Ask Jason Shand what his musical influences are and he'll answer with a single word, "broad." The singer/songwriter's smooth vocals and sophisticated songwriting make him an heir apparent to the adult contemporary throne formerly occupied by the likes of Seal and Annie Lennox. Yet, Jason is also quick to point out what makes him different, "I've heard my music be compared to those artists. They are definitely influences and the comparisons are very flattering. My music is probably best described as soulful pop, but I'm also influenced by everything from ABBA to AC/DC. So how do you classify that?"
Jason's voice is as distinct as his musical taste is eclectic. Emotional, passionate and powerful, Jason's voice first got attention when he fronted an alternative rock band in Boston. After signing to British record label Freestyle Recordings (a BMG subsidiary) and spending six years developing his craft, Jason left the band, and Boston, to return to his hometown New York City and pursue a solo career. "My time in Boston was such a valuable learning experience. In retrospect, I was raw when I started. I got lucky and was surrounded by great musicians and songwriters. I learned discipline and I also learned about the construction of a good song, the craft of songwriting," Jason explains.
And it looks like Jason's songwriting and vocal skills are reaping some rewards. His song 'I Know' is featured on the prestigious Best of the Songwriter's Hall of Fame 2006 New Writers' Showcase CD Compilation. 'Pill' was also featured in the Neil Turitz independent film, Two Ninas (IMDB entry). And Jason's song 'Second Skin' was also prominent in an indie film - The Inscrutable Americans, an adaptation of the Anurag Mathur novel (Amazon entry) - released nationally in India.
Jason is currently hard at work recording his upcoming full-length debut CD, Because of Zeeva, which is expected to be released in the near future. Two of the completed tracks, the shimmering 'Suelyn et Julien' and a soulful rendition of ABBA's 'Dancing Queen', have been released as a single and are already garnering Jason quite a bit of attention. 'SJ' has been picked up by upcoming indie film Quarter Life Crisis which is making the rounds of various film festivals. The SJ/DQ single has been warmly embraced by radio nationwide. 'DQ' was in the buzz box of the popular commercial internet radio station, Radio IO Unlimited.
He wasn't kidding when he named the Swedish super group as one of his influences.
Stay tuned...
