We had the good fortune of connecting with SHIR and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi SHIR, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think whenever I had the courage to take a risk in my life, it’s paid off for the most part. My dad always said, “the only way you learn is when you take risks.” I went to Belmont University in Nashville, TN and I was able to build a community of my own, and learn so much about songwriting- especially when it came to lyric writing because everyone in Nashville was so incredible at writing lyrics. During my Junior year of college, I ended up going on the London Trip which was this summer program where students got to write songs in London for a few weeks. At the end of the trip, everybody got to vote on which songs would get recorded and pitched to a few publishers. My song didn’t get picked and at first I was crushed but I kept listening to my song over and over again. There was something about it that I was drawn to.. so I fought for the song. My teacher saw how much it meant to me and let me re-record another version of it with my co-writer- who was an amazing producer. I was so proud of it by the end of the trip, but if I never took that risk to fight for what I believed in, I would have never gotten that opportunity.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I think what sets my songs apart from others is that I’m not afraid to say the things that people are scared to say out loud. I talk about body image and loving yourself, to almost losing my twin brother, to being the girl that’s never been loved once. My songs are an extension of me- which makes them so authentic to my life. Right now I’m most excited about my second single, that I just released on October 13th called Conversations With Myself. It’s a song that centers around body image and feeling unapologetically yourself in your own skin.
It’s crazy to look back at it all but I always wanted to be a songwriter and write for other artists. That was always my dream in high school after I found out who Julia Michaels was. I wanted to write for other artists until I was more confident in my own voice and eventually release my own music. For college, I went to Belmont University in Nashville, TN and being in Nashville taught me the importance of lyrics and telling a story. I heard a ton of no’s- it even took me three tries to get into the Songwriting Program. But eventually as I got better, I got to be apart of a bunch of songwriting camps and showcases at Belmont. I think the most important thing is to keep going, and to have a great work ethic. While I was in school, I was writing seven days a week for a year at one point. If you want to get better at your craft you just have to put in your 10,000 hours but it’ll be worth it in the end.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oooh, I would have to take them to the Palisades. It’s my favorite spot in LA. It feels like heaven to me. I love looking out on the cliff and being able to see where the sky meets the ocean. Then we’d go to the Palisades Village and grab coffee at Alfred Coffee while we walked around. I also love the Century City Mall. One day we could go to a museum. One night we’d go to Jesse And Friends or make sure to see a show at Hotel Cafe.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Honestly, I owe everything to my parents. They are a huge reason why I keep going on the days that I doubt myself. It took me a long time until I actually believed in myself and I wrestle with it everyday but they’ve just always believed in me and saw my potential.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/im_shir_music/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/imshirmusic
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa1Sc29e3TKyvHO2IeWemg
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@
Image Credits
Orlando Pelagio & Ben Pham