[--------------------------------------------------------------------------] ooooo ooooo .oooooo. oooooooooooo HOE E'ZINE RELEASE #626 `888' `888' d8P' `Y8b `888' `8 888 888 888 888 888 "What I Know About Shawn Mullins" 888ooooo888 888 888 888oooo8 888 888 888 888 888 " by Daisy 888 888 `88b d88' 888 o 5/9/99 o888o o888o `Y8bood8P' o888ooooood8 [--------------------------------------------------------------------------] I've spent countless hours filling my head with enough information on Shawn Mullins that it would make his own fiance, Kelly Hobbs sick. I've visited every website possible related to Shawn Mullins, read articles, and even started this file over half a dozen unsuccessful times. But here it is, my very own personal thoughts on him, the one and only, Shawn Mullins. A bit of "before-fame" history. Shawn Mullins grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and has been writing songs for over ten years. He went to North Georgia College and was already interested in the military because his father was in the Army and his brother in the Navy. Mullins got into the Colleges military program and was even an officer for the Army for a short time. While stationed at Fort Benning, two of his albums were done while he played at numerous Atlanta bars and clubs. Finally, a "new rock" format radio station picked up on "Lullaby" and before he knew it, nine years after he began calling himself a musician, he was getting calls from major record companies, totaling over 26 calls in less than eight days. Columbia Records finally signed Mullins and re-released his latest, "Souls Core" and of course, launched a video for his song that really made it happen. Nine years full of touring coffeehouses, living out of his van with his dog, Roadie, and attempting to sell what CDs he could move was his life. He listened to stories from his audience and even produced a few songs based on them. "Lullaby" for instance was not a life story of his own or anyone close to him, it was a story inspired by a gig he played in a small Chinese restaurant. There were only about five members in the audience and after his performance he was approached by a woman who sparked lines like, "she grew up with the children of the stars". A week later he thought up the chorus, "Everything's gonna be all right, rockabye". He wanted to give the woman hope, something to believe in. Yet, "Shimmer" was a little bit different. Mullins says, "Unlike Lullaby, it came a lot quicker. The melody came right after the words. It was like a gift. It was right after a point in my life when I first met Kelly, in 1994. The relationship and life helped me write that song. I never get tired of playing it. "Gulf of Mexico," my personal favorite, is similar to another song off of Souls Core, "Twin Rocks". "Gulf of Mexico" was written about a woman who was married to a Marine guy stationed in Pensacola and about her life as a bar maid at Flora Bama Sar, a bar on the border of Florida and Alabama. A few lines were made up though, such as there is no Ocean Avenue and who knows if w\she ever drove her brother to the liquor store? "Gulf of Mexico" does hold the most precious and touching line on the whole album though and it says, "And I hear a voice from my souls core saying freedoms just a metaphor and you got no where to go," it explains that freedom is just a joke, you are never really free, it is just a myth. Currently it is hard to find any of Mullins old albums from back in the day, but after searching all over Northwest Indiana, before finally finding one, his 1994 Big Blue Sky. But one sure fire way to get them though is off of the website of SMG, his label before Columbia House, web address being . I must admit my favorite song is on this album, called "Evolution Man," but I am also five albums shy of hearing every song ever released so I've got a while before I can voter on Shawn Mullins number one song. "Evolution Man" reminds me of myself yet I would be an Evolution "Woman," but that is besides the point, you know what I mean. "This world is a lonely place but shes always been there for him shes his steady ground and he'll never ever own her its the other way around cause shes the one sure way out shes the needle in his vein and he knows shes the only thing that will ever stop the pain." It describes my life, just switch the he's and the shes. It is very moving and I connect with it very well. With Shawn Mullins unique, musical ways, and his acoustic talent, he brings a whole new meaning to good music. If you want to hear some wicked good guitar though, check out "Pandora" on his album Big Blue Sky, wonderful acoustic talent, I promise. From "living out of his van from town to town" and realizing "its hard to get rich on a tour of coffeehouse gigs," Mullins has taught us that "its a blessing to do what you wanna do" and that it is okay to be a "dreamer". [--------------------------------------------------------------------------] [ (c) !LA HOE REVOLUCION PRESS! HOE #626 - WRITTEN BY: DAISY - 5/9/99 ]