Interview With: Shannon Hudson
We caught up with Wisconsin-born Shannon Hudson to talk about his title track ‘Run Into The Arrows’ from his debut album.
Thank you for submitting your track with us, we were blown away by your gorgeous tone and talent for songwriting. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself, and how you got into music?
I’m a husband and a father. My favourite moments are the little ones - surfing with my son, floating in the pool with my wife, and watching the sunset over the Leander, Texas hills from my backyard.
My family is from Oklahoma, but I was born and lived most of my childhood in Wisconsin. My Mom and Dad aren’t musicians, but music was always a big deal in our house. The late 50s and early 60s rock n’ roll was in constant rotation. Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran (my Mom’s cousin), Elvis, and Ricky Nelson were larger than life.
I started piano lessons in 4th grade. When I was in middle school, my jazz band teacher made everyone take a 12-bar improvisational solo in the key of “b flat.” It was the first time that I realised every song I’d ever heard was just someone’s idea that they made up in their head. The first CDs I bought were Led Zeppelin IV and Eric Clapton Journeyman, although I had a dubbed cassette of Aerosmith’s Pump that was on constant rotation in my car (which only had a tape player).
I went to college in California, and in my sophomore year, I lived in Germany. My Grandmother bought me a guitar so I could have an instrument to play while I was over there. I’d sit in the walk-in closet of a room that I shared with 3 other guys, and strum until I couldn’t feel my fingers anymore. I learned to play a lot of songs with 3 chords in them and started writing my own songs as well. In my 20s I formed a band with my brother and we played a handful of clubs in Los Angeles and took an extended vacation that included playing shows around the country while staying at several KOA campsites.
What is the inspiration behind 'Run Into the Arrows'?
I’m a believer that a song is about whatever the listener thinks it’s about, and that its meaning can change depending on the listener and the context. That being said, when I wrote it, I was trying to capture the idea of emotional vulnerability, and the reality that being emotionally vulnerable in the modern world is one of the bravest things a person can be. The inspiration that sparked the thought was running in my neighborhood. There are bike lanes in my neighborhood that have arrows that point in the direction traffic should be going. As a runner, when I’m in those lanes, I’m always running against the flow of traffic (into the arrows) - so I can see any cars that are coming my way.
The night before I wrote it, I had also watched a TV show where a bunch of Vikings were attacking the city of Paris during medieval times. In the battle scene, the Vikings essentially get picked off by tons of archers shooting arrows from a safe, tall, stone tower.
So - from both of those things, I got the idea that emotional vulnerability has bravery to it - like someone running into the arrows in a battle - even if they know it might leave them scarred in the end.
What are your plans for the remainder of the year, do you have any projects coming up in 2025?
I’m in the middle of recording somewhere around 30 songs right now. It’ll take me a while to finish them all, but I’m starting to see the light. A handful of them are fully tracked. A good number of them just need the vocals done. There’s a small number that still needs some of the instrumentation tracked, but that list is getting smaller every week. Once they are done, we’ll see how the release ends up taking shape. I would expect to release at least some of it in 2025.
I’m also in the beginning stages of producing an album for a friend of mine, Mark Stevenson.
What is your writing experience like? How do you know when a song is ready to be released?
I’m a streaky writer. I will go weeks or months without writing much, and then I’ll get inspired by the right thing, and I’ll blast out a group of songs. I don’t plan for it to happen that way, but that’s what happens most of the time. As for the process, I am always putting down little ideas - a riff, a small bit of melody, or maybe just a good lyric. They are in journals, or the voice memos on my phone. When the inspiration hits, sometimes I go back to those things to see if it’ll help get me to the next place. Sometimes it does - sometimes the inspiration takes me somewhere else. I do feel that a song has a life of its own. Sometimes it wants to be something, and the best you can do is to get out of the way, and just let it become what it needs to become.
As for when a song is ready to be released, that’s probably just as simple as thinking that I like where it’s at. There’s nothing more I can add that will make it better, and if I subtract anything that’s in the song, it’s worse. Aside from that, a few trusted ears just to make sure the mix and mastering are coming through well.
Is there something you would change during your career so far, or is there something you are glad you did along the way?
If I could change anything, it would be my goals when I was younger. Back then, I wanted to be a big music star, and I now realize that I probably would have been pretty miserable if that would have happened. I wish I had just had the goal of writing the best songs I could and playing the best shows I could. I had those goals, but they weren’t the #1 and #2 goals. They were farther down the line.
Having those goals now has allowed me to live a life where I create art in a way where the only imposed standard is the one I impose. I don’t answer to anyone but my own, internal critic. This frees me to write and record songs that I like, the way I like them to sound.
What is your greatest joy?
My wife and my son are my greatest joy. They are the reason I get up every day. They have brought me so much joy, it’s almost overwhelming to think about.
Run Into Album is available to stream now. We are very excited to hear what Shannon delivers in 2025!
