From her surfy sludgy garage rock band FEELS to her etheral solo records, we LOVE Shannon Lay! She tells us a little about her music while showing off how fucking radical she looks in our latest tees!

Thanks for talking to The Psychedelic Cherry! So in the spirit of garage rock mania, who are you biggest influences?
I continue to be more and more inspired by the musicians around me in LA, Ty Segall, John Dwyer, Laena Geronimo, Kevin Morby, Meg Duffy, William Tyler, Dent May, Will Ivy. There’s too many to name! I feel really lucky to be surrounded by so many kind, talented folks.
A lot of bands have brought me to where I am today though: velvet underground, Nick Drake, Buzzcocks, X, Bjork, Britney Spears, and everything in between!

Your guitar licks in FEELS are pretty radical. Do you have a favorite guitarist or a favorite guitar riff?
I’m a huge fan of Tom Verlaine’s guitar style, also Cate Le Bon, Tim Presley, Richard Hell. I love a perfectly imperfect guitar style.

Do you have any weird guitar habits?
Every once and a while someone’s surprised about how I finger pick. I only use my thumb and pointer finger, I keep meaning to figure out how to include the rest of the gang haha. I also have no background in reading music so I think a lot of what I write comes from a kind of ignorant place but I think there’s an advantage in that sometimes.

Your latest solo record Living Water is fantastic! Would you say there’s a theme to the record?
Thank you! Yeah there was a theme of the ocean and reminiscing on my childhood by the beach with that record. It’s kind of a love note to nature.

Any hidden secrets or weird instruments on the record?
I had a lot of fun working with Devin Hoff on stand up bass, I’d never played with that instrument before and it was an incredible experience. Such a powerful sound. Also cello! That’s gotta be one of the best sounds in the world.

Which do you have more often a good scream or a good cry?
Probably a good cry, I love watching a good movie and using it as an excuse to just let the tears flow. I love a good scream though. Very necessary sometimes.

What record are you obsessed with right now?
I’ve been hooked on the first Meters record, such a great vibe. Also Linda McCartney “Wide Prairie” her voice is incredible!

Why orange?
It’s a reminder to never take myself too seriously. I also love the psychology of colors and orange is proven to instill hope and happiness in people and that’s a major goal for me in life. When I first dyed it, it was kind of a happy accident, it ended up just feeling like home.

Thanks again Shannon, and have a great tour! Check out Shannon Lay’s record Living Water out now on Woodsist Records! We love it and I’m sure you will too! And dont forget, all the tees Shannon is wearing in this photoshoot are available here in our shop! Keep on keepn on!