Rising Star: The Music of American Idol's Alec Shaw

In this episode...

When you hear the music that 23-year old Seattle musician Alec Shaw is writing and performing you know he’s headed somewhere big.

But whether he knows that yet is a different story.

Shaw had already dedicated himself to being a full-time musician and had cut three albums by the time the pandemic shut down gigs and performances that were just starting to give him a following in the Northwest.

I ask him how he’s using this downtime when stages are dark, and discover that he’s currently a contestant on this year’s American Idol (Season 19).

Cover art to Alec Shaw's third album, Thinking Place

To my delight, Alec obliged when I asked if he might grab a guitar and share a song with me, and he performed an unplugged version of I’ll Just Let You Down, a new song from his upcoming album.

Several of Alec’s most popular songs are featured throughout our discussion as we banter about about his romantic life, his (super talented!) creative process, and how he’s dealt with stage fright and performance anxiety.

Currently, Shaw is working with producer Andy Park (Death Cab For Cutie, Noah Gunderson, Macklemore) on a new album, tentatively titled Quantity. You can support his self-release and learn more about Alec on the project’s Kickstarter page or at alecshawmusic.com.

"I'm thinking of naming the project "Quantity" as a testament to the thing I had to let go of during this trying time. In the past I would get caught up thinking more is better. “More money, more songs, more instruments, more shows, larger audiences.”

                           – Seattle-based musician Alec Shaw
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Rising Star: The Music of American Idol’s Alec Shaw

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