~~~ The members of Shorn are as follows: Cassie O’Bannon – vocals, Jake Willoughby – lead/rhythm guitar and backing vocals, Page Butler – lead/rhythm guitar and backing vocals, Eric Cooper – bass guitar, and Kirk Russell – drums. Shorn also wishes to mention Carter Green – production, world instruments, studio bass, and occasional guitar. Carter makes on-stage appearances with Shorn when he is able. Shorn was first formed in a small-town Kansas coffee shop in February of 2004. Vocalist Cassie...
~~~ The members of Shorn are as follows: Cassie O’Bannon – vocals, Jake Willoughby – lead/rhythm guitar and backing vocals, Page Butler – lead/rhythm guitar and backing vocals, Eric Cooper – bass guitar, and Kirk Russell – drums. Shorn also wishes to mention Carter Green – production, world instruments, studio bass, and occasional guitar. Carter makes on-stage appearances with Shorn when he is able. Shorn was first formed in a small-town Kansas coffee shop in February of 2004. Vocalist Cassie and guitarist Jake immediately clicked, and began writing honest songs about their most beautiful, as well as their most painful life experiences. They began recording at Greenjeans Studio ™ in August of 2004, where they joined forces with its owner and production guru Carter Green, whose passion for music is only exceeded by his genius. Carter added his own touch to Shorn’s first CD, Saturnalia. He played and recorded tracks of such instruments as the darbuka, oud, erhu, violin, and balalaika. Carter and Cassie also recorded tracks of wine glasses and spoons for the CD. With the combined creativity of Cassie, Jake, and Carter, Shorn’s music took on a new life. When Shorn first began recording, they had recently lost their drummer and were having trouble finding someone right for the job. Then, Carter introduced them to Kirk Russell, a talented solo artist who offered his time and skills to their project. He is a phenomenal percussionist with a hard-hitting, steady, yet complicated drumming style. The band fondly refers to him as the human metronome. Eric Cooper has been an absolutely essential part of Shorn. He’s a solid bassist who is talented enough to play anything he wants to, and gifted with the memory of an elephant. He is known for his deadpan expression contrasted by tee-shirts that give away his great sense of humor. Page Butler is a phenomenal guitarist, a gifted vocalist, and dynamic stage personality. He’s a ball of energy with an incredible amount of talent, and Shorn is incredibly fortunate to have him. Jake Willoughby is an extremely gifted guitarist whose creativity lends a singular element to each of the songs Shorn writes. His chord progressions are unique and inventive, and his onstage ability leaves no doubt of his greatness. Last, but not least, Cassie O’Bannon has been singing since she could talk. She is a classically trained vocalist who gives the audience a glimpse of her operatic ability from time to time. She is a creative lyricist, writes incredible melody lines, and is spot-on when it comes to pitch. Her ability, however, is only surpassed by her soulful delivery. Cassie took a break from Shorn for family reasons, and Savannah Bogner took over for her during the creation of their second CD, entitled Sanity, and her voice is heard on eleven of its twelve tracks. Cassie’s voice, of course, is the voice heard on its twelfth track. Cassie recently came back to the band to allow Savannah to begin a new life, and would like to publicly express her warm appreciation for Savannah’s past efforts with the band. Shorn has managed to overcome changes that would have torn lesser bands apart, and have constantly remained true to themselves, as well as to their extremely soulful and personal style of writing music. Shorn’s name is derived from this honest and raw approach to music-making; one of the many meanings of the word “shorn” is to be stripped away of excess. Shorn’s music is characterized by heavy rock guitar, ethnic instruments, and a classically trained vocalist. Their songs are written in such a way that it translates easily into acoustic music, and gives them a unique ability to adapt. Each song is different from the next, though instantly recognizable as Shorn. Their sound is sometimes eerie, angry, mysterious, raw, playful, or even seductive. Their fans range from ages 12 to 76, which is a testament to their ability to play music which appeals to younger listeners and holds meaning for those who are only young at heart. Shorn has played several different acoustic shows; small town coffee shops to larger shows such as the Terry Quiett Band CD release concert. From low-key shows such as these to heavy electric shows at the Kansas State Fair, opening for Eve 6, and various Battle of the Bands performances, Shorn has adapted and risen above and beyond to fit any venue they play. They continuously prove to audiences everywhere that something great really can come from a small town like Winfield, KS.
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