Shannon Noll interview
Posted by RSVP on
He was the runner-up on Australian Idol in 2003, but since then Shannon Noll has gone on to have remarkable success both in Australia and overseas. Five years on, Shannon is recapping his smash hit songs ¿ as well as providing some new ones - with a greatest hits album called No Turning Back. Hear what the man himself has to say about the journey so far.You've had ten 'top 10 hits' in 5 years! How does that feel?
SHANNON: It's pretty wild actually. I don't sort of ever expect something, to go so well and you just try and hope that it's gonna go well, you know... and then, to have them all in a line like that... I'm very lucky to have the dedicated fans and so many fans that I've got.
If you go back to a time before Idol, could you ever have imagined having such success?
SHANNON: Nah definitely! I mean I was hoping to, and it felt like I was going to be doing something in music... but when it comes to details like that, you know, little achievements like that, I think if you did you'd probably be going "yeah, get your head out of the clouds", you know?!
When you look back at everything that has happened, are there are moments that really stand out? Good moments, bad moments?
SHANNON: Funnily enough the bad ones sort of stick out more than the good ones for obvious reasons! But yeah the good ones, mate, it's pretty hard to pinpoint, which ones are probably better than others. There have been some amazing ones. Like, I think going to sing for the Olympians was a really big one. There have been so many others you know - winning the three "male artist of the year" MTV awards would be another one. But I'm very lucky to have them good ones you know, as well as all the bad ones!
You've just released a 'journey so far' album called No Turning Back, which celebrates all your hits so far, as well as throwing in some new ones. Do you have a favourite song on the album?
SHANNON: Oh of course there is! Crash is a real favourite and No Turning Back is another favourite - they're two new ones that wouldn't have been heard yet. And then in the singles department, I'm really very fond of all the songs that I've released as singles, you know - and I think that's the most important thing, you've got to be happy with what you're releasing. The first thing, when it comes to me releasing a song is that I've got to like the song even put it on an album for that matter. I don't think there's any future in putting a song on an album or as a single that you're told to 'because it's going to be radio friendly' or anything like that... I think you've got to be fond of the songs yourself, you've gotta stay true to yourself.
Summertime, the first single off the album, is out now. Tell us a little about that and why it made the album.
SHANNON: Oh we were just lucky - it came in from a guy who I've worked with a lot overseas. It's just a really nice song, ah... a great story I think. Everything that I work on has to make sense; I don't like doing songs that just have words and bridge choruses. That song has got a whole journey, a whole storyline to it... that it's coming into summer would be another one, but it's all relative.
And you'll be going on tour to take the new album to the fans?
SHANNON: Yeah it's gonna be a big one! I haven't toured this big since probably three years now, so yeah, this will be back to the good old days as they say, hopefully! But, yeah, it's gonna be fun. We're going back to as many of the places that we can that supported me and the band right from the start. I think it's very important to do that - instead of expecting everyone who wants to come to your show to travel you know, hundreds and hundreds of kilometres. And that's the fun of being on the road with the band mates and going out to remote places and getting to have a look around.
When you look ahead to the next 5 years, do you have any goals and personal aspirations?
SHANNON: Mate, I don't know, you know... you just put your head down and deal with what comes. I mean, I think trying to predict the next five years; the one thing in this industry is that it¿s impossible to predict ! So yeah you just hang on and hope for the best and try and do your best along the way
And finally, is there anything you'd like to say to all your fans out there, about the last 5 years?
SHANNON: Oh I'd just love to thank everybody because I am here today because of your graciousness and kind hearted support you know... thank you so much... it makes me very humble to think about how much support and how dedicated all you guys out there are. So thank you so much and I owe you a lot!
NO TURNING BACK: THE STORY SO FAR is out now through Sony BMG. For more details of Shannon's massive national tour head to www.shannonnoll.com.au