Shaun Kirk is a self-managed multi-instrumentalist doing a hell of a lot of multi-tasking! Hailing from Melbourne, he's been around the traps for a while and is nothing short of talented and hard working.
As a one-man band, Kirk has mastered 4-way co-ordination like a mofo and is fantastic to watch and listen to. In his guitar tone I can hear hints of Fogerty and Dan Auerbach. In his voice - soul and grit. But at the end of the day, Shaun is really one-of-a-kind, has great stage presence as well as having strong song writing abilities that has seen him win multiple awards. He has supported Beth Hart, Ash Grunwald and Diesel (to name a few), and regularly releases covers with his initiative "RequesThis". Shaun has also gained a reputation for promoting a positive mental attitude on his socials.
Following the release of ‘Howlin at the Moon’ in early 2018, Kirk has played sold out shows across AUS and NZ, additionally appearing at Bluesfest and Woodford Folk Festival. His latest single ‘Save My Soul’ was co-produced with Nick Huggins (Jen Cloher, Mick Turner). Kirk has a big year lined up in 2020, due to tour Canada suppoting Matt Anderson and playing at Blues on Broadbeach in May.
After a jam-packed couple of months and recently doing a release tour, I asked Shaun about his touring experiences and how he manages his time off, creativity and well-being.
What are your touring travel essentials that you can’t live without or that keep you sane on the road?
“I generally try to have a good book at my disposal at all times, this mostly comes in handy during flights. I also always pack my runners and fitness attire. I find it is so important for me to try and maintain the regular morning running routine that I adopt when I’m at home whilst I’m on the road. With so much time spent sitting down in cars, at airports and on planes, it’s essential to get moving whenever the opportunity arises in order to keep my energy levels high.”
You've toured a lot over the years I am sure you are well accustomed to that break in between gigs. Can you talk to me about “the gap” in between shows and some of the things that come up for you e.g., resting, staying productive, being social, writing music?
“I’m currently self-managed and also self-booked, so in the time between shows I try to maintain a fairly routine ‘9 to 5’ lifestyle. I work Monday to Friday and when I have a Saturday or Sunday free, I take them as rest days to hang out with family/friends, jump in my garden, play some golf or just chill out on the couch. My Monday to Friday routine generally looks like this:
6:00am wake up
6:15am meditate
6:30am exercise
7:30am breakfast
8:00am family time
9:00am emails and phone calls
10:00am time block. This is my time to eliminate all distractions from my life and focus purely of my favourite thing in the world...CREATING! I turn of my phone, shut down my emails, close the door to my studio and I write, record, produce music with no distractions!
2:00pm general business creativity, such as brainstorming ideas, creating content for social media, planning tours, applying for grants etc.
5:00pm emails and phone calls
6:00pm dinner
7:00pm family time
10:00pm sleep
As a creative person, do you think our brains are wired completely differently to others or we all have a creative aspect somewhere deep down inside?
“I actually believe that every human on the planet is a creative and we are all born with the purpose of manifesting to benefit our fellow beings, just like an ant is born with the purpose of helping to build his colony. When you really think about it, an accountant is a creative in the way that they are, a lawyer is a creative, a builder or plumber is a creative."
Routine. How do you make each day productive on the road or do you just focus on doing the show? Do you have something that works for you?
"It’s definitely challenging to stay as productive when I’m on the road as to when I’m home. There’s a number of things that tend to get in the way such as checking in at airports, needing to take the wheel of a long drive etc. My highest priority when I’m on tour is putting on great shows, so a lot of the stuff that gets done on in between periods gets pushed down the priority hierarchy. That being said, I do try and stick to this very achievable template when I’m on the road in order to keep things moving whilst I’m on the move:
Complete 3 tasks.
Example:
1. Deliver a great Sydney show
2. Publish social media posts across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
3. Complete 2 x festival applications
Complete 5 emails/phone calls.
Example:
1. Call tomorrow night’s venue manager to discuss running times
2. Email accountant with last night’s figures
3. Email producer to lock in more recording dates
4. Call videographer to discuss next week’s goals
5. Email APRA re: performance returns
Do you think that we can talk more about mental health and touring? What has made you feel comfortable about being so open about it on social media?
“Yes, absolutely! It’s talking and sharing our stories and experiences that is the only way forward. I had a pretty dark time with depression from 2015-2017 which almost cost me my life. Whilst it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever gone through, I see it now as the best thing that has ever happened to me. I learnt so many amazingly valuable life lessons from it, one of the biggest being the power of vulnerability. This is why I’ve decided to open up about it publicly. Because if becoming vulnerable and sharing the lessons I’ve learnt helps just one person out there who may come across the content, then it’s totally worthwhile! It has given me purpose like never before, to inspire others. So many of us are simply surviving each day, rather than living each day. I want to do what I can to try and change that as much as possible.”
To stay up to date with Shaun and check out his music, visit his Instagram or website at www.shaunkirk.com/
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