As SHAB gears up for her next EP & prepares to close out the year on a high, Damon Sharpe, revered US producer, songwriter & all round industry figure now delivers his own flip on ‘Skin & Bones’, blending deep emotional roots – with an electrifying electronic edge.
We caught up with SHAB and Damon to find out a little more about their latest collaboration together, creative inspirations & future release plans.
We welcome you to EDM Nations, how’s the fall season been for you both?
Damon: Very busy, traveling, sessions and shows but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Looking forward to winding down for the holiday season for some family time and a nice reset. It’s always great to come back top of the year refreshed and ready to hit the ground running.
SHAB: I don’t think that there’s anything that Damon said which I would not completely echo! I had a busy October on a U.S. national music tour with The Wanted out of Britain which was intensely challenging from a schedule standpoint but an absolute blast, nonetheless. Beyond that, I’ve been in the studio working on some new tracks as well as preparing for the launch of my new DropTrou jumpsuit line this very week.
Damon, congratulations on the release of your remix of the SHAB single ‘Skin & Bones’, when did you first hear the original?
Damon: Thank you! We actually wrote the original version together at my studio in Los Angeles. So I had to approach the remix with objective ears coming back to it. It took a few tries to nail a new direction that felt fresh and more Dance-centric while still maintaining the integrity of the original. It’s a very special song to SHAB and I wanted to make sure I delivered something that resonated with her.
SHAB, you’ve been working for Damon for quite a while now and he has remixed several of your tracks previously. What was the impetus for having him do a remix of SKIN & BONES?
SHAB: Well, you’re probably not completely aware, but Damon has been my co-Manager for the past four years and was also the very first producer with whom I worked in my English language phase of my career. Most of the songs in my discography were co-written with Damon: and SKIN & BONES was originally a song that we composed back in 2020 in the aftermath of a catastrophic car wreck involving my husband, which occurred just as Damon and I were starting to work together. It was only natural for Damon to do a remix of SKIN & BONES.
Damon, being a GRAMMY & ASCAP award-winning producer, how do you continue keeping your sound so fresh & relevant?
Damon: I’ve been doing this a long time, but I am still very much a student of the game. I am constantly digesting new music. I am also a DJ so I have the luxury of playing out at clubs and doing a lot of my research on what people react to in real time when I’m there. My radio show on Insomniac radio, Brainjack Radio is also a great barometer for me as I get tons of songs far in advance of their release, so it allows me to be a bit ahead of the curve.
SHAB, lyrically what’s the message that ‘Skin & Bones’ is conveying to your fans?
SHAB: The original version of SKIN & BONES, which was composed at a time when my husband’s recovery was still quite uncertain, was a more melancholic track song. But as my husband recovered and we were able to experience normalcy in our lives, my sentiments underlying the track evolved from a place of darkness and into light, reborn in a spirit of thankfulness and a gratitude for where we find ourselves today. The song is sourced from the deepest part of my heart and reflects the joy of still having the man around my life revolves.
Damon, what piece of advice would you offer to aspiring producers trying to break through?
Damon: be sure to put in your 10,000 hours and don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things. Authenticity is everything. Show them who you are with your music.
SHAB, finally is there any other exclusive future release news you can share with our readers?
SHAB: Absolutely! For you EDM fans out there, I will be putting out a new four track EP during the late winter that has been produced by Damon and was created together with the boys from the Dutch EDM duo Avalan Rokston. I am also likely to be releasing a catchy new track aimed at the club segment that started out as a jingle for my new DropTrou jumpsuit line – and of course, it’s called DROPTROU — that I think people are going to find as a lot of fun. And in about a week, Damon & I will be working in Los Angeles, producing songs that will be intended for my third album.
Connect with SHAB:
www.instagram.com/shabmusicofficial
www.tiktok.com/@shabmusicofficial
Connect with Damon Sharpe: