In the category of things we didn’t expect 2020 to throw our way (of which there have been many) we have the return of Shaye, the award-winning pop-folk trio consistent of Kim Stockwood, Damhnait Doyle, and Tara MacLean. The trio reunited after a 13-year hiatus to record “God,” a song that had been written 25 years ago, just in case this was what the universe needed.
In the 13 years since their five-year tenure as Shaye, Stockwood, Doyle and MacLean have all enjoyed successful careers as solo artists, while still remaining fast friends. But the circumstances of 2020 (which, even for the safe posterity, seem too obvious to point out) call for drastic measures.
“We have all been working on our own stuff, our own lives and music for many years. It just seemed like we needed to join forces and save 2020,” says MacLean.
Although it has just being recorded this year, the song was a regular part of Shaye’s live performances. Written by Jeen O’Brien, who has also penned songs for Great Big Sea and Serena Ryder, the song was regularly employed as an acoustic showstopper.
“Back when we were first recording together we came across this song and absolutely loved it,” says Maclean. “We didn’t record it for the records but it was always the last song we played at our live shows. We would unplug the guitars and walk to the edge of the stage and sing it acoustically and it always brought down the house. We decided it was time for the world to hear it.”
“So happy the girls decided to record this. I wrote it such a long time ago, far before we ever met . . . funny, cause it really feels like it was made for them,” says O’Brien.
The decision to revisit the song came from Stockwood, who says she had woken up in the middle of the night with the song in her head, and, when she found the song the next morning, she teared up.
“I just knew it needed to come into the world now,” says Stockwood, “music has always brought people together . . . it is the great healer. And so incredible to sing with the girls again, even from afar.”
The band had already made plans to reunite to honour Ron Hynes at the East Coast Music Awards, but with the celebrations taking a socially-distanced twist this year, making a physical reunion impossible, the band say they were heartbroken.
When Stockwood suggested to the rest of the band that they instead finally get around to recording “God” it seemed like “a perfect way to come together again.”
“The song is one of our favourites to sing together and we had never recorded it. It just felt so right singing together. Good for the heart,” says MacLean.
“There’s been something very illuminating about being quarantined these last few months – you realize what’s important and what isn’t,” says Doyle. “At the end of the day, the only thing that matters are your relationships with the people you love. I’m so happy to be singing in harmony with Kim and Tara again.”
The song was produced by long-time friend of the band, Bill Bell (Tom Cochrane/Justin Nozuka/Jason Mraz), who also added a guitar track from a demo he recorded with Shaye in 2003.
As for whether we’ll see more of Shaye in the future, Tara MacLean tells us, “Not sure we’ll do more, but you never know!”