This past Tuesday, I got the pleasure of seeing the band Sheppard live at The Roxy, one of West Hollywood’s most iconic music venues. Bandmates and siblings Amy, George and Emma Sheppard, as well as friends Michael Butler, Jason Bovino and Dean Gordon, make up the indie pop group from Brisbane, Australia. Together, they have achieved wild success over the past eight years, rising to the top of the charts all over the world with hits like “Geronimo,” “Bombs Away” and “Let Me Down Easy.”
We got to talk to Amy Sheppard about their experiences as a group thus far, as well as some advice she’d give to fellow musicians hoping to reach the same level of success.
Her Campus: You’ve had such huge success as a group, beginning with your very first album. How has it been for you to experience that success so quickly, together?
Amy Sheppard: Being able to write and perform music for a living is an absolute dream come true. We have worked quite hard behind the scenes for a long time, so for our first album to have had such great success feels like it was all worth it.
HC: What’s your process when making music together? What is that group dynamic like?
AS: There are three songwriters in the band. George, Jason and myself. Usually, one of us will come to the table with a melody or a chord progression, and then the other two jump on board to complete the song.
HC: Who are some of your inspirations and/or favorite artists?
AS: We all have very different inspirations. George is a huge fan of Coldplay, Jay loves singer/songwriters such as Ryan Adams and I’m a huge fan of classic artists such as Fleetwood Mac.
HC: You’ve now toured with global superstars like Justin Bieber, Little Mix and Meghan Trainor. What was it like to work with them? Any good stories from the road?
AS: We are so grateful to have toured with some of the best in the business. We have learned so much from being a part of these tours; it’s always interesting to see how each artist performs and interacts with their fans. Perry from Little Mix brought along her Pomeranian dog “Hatchie.” We loved playing with him throughout the tour – he looks like a mini lion.
HC: What would you say are a couple of the biggest differences between the music industry, or culture in general, in Australia versus in the U.S.?
AS: America has a vastly bigger and more diverse music culture. The U.S. has different formats and radio stations, and is a big market for pop music.
HC: It’s been a couple of years since you’ve toured the U.S. How does it feel to be coming back?
AS: We couldn’t be more excited. We’ve been working hard on our next album and are eager to show our fans our new tunes.
HC: What is one piece of advice you would give to an aspiring musician in college today?
AS: I would just encourage them to work hard on their writing skills. Create something unique, something no one has done before. I attended college and one of my assignments was to write and record a song. It was on this assignment that George and I first sung together on a track.
So there you have it! Playing along with Sheppard were up-and-coming American artists Dylan Gardner and Hailey Knox.
Both of these artists really seem to capture original, unique sounds that Amy believes in so strongly. It was honestly a fantastic show, from start to finish.
All three groups were incredible live. I, for one, can’t wait to see them all again!
You can follow them on Instagram for more events info at @wearesheppard, @dylangardner and @haileyknoxmusic. You’re guaranteed an awesome show if any of the three are there.
Photo courtesy of Sarah Steuer