Shannon Saunders & the Splinters

At the heart of this 4-piece group is the song-writing talents of fiddler and multi-instrumentalist Shannon Saunders and the rare musical kinship she shares with sister Julie on rhythm guitar, and banjo player Cam Salay. Pushing the oundries of traditional music, including bluegrass, celtic, and gospel, Shannon Saunders and the Splinters is a band to watch on the alternative country scene.

The Yellow Book CD

The songs on the band's debut CD The Yellow Book are thouroughly modern but steeped in tradition and played with bluegrass instrumentation. With the exeption of Gordon Lightfoot's ethereally transformed The Way I Feel, all of the songs on the album were written and arranged by Shannon Saunders. Unlike the standard chord progressions commonly heard on traditional albums, Shannon branches out, borrowing from various musical influences.

On the title track The Yellow Book as well as The Tiger and the Panda, Shannon explores the jazzy side of bluegrass, not unlike Sam Bush, or Bela Fleck. Her strong Celtic sensibilities shine through on the flawlessly executed Haste To The Wedding set with special guests Geoffrey Kelly (Spirit of the West) on whistles, and Tom Landa (The Paperboys) on guitar. Although raised on bluegrass and country music, both Shannon and Julie were classically trained on the violin. The melodic ornamentation of classical music is readilly heard on the instrumental piece The Hammer/Toss The Feathers.The tune also highlights Shannon's talents on cello, one of 7 instruments she plays.

Not only does Shannon push the boundries of bluegrass through her musical arrangements, but also in her vocal stylings. In stark contrast to the high register singers like Emmy Lou Harris and Alison Kraus, Shannon's low, smoky voice, enhanced with Julie's harmonies, lends haunting depth to lyrics ranging from heartache, to trust in love, to a Steinbeck-like attentiveness to the landscapes she has covered in her 6 year tenure on the road with The Paperboys. The album's closing track Angel, allows Shannon and brother Travis to explore thier gospel roots. Beginning in a southern Baptist, acapella style, the song provides the perfect closing compliment to a richly-woven, eclectic, and energetic mix of tunes.

Recorded over 2 months at the family farm in Kelowna, BC, and engineered by Travis Saunders with sister Cheri on backing vocals, the album has a comfortable, relaxed, and intimate sound. Special guests including Hanz Araki on flute, Andrew Burden on stand-up bass, and Ed Sewel and Kossi Domon percussion, add to the "off-the-floor jamm session" feel of the recording.

At 26, with a JUNO and a West Coast Music Awardfor her accomplishments in The Paperboys, Shannon Saunders is creating her own unique accoustic sound. Bringing together traditional tunes with modern songwriting, Shannon Saunders & the Splinters are redefining the boundries of accoustic music and introducing it to a whole new generation of listeners.

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