Front man Shawn Telkamp wants more for the world than just music.

The world is full of artist who feel passionate about their craft. Music crowns caught up with front man Shawn Telkamp passion doesn’t just end or begin with music. He is also a open activist for human rights and equal rights for people of all walks of life. It is refreshing to see artists use their platforms for more than promoting products and self serving avenues. Shawn did not hold back when asked about his views on equal rights and the events that took place in Ferguson.

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What bands and life experiences have influenced your songs the most? 
Somewhere in our past, our present began to emerge and it’s important to know that and to be honest about what you know. As a lyricist, but more so, as a vocalist if it doesn’t sound/feel true, it isn’t. My first memories are of old country and Motown. Songs were structured simply and got to the heart of the matter. Hearing the Supremes sing ‘You Cant Hurry Love’ long before there was a place for Phil Collins version of it in my head probably shaped a lot of what I find joyful in music, much the same way hearing Patsy belt out ‘She’s Got You’ told me all I needed to know of heartache. I was a theatre kid, so there’s some of the drama in there too.
How do the lyrics and melody come to you? 
I’ve always worked in bands as a vocalist/lyrcist, never as a instrumentalist. So my process is not to sit down at a piano, although I have a very remedial ability there. Instead I’ll typically work with the guitarist to come up with riffs, then I do the main composition of the song using those riffs. Once the structure is fully in place, then I sit and play it on repeat until something hits me. Getting lost in the feel of the song and daydreaming about it as if it were the soundtrack to a movie scene. The words just come as the movie plays. I then work out the rhythm and rhyming patterns as I translate the movie. I once showed a friend my notes and at that time I was heavy into creating symbols for the ‘ta ti das’ of the rhythm, so it looked a bit like hieroglyphics. My friend just smiled at me with one of those ‘Mmhmm’ smiles…you know the ones. 🙂
Are your friends and family supportive of your music? 
No one has ever said, ‘Ummm…dont do that.’ LOL My Mom grew up singing in church choir and my Dad played multiple instruments in his church, so music was just part of something my family did. I think my parents were mainly just happy to see me pursuing something I enjoyed. Early in my life I was diagnosed with severe hearing loss and there was an expectation that I was going to be deaf by the time I was high school age. Although my hearing is not good, it had an unexpected benefit – I am loud…very, very loud. Typically, the feedback I get from friends is tied to a specific style or song rather than a critique of my choice to pursue music. Having an incredible base of friends that are artists, actors, and musicians helps. I’m not a big name dropper, but they’re there…you can check out my Facebook friends list if you’ve gotta figure out my pedigree. LOL.
What genre would you classify yourself as? 
Great question. Originally the band was going to be rooted squarely in the alternative rock world, and as we evolved, the sound changed to a more blues infused rock sound. Having said all that, our songs are all over the map and my focus is just exploring where the muses take me. Beyond myself, the band features Kerry Duepner’s powerful and sultry voice, the best dressed bad boy Ross Watson on rhythm guitar, Jeremy Carpenter’s classic bass lines, Randy Carter smoking guitar leads, and Stephen Haake’s mad skills on the drums. We’ve each got our own influences, so if you’re looking for it, over the course of a night, you’re going to find it.
Are you self-taught in your music or have you taken lessons?
You could say a bit of both. I had music class and choral singing lessons every year of my youth through young adulthood in school and church choirs, took music theory in high school, sang in professional choirs as a young adult, and paid for vocal lessons sporadically over the years. I taught myself basic keyboarding skills around 6th grade, but like most kids, I stuck with what I was good at and got recognition for…and that was singing.
How long does it take you to write a song on average? 
It truly depends on the song…most songs take a few rehearsals to structure and the rest (lyrics, vocal melodies) just takes me to focus which is the harder part as I constantly need stimulus. I’m one of those people who is always doing things.
Are there any special traditions you and your band have when preparing for a show or writing a song?
I’m not a traditionalist, so no. There was a time during my journey where I tried incorporating things to keep my nerves in check, because I can get stressed which wreaks havoc on my voice, but now I just try to relax and enjoy the night. The more I dance around and get into the music (i.e. the sillier I look) the more I know something special is happening. Is dancing a tradition? Hmm…maybe we’ll start a pre-show macarena?
you seem very passionate about race and equal rights for LGBT . Is there a reason you have become an activist and what was the moment you decided you needed to be apart of the postive movement ?
I think if you ask any activist they’ll say the same thing, it’s personal or we wouldn’t do it. My family is very diverse as is my friend group. I’m not sure that deserves any special recognition as it took no effort on my part aside from appreciating the gift that others are. I was raised Catholic. I was once told that it was the root of my charitable nature as Catholics are focused on doing good works…I suppose that’s as likely as any other cause. Currently, I consider myself a Humanist in case anyone’s interested in that sort of thing. As far as being an LGBT activist, I’ve identified as bi and gay in my past, although I currently identify as queer, and the band is diverse as well. One of our first interviews was The Gayborhood on 1380 The X in Saint Louis, which was our cities first Queer-centric talk radio show. We view this diversity as a strength and it’s definitely expanded the scope of song writing. For example, lyrics in the song ‘Bluebird’ are specifically about a relationship with a man I learned was married and had lied about it until a few months in.
What are you plans for your band in the next year?
First line of business is new group pictures. Last year we gained a new drummer, Stephen Haake, and lead guitarist, Randy Carter and we’ve got no pictures with this line-up. It’s really no one’s fault – we’re just all busy and playing in multiple groups – so schedules are crazy! After that, I’d really like us to hit the studio and put together an album of our originals. We have a number of songs on our ReverbNation page and a few videos from shows, but we’re ready for a full-length. Songs like ‘Devil Baby Blues’, ‘Hey Bartender’ and ‘Eden’s Prayer’ are begging to be recorded. Then August 29th celebrates the fifth anniversary of Rock University Festival (RockUFest), which is a music festival I am a founding board member of, and this year we are focusing on women’s charities and women artists/bands. The festival is set to take place at the Ready Room and The Demo STL in The Grove area of Saint Louis.
Have the events of Ferguson affected you negatively?  What do you think should be done next
-Fergusson didn’t impact me negatively on a personal level. Any lost relationships tied that period of our history were worthy sacrifices. Not stating I am proud to have lost people, rather the people I lost were beyond saving to me—and I have a lot of patience…so by the time I am willing to make a cut, it is well deserved. I gained an enormous amount of people who care about their community. During the first few days I started the ‘Southside Supports Unity & Safety For All’ Facebook group and it became a conduit for those looking to stay informed. I attended protests, made buttons for ‘Hands Up, Don’t Shoot’, supported formation of the Civilian Oversight Board for Saint Louis City, campaigned for alderman I believed had similar agendas, attended community gatherings and memorials, and most importantly, I voted in two elections during that period. If you want change – vote – it is our number one way to statistically be heard. Next, for Saint Louis City, we need to get the Civilian Oversight Board in place and working. A lot of good has been done and continues to be done—this wound is not going to heal overnight. We must do better.

You can find ShotGun Abby on national tour this summer and check out their music and social media links here

https://www.facebook.com/shotgunabby

https://shotgunabby.reverbnation.com/