Shipe Shape – Eugene Weekly

by William Kennedy, July 2020

On July 17, longtime Eugene singer-songwriter John Shipe will release “Love Ain’t Easy,” the first single off The Beast is Back, which is due out in the fall. That will be the folk-rock and Americana musician’s first new album in 10 years. Shipe’s new release is a double album, each half bearing a title of its own: “Hagiography” and “Involution,” words directly related to themes explored in the music, he says.

Songwriter John Shipe Shares 5 Inspiring Albums – Global Texan Chronicles

by Walter Price, August 2020

I haven’t been asked “who are your influences?” in years. Once you’ve taken command of your craft and found your voice, you no longer think of them as influences, but as colleagues. You cross a threshold, and start trusting your instincts. That said, upon reflection, I recognize certain, long-ago listening experiences as crucial to my creative fate (whether I remained a fan of them or not.)
—John Shipe

Trunkspace Interview – What took the Beast so long?

Singer-songwriter John Shipe traveled through darkness to find the light, a theme that permeates his latest album, the double-sized The Beast Is Back.

“Personal reckoning leads not only to being a better person, but to better art,” said Shipe in an exclusive interview with TrunkSpace. “My writing now meets the listener in some of the most personal places. Fortunately, with age comes the humility to let this happen.”

While the album isn’t due until September 25, the Portland-based Americana artist’s latest single, “Love Ain’t Easy,” is available now.

We recently sat down with Shipe to discuss art worth sharing, the maturity of social media in music, and writing for grown-ups.

Listening Through The Lens Top 5 Albums, December 2020

There’s a brutal honesty at play in this eighteen-song collection – mature love songs, playful paeans, foot-stompers and empathetic slow burners. Shipe’s clear and modulated vocals are a feature (his voice reminds me of the great Joe Henry) and the production values are first rate, cobbling together some of the Pacific Northwest’s finest – employing pedal steel, piano and organ, strings, horns, mandolin, fiddle and banjo.

The Beast Is Back brims with an assortment of treasures.