Meet Sunderland's 'Witch Pop' performer Shannon Pearl, who's leaving audiences spellbound

A Wearside witch has crafted a new sound which is enchanting audiences.

Shannon Pearl, 31, from Southwick, found her ethereal sound, rooted in heritage and ancestry, didn't quite fit with regular genres of music, so coined her own phrase 'Witch Pop.'

Performing both solo and with her six-piece band, her unique blend of traditional instrumentation and more modern live looping sets, is striking a chord with audiences who are really connecting with the spiritual sound.

"My sound is like neofolk, a mix of pop, folk and electro, but I felt like it didn't fit into one genre so I came up with the term Witch Pop," explained Shannon, who combines music making and being a Sacred Celebrant with working part-time at The Good Apple in Derwent Street.

"I've been performing on the music scene in Sunderland for the past 10 years with different bands, but always kept my stuff separate because it's so different, it's very ethereal and informal. I'm influenced a lot by folk lore and history," added the singer / songwriter.

Shannon has already released debut album, Kiss The Ground, on this year's summer solstice.

Her moving performance at this year's Lindisfarne Festival earned her a spot on BBC Breakfast and she's also received backing from BBC Introducing.

Shannon writes her pieces on a loop pedal, before giving the music to her musicians, and then performs over it live, fusing her vocal performance with lyrics and instrumental sounds, with each performance dedicated to different ancestors.

When performing with her band, Shannon shares the stage with John Timney on drums and production, Dylan Parker on keys, Adam Cornell on bass, James Berry on guitar and Jen Clewes on violin.

Last month, they performed a sold-out headline show at Independent in Holmeside - with audiences left spellbound.

Shannon said: "I didn't expect people to love the music as much as they do, they really get into it. When I perform solo, I find people really like to get close to me, to be in close proximity.

"We sold out Independent and we never expected that the whole room would sit down on the Independent floor to join in with our quieter songs.

"I really try to foster a connection with people and place in my music, opening the door to people's imaginations."

Sunderland will next be able to see Shannon perform live with a single release at Pop Recs in the New Year, with ticket details announced soon.

In the meantime, she's teamed up with Lol Stone who owns a metaphysical shop called The Portal at The Eagle Building in the East End.

They'll be hosting a Sisters Circle, open to all genders, where people can share in spiritual practices. The event will also incorporate Shannon's music.

Speaking about how she became interested in the spiritual field, Shannon said: "We have a heritage of gypsies in our family and I think it stemmed from there. My nana used to do tea leaf readings and I've always had nods to that way of life growing up.

"Witchcraft and a more spiritual way of life is really coming to the forefront now with trends on the Internet and it means I'm able to express myself in that way without being ridiculed. I can embrace the weird now."

*The sisters circle takes place at The Portal, The Eagle Building, High Street East, on the Winter Solstice on December 22 from 6pm-9pm.

It will feature an intimate live performance from Shannon, mulled wine and a shopping experience with The Professional Widow. Tickets are £20 from www.theprofessionalwidow.com