Converse Rubber Tracks x MetalSucks 2015 Preview: Shawn James & The Shapeshifters
Later this month, ten unsigned bands will visit a Converse Rubber Tracks facility in either Brooklyn, NY, or Boston, MA, where they’ll lay down some jams at one of Converse’s completely free, state-of-the-art recording studios. And as if that wasn’t cool enough, bands at the Brooklyn Converse Rubber Tracks will work with producer Will Putney (The Acacia Strain, Suicide Silence, Exhumed), while bands at the Boston Converse Rubber Tracks will work with producer Kurt Ballou (Converge, High on Fire, Torche).
MetalSucks held an open application process in July for bands to apply, then Axl and Vince worked with Will and Kurt to choose their five favorite bands for each city. We’ll be previewing each of the selected bands in the weeks leading up to these recording sessions, so you can get a taste of what’s in store for ya! You can check out all the previews so far here. Today, we feature Shawn James & The Shapeshifters from Fayetteville, AR.
Hey! Hey, you! Do you like Clutch? How about Rival Sons? You do? Well, then, man oh man, do we have a band for you: Shawn James & The Shapeshifters. Bluesy, soulful, and dominated by the banjo as much as it by the electric gee-tar, this Arkansas outfit is something of a throwback — their namesake can actually sing, the band can actually play, and their infectious not-really-br00tal music has potential mainstream appeal.
Little wonder we got hooked on Shawn James & The Shapeshifters as quickly as we did: we were all of three seconds into the mosh pit hootenanny that is their song “Wild Man” when we knew we just had to include them in this year’s CRTxMS, and we’ve been rockin’ the eponymous album on the regular ever since. Shawn James & The Shapeshifters make music that is guaranteed fun even for the grouchiest of us; if this shit doesn’t get you clappin’ your hands, tappin’ your foot, and lookin’ for a partner with whom to do-si-do STAT, then you need to check your pulse.
Check out Shawn James & The Shapeshifters’ self-titled album, which was released in April, below. You can hear more on their Bandcamp page!
