Establishing the mood with cerebral, astral frequencies, expanding with piano chords, textured drums and reverberating vocalizations, Artists For Suicide Prevention open Shannon with dimensionality and a high emotional quotient.
We experience the lyrics, “Oh Shannon, why did you do it? I thought I knew you well, had your life before you, Shannon, the world has not been kind, polluted your brilliant mind, cut short your time…” which serves as an ode to Shannon, raising awareness of what happens to many people on our shared planet.
The chorus serves as a call to awareness about how we cannot tell by looking at someone that they are struggling with life. It’s a really important message considering that more than 720,000 people die by suicide every year worldwide, making it one of the leading causes of death among young people aged 15 to 29, with an estimated 20 or more suicide attempts for every death.
We deeply connect with the cinematic trip-hop vibes of the song and could imagine that fans of Morcheeba, Portishead and Massive Attack would vibe with what Artists For Suicide Prevention have created.
The music video for Shannon won Best Song at the New York International Film Awards and Best Music Video at the London Independent Film Awards, while also earning a nomination at the Cannes World Film Festival and official selections at CinefestOz and the Pop Shock Music Video Film Festival in Los Angeles.
It was filmed across Western Australia’s South West, bringing together around 100 local musicians, filmmakers, health professionals, volunteers, and a special cameo from Ian Kenny, to create a free, long-term suicide prevention resource that encourages hope, connection, and mental health conversations. The narrative of the video shows what could have been if someone had helped Shannon, and she had sought therapy. Of course, the call to action is to speak to a suicide helpline and we love how Shannon helps someone else at the end of the video.
For some background, Artists For Suicide Prevention is a community-led initiative founded by pharmacist and musician Ron Hood in Busselton, Western Australia. Shannon was inspired by Ron’s loss of his high school friend Shannon to suicide and his desire to turn that grief into a message of hope, connection and support. Needless to say, we are in awe, and have added Shannon to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist.
If you or someone you know is struggling right now, please consider reaching out to someone you trust or contacting a suicide prevention support service.
Australia – Lifeline: 13 11 14 // International support: https://findahelpline.com