Daily Inspiration: Meet The Medium

Today we’d like to introduce you to The Medium

Hi The , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
The Medium is a rock and roll project that’s enjoyed almost 10 years of existence. It’s main core members include Shane Perry, Michael Brudi, Sam Silva, Jared Hicks and Peter Brooks. I myself, (Shane) have spent the entirety of my twenties playing and writing songs for The Medium. As I turn 30 later this year, I gaze backward through time warmly, as I spent it together with my friends making music. Sam and I met at Belmont University in August of 2015, soon to meet Michael later that year. Peter joined initialy as our drummer for the summer of 2016, but left to pursue other creative outlets when Jared then stepped into the role. It was an exciting and lively time, full of mischief. We would practice in an airconditioning unit warehouse and host jams and parties. None of us were originally from Nashville, and as four young lads in a new expanding city, we enjoyed some wonderful years together. Our manager Thomas Young came into our lives at a house party we performed at where the floor literally collapsed and fell. He carried us though 2024, negotiated record deals, helped us get an agent, got us a Bonaroo performance, countless favors he did for us for free and out of the passion he wielded for our music. The band moved in together in east Nashville in 2018, and we released our first album in 2019. After covid hit, we sought isolation in the studio to record our second album. However, by then our momentum seemingly stalled and dried up. All cooped up in the house, we negiotiated to move out later that year. We toured a few more times but our second album didn’t release until 2022. Soon after, Michael decided to leave the group. We miss that guy! Our wonderful friend Peter joined the band again as session drummer and guitar man for two years, filling Michael’s shoes and expanding our sound. We self produced our third album, and in my opinion, our best so far. Sam and I currently live in Nashville still, but I am anticipating a move to upstate New York later this summer. Jared lives in Johnson city, Tennessee with his partner Joanna. We are currently tracking for our fourth LP and have an EP out March 5th.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Being in a traveling band is very expensive. Michael’s dad was very generous in helping supply us with a gorgeous red ford f-150 van we used for many years to tour. I have to drive to St. Louis now to use my parent’s mini van when we tour, which takes lots of time. Also those who don’t know, studio time, mixing an album, making product to sell like LP’s and T shirts costs thousands of dollars. It takes a while to recoup, and as artists you’re pouring your time into making art and have very little money to spare, so therefore must rely on the generosity of patrons and family while you’re building a following.
We we’re usually able to break even on tour, sometimes make a few hundred dollars here and there, but it’s ultimately unsustainable, especially on our last tour where we had too many days off and idle.

Covid was really the worst thing to happen to us. We had a lot of attention around our first album in 2019, the main buzz being Finn Wolfhard from Stranger Things shared us on his instagram. It was such a dream come true, one day we look down and we had 100,000 listeners. We were mid tour with this artist named Daniel Romano in March of 2020. the tour got cancled mid tour, and after that things were never quite the same. We were a great live band and could no longer perform.
It led to us moving out and eventually some of us moving away.

Playing cat and mouse with a bigger record label also really stalled the release of our second album, and was another nail in our coffin, momentumly speaking.

Jared, our drummer lives five hours away now and can no longer take Nashville gigs unless there is a clear financial incentive. So our abilitiy to perform has significantly reduced.

Now our obsticales are much the same as they – resources, mainly money. We are in need of an agent, but later on in the year when we’ve got our fourth LP ready we’ll cross that bridge.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I was never really interested in producing and recording my own music for many years. There was always someone around who was better at pointing the microphones, knew how to use a compressor machines, how to arrange a song. Things I had simple concepts about and didn’t know yet to care about them. I knew I had a knack for songwriting and singing but liked keeping the recording production work collaborative and with a producer. Over the years, I found unfullfilled in the production of our first two LP’s and Ep’s and eventually sought to learn how to record my ideas better. The pay off has been huge! The favor I have done to myself creatively is incalculable. I know now how to see an idea through completely as I hear it in my head, and gain immense joy choosing how to present my songs on record. It took me one solo EP and three albums over 4 years, but I’ve gotten leaps and bounds better at, not only producing, but playing, singing and writing because of it. I won’t always hit the mark in my art, but I know that since I’ve stayed curious, I’ve only improved with time. Even as the band has become harder to pursue publicly, Sam Jared and I are playing better than ever and currently making our finest most eclectic work yet.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
I’m speaking for everyone here, so I appologize if I get this wrong. Generally, I think we all have a love for country soul music. I’m always finding Jared and Michael listening to Michael Hurly, Jim Ford, Ry Cooder, the occasional Little Feat song. We all love Niel Young. You know, Dad music. We bonded early on over our love for the classic rock. We obviously don’t exclusively listen to 60s 70s music, but I think we could all agree we enjoy it. We all love to be creative, honeslty I prefer writing and recording over performances. We like arthouse movies. Michael is a talented architect. Peter is also quite the ceramicist. Sam and I enjoy a good book. He’s more non fiction, and I’m more of a fiction guy. We’re all decent cooks. I’ve gotten really into bread making last year as well and excel at it.

Dislikes, oh boy. The first one that comes to mind, I hate spotify and social media platforms. Instagram has no doubt benifited us at times, but I despise how it makes me feel to use their platform. It’s so superficial with its follower numbers, monthly listeners. I find myself comparing and envying others. I hate it. I have since deleted my personal spotify account. We still operate on these platforms but I would love to get off them one day, as I disagree with these corperations use of our time and attention. Sam also dislikes peanut butter and blue cheese. Jared hates popcorn.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://themediumband.bandcamp.com/album/city-life
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themedium_/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@themedium8532