South Maui’s favorite “starving artist” embodies the true heart, soul and magic of music.If you live in Kihei, you probably know the music man Shades. He’s the modest fellow with an uncanny resemblance to the late George Carlin, who wears the worn Boston Red Sox hat and strolls pleasantly up and down South Kihei Road. He walks with a beat in his step and a guitar strapped around him at times. He also lives by the Golden Rule when it comes to interacting with South Maui and its tourists.
“We’re all wanderers in this world. You have to just give people a little bit of leeway,” said Shades. “You have to make time. You have to understand that it’s not always about your time.”
His legal name is Shades—just check his license. “People sometimes don’t like that my name is really Shades, especially the cops,” he said with a chuckle. Shades always has a thoughtful grin beneath his rustic beard, but you will never see him without his trademark sunglasses. “No one has seen these artist’s eyes in this town,” said Shade. “There is so much story behind them, though.”
Born and raised outside of Boston, Mass., Shades has been here, there and everywhere, but his voyage to Norway in 1992 changed his life. He went there out of inspiration for his hero, Norwegian author Knut Hamsun, and his book Hunger, a story about an audacious man who wanders the streets in the pursuit of nourishment. The book has been a staple in “starving artist literature” since the beginning of the 20th century.
“I’ve been writing and recording music most of my life, but Norway is full of wonderful musicians, and that’s when my own recordings started sounding good,” said Shades. “It’s magical there.”
In 1993, Shades limitedly released Island Cowboy in Southern California and Norway, but said he believes the record was just “too smooth for his tastes.”
Six years later, the wind blew Shades towards the middle of the Pacific and he has resided in Maui ever since. “The energy of this island is fantastic. I’ve been getting charged for years. It’s nice to have created something you believe in from that energy,” he said. What Shades created was the soulful, nine-track album Nearly Naked, which was recently released online. Shades revealed, “This album was born from my burning desire, simply, to do it.”
And thanks to Jason Brown of Groovy Buddha LLC and his Kihei production studio, Shades was able to record his music at little cost. Shades was referred to Brown by another musician recording a demo, and Brown said he liked him right away.
Recorded during the last week of April, it only took one week to produce and master the album. Shades’ classic harmonica and guitar sound meshes seamlessly with his hearty, yet soft-spoken, voice. The album has a “sitting on the porch and enjoying a summer day” kind of feel to it.
“Shades’ music has a timeless American folk quality,” said Brown. “He is a walking storyteller who shows us who we are… a national treasure.”
The album is a throwback to the soulful rock of the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, reminiscent of John Lennon, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Willie Nelson.
Shades narrates three story tracks, including In Blessed Name of Elvis, which was inspired by his friend Endora Noyes and her short story, Pangasm, a tale about a woman living forever. Each song is unique, but listeners won’t be able to resist the catchy Daddy Don’t Mind or the charming Porch Swing.
“Shades was a pleasure to work with; he knew exactly what he wanted, but was open to experimentation,” said Brown.
Groovy Buddha LLC offered its distribution network for a commission of the sales, but Shades opted for Portland’s CD Baby, an independent online music network.
Shades may be a songwriter, but a singer was born in this recording. However, “I’m not the star—my songs are,” he said. “They’re gifts. I don’t work at writing. Life is work, but songwriting is not.”
Groovy Buddha LLC strives to help artists achieve their desired results. They offer all types of audio recording, including mixing and mastering for bands, singer/songwriters, comedians, storytellers and even radio commercials. They also provide graphic design and promotional packages. Shades doesn’t see a follow-up to Nearly Naked anytime soon, but said he believes “you never know what the future holds.” Above all, he just wants listeners to enjoy it as much as he does.
“I hope it makes people feel good and inspires them to do something that they have always wanted to,” said Shades. “It’s the best thing I’ve ever done.”
Contact Jason Brown of Groovy Buddha LLC at (808) 283-9250 or visit www.groovybuddha.com. Listeners can check out Shades’ Nearly Naked online at www.cdbaby.com, or catch him around Kihei, just doing his thing.