Photo Courtesy of White Bee.
Blending soul into groove psychedelic rock beats, Detroit’s White Bee is flying into 2020 with exciting singles and a new album.
Shannon Barnes is the force behind White Bee who has been writing songs for nearly seven years after learning to play the guitar. She has said that she was inspired by soul and rock artists such as Stevie Wonder, Amy Winehouse, Prince, and Bob Dylan.
White Bee has been flying around Metro Detroit for the past few years with the current lineup consisting of Valerie Klaft on drums, Robert William Nash on keys, Craig Sheppard on bass, and Arianna Bardoni on back-up vocals. The Metro Detroit quartet has been shaped through their imperfect, but lesson-filled experience in the local music scene.
“It’s taught me how to be a sloppy musician, but in a good way,” Barnes said. “You have to understand that perfection isn’t everything and you just got to do it.” The group released their first official single back in August 2018 titled “Beat State.” Barnes also appeared on Radio Wire Empire’s song “It’s Me, It’s You,” which was featured on their 2019 album “Strawberry Long Play.” The group has been hard at work on new material since then and is planning on releasing two more singles before their debut album on March 27th. Their first single off the new album, “Antihistamine,” was released on December 27th and features Barnes’ soulful voice and catchy rhythm. The group released a new single today, January 27th, and plans to release another one on February 27th. Barnes wanted the album to have a pure sound and for people to hear every note in every chord. A lot of the songs on the album are ones that people who go to their shows already know, but they will be in their final form. “This album is the next step into something bigger and I hope to be touring with this album,” Barnes said. The group has an album release show scheduled on Friday, March 27th at The Loving Touch. saajtak will perform a supporting set for the group. With a neo-soul sound, new singles, and a new album on the horizon, there is plenty to be excited about with White Bee in the coming months. You can stay up to date with all of their announcements on their Facebook page and find their new music on Spotify.