I'm the Mackem Witch Pop who's gone viral with my spellbinding sound

It’s been a busy year for Shannon Pearl, from Southwick, who tapped into the healing properties of sound during lockdown and used the magic of it to conjure up her own distinctive neo-folk infused sound.

Realising she didn’t quite fit into any one genre, she coined the phrase Witch-Pop and draws inspiration for her performances from folklore, ancient tradition and nature.

Over the summer, she had a run of festival sets, taking audiences on a journey at Lindisfarne Festival, an event at Glastonbury, Hardwick Festival in County Durham and Sunplugged in Sunderland.

Speaking about performing at Hardwick, the 33-year-old said: “It was the first time I’d played that festival and it was headlining the second stage, which was mad. Olly Murs was playing at the same time as me and it was surreal as I could hear Olly’s tunes bopping at the same time.

“I got to meet him as well in the Green Room and he was really nice.”

Festivals and the communal experience of music in the great outdoors is one that fits well with Shannon’s sound and she’s already got seven festivals booked for 2026.

Speaking about the experience, Shannon said: “When everyone goes to festivals they all want to cut loose. Everyone likes dressing up at festivals and my music asks you to do that and asks you to get involved and everyone jumps on it - and I think it’s catching on a bit.”

This year certainly has seen Shannon’s music catch on - she’s gone viral six times on Instagram and TikTok, with her biggest video reaching over 2.8 million views and attracting interest from the likes of SZA and Dave Stewart.

It features the singer and songwriter performing the Nordic vocal technique of Kulning.

Traditionally used to call grazing animals home from their alpine pastures and to communicate across high mountain valleys, it involves high pitched calls and has been used since the Middle Ages.

Her latest release, EP Fae Fälla, features some of the magical short songs and is already doing well on Spotify.

“It’s less of an album and more of a short EP because my first Fae Fälla album flew on Spotify and I’ve got loads more Kulning songs,” said Shannon. “So I thought I’d make another to make it more of a body of work and to share more ancient Swedish herding calls.”

Speaking about her rise in popularity, Shannon who juggles performing with serving at Good Apple cafe in Derwent Street, said: “It feels like I’ve been doing it for two seconds - and also forever. It’s a strange feeling to have millions of eyes on what you’re doing. It’s good though, because opportunities have come out of the woodwork that I would never have expected.

“It’s funny that people like what I do now, as opposed to being bullied for it as a kid. It’s nice to feel like I’m in some sort of crew now, like I belong. And I think people who find my music also feel like they belong and that’s why it’s resonated.”

You can catch Shannon and her band live for yourself at The Cluny on December 11 where she will be performing a theatrical ode to the Pagan God of the Wild in a night celebrating mythos and folklore, with tickets available here.

The Witch-Pop has also teamed up with The Glass House in Gateshead for a series of drum circles, guided meditation and sound baths where she teaches people to tap into the spirituality of music themselves.

For more information and dates see here.