poets and storytellers who have inspired him, including Cat Stevens, Bob Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel and contemporaries Mason Jennings and Alexi Murdock and puts a fresh twist on the folk rock genre.

 Austin Shaw comes from the classic mold of a true songwriter and artist. It’s not always the most fashionable type of 'pop music', but it’s the kind of music that gets played the most in your music collection. It’s the type that defies time and tells real stories that you relate to. It’s the style that grows with you and around you, and will continue to do so as you live your own stories. There are artists you love for a song or two, for a minute, but Austin is here for the long haul. If you like great music, you're gonna love Austin Shaw. Highly recommended! – Robert L. Smith, Producer/Engineer/Mixer, Defy Recordings

Shaw’s debut EP, Love on Both Sides is a love letter that comes from deep within his soul and explodes with raw emotion. The album burst forth once he threw his whole heart into a career in music after a decade spent working in the corporate world, only playing guitar and writing music as a hobby. Love on Both Sides celebrates his rebirth into the musical world. Some songs offer up an autobiographical catharsis; others capture what happens when a breeze blows back the curtain and provide a glimpse through the window of the poignant moments of the well-lived lives of other characters who have crossed Shaw’s path. Produced by Robert Smith (Defy Recordings), the album also features the talents of guitarist Larry Saltzman (Paul Simon), drummer Joe Bonadio (Sting), bassist Malcolm Gold and vocalist Clara Lofaro.

 Austin Shaw is a singer & writer to watch for in 2016. He's got a soulful batch of tunes & a unique spot in the Monterey Bay acoustic scene. Check him out!" Ketch Secor - Old Crow Medicine Show

 Shaw grew up in a home full of uplifting music often created by his mother, who sang and played ukulele. The joy and comfort of folk, pop and rock songs fully overtook him as a young boy while driving cross country when he moved to California from Ohio. Packed inside a car with his family, he heard four artists on repeat – James Taylor, Simon and Garfunkel, Elton John and Neil Diamond – and their way with notes and words became forever a part of him. As his passion for reading developed, he began to write in a journal as a way to release his emotions and make sense of changes in his life. He also picked up guitar and began to play covers of his favorite songs as a way to further unwind. As he continued to explore the instrument and the writing craft, his words morphed into song lyrics.

A favorite on the Santa Cruz live music scene, Shaw regularly plays with a backing band consisting of local musicians Brian O’Connell (drums) and Kenny Feinstein (mando, fiddle, guitar). He recently explained the meaning of his debut EP, Love on Both Sides:  “This first EP is an initial outpouring of intense feeling, and I hope by sharing this with others, it strikes a chord in them that makes them feel not so alone, and also alive.”

Austin Shaw is currently writing music for his sophomore EP. Love on Both Sides is available now.