AARON SHANAHAN
HAILS FROM BRISBANE, QLD
PLAYS IN DREAM DALI
SOUNDS LIKEHEADY, LABYRINTHINE STONER-POP
LATEST DROP “LET HER BE” (SINGLE OUT NOW VIA SUNNY ISLAND)
What’s your current go-to guitar?
I’ve had a few brands and types of guitars in the past – and I would love to try more different types with Dream Dali – but my go-to is the Fender Stratocaster. It’s a very malleable and affordable guitar to get different sounds with.
How did you initially fall in love with the instrument?
I am still yet to fall in love with a guitar, but I’ve always had a steady relationship with the Fender Strat. I once owned a custom-made Ernie Ball guitar that was great looking and had a tone that you could manipulate easily. Ernie Ball make some very interesting designs that look very cool. My first axe was a cheap Washburn. I couldn’t afford an expensive guitar or upgrade it, so I would decorate it periodically by painting it, making collages or covering it in candy wrappers. I think the Minties wrapper design was my favourite.
What inspires you as a player?
Growing up I was very influenced by Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead, Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins, and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. I am very attracted to guitarists who are more focussed on sonics, rather than technicality, in creating a world or soundscape to compliment the emotion of the music.
Are you much of a gear nerd?
Yes. I really love learning about new equipment that can help take what’s in your brain conceptually into reality. I Fuzz Face, Boss RE-20 and DigiTech Whammy, but I also love how you can incorporate multi-effects pedals with Ableton Live to switch out effects and change parameters to do what previously wasn’t possible. With our live show, I run MIDI changes out of Ableton that are in sync to control my Boss GT-100 to change time sync effects, change delay, and turn on pedals.
