On KGNU’s Afternoon Sound Alternative, host Greg Schultz welcomes Shawn Hess, a singer-songwriter from Laramie, Wyoming, for a live in-studio performance. Hess plays several original songs, including Till It Ain’t, Roadhouse Blues, A Tear for You, and Harvest Me. Between songs, he discusses his background in music—from blues and psychedelic rock to folk—his 2024 album Wild Onion, and his upcoming tour that includes the Woodstove Festival on Vancouver Island. The two also chat about songwriting inspiration, guitars, and musical influences like Jimmy Reed, highlighting Hess’s down-to-earth humor and heartfelt storytelling. (Studio Session: 10/25/25)
Greg Schultz: Right now, we’re gonna bring you the Everlasting Hills of Laramie, Wyoming, and Shawn Hess is here to play some songs for us. Morning, Shawn, thanks for coming in.
Shawn Hess: Morning.
Greg Schultz: All right, you made the drive down. You’ve got a beautiful guitar there — we’ll talk about that. Why don’t you just kick it off with a couple of tunes, and then we’ll come back on the other side and chat a bit. Tell the folks what you’re gonna play, and here we go.
Shawn Hess: Perfect. I’ll start with a song called Till It Ain’t.
(plays music)
Greg Schultz: All right, great. Good song, man — I like that one. How long ago did you write that one? Do you remember?
Shawn Hess: That’s been a couple years now.
Greg Schultz: Any significance behind the words? Okay, you don’t have to get into it — I know, you’re a singer-songwriter. It had some really nice lyrics. I was trying to pay attention, but that guitar you’re playing — talk a little bit about that. That is a unique-looking acoustic. Beautiful.
Shawn Hess: Augustino Zy out of Plainsboro, New Jersey, makes these. I think he comes from a family of guitar makers, and they were classical makers. So the string spacing is a little closer to a classical. I’ve got fat little meat-hook fingers, so it really helps.
Greg Schultz: Mine are just short little chubby fingers there. You’re not a chubby dude — it’s the anatomy of playing guitar, right?
Shawn Hess: (laughs)
Greg Schultz: I dug that song. You got another one for us? What else you wanna fire up there?
Shawn Hess: I’ll play a song called Roadhouse Blues.
(plays music)
Greg Schultz: All right, man, I like that one. I don’t like comparing musicians to musicians, but that was a real nice folk song.
Shawn Hess: Well, thanks.
Greg Schultz: I was gonna say a little Dylan-esque.
Shawn Hess: Hey, that’s all right with me.
Greg Schultz: Yeah, I know. Like I said, sometimes you get into these comparisons, but I thought it was a cool song with some really poignant lyrics.
Shawn Hess: Oh, thanks.
Greg Schultz: The two TV dinner thing — we’ve all been there before.
Shawn Hess: Oh, I know it, man. For too long.
Greg Schultz: Yeah, I know. Stay away from processed food. I’m a bit older than you, but it’s a good tip no matter how old you are. Hell, my daughter’s older than you are by ten years.
Anyway, folks, we are joined in the studio by Shawn Hess, singer-songwriter from Laramie, Wyoming, playing some tunes. I wanted to ask you a few things. You told me earlier you got started about ten years old and that you and I have a friendship with Jimmy Reed.
Shawn Hess: Yeah.
Greg Schultz: Which I thought was cool. It’s always interesting to hear singer-songwriters who sing folk and country music dig Jimmy Reed.
Shawn Hess: Yeah, he was great.
Greg Schultz: What album did we both have?
Shawn Hess: Live at Carnegie Hall. That one’s just a masterpiece.
Greg Schultz: Great live album. We both have the vinyl — which you can find out when you meet somebody in ten minutes.
Shawn Hess: (laughs) Yeah.
Greg Schultz: I mean, nobody else I know has that record — well, one friend, Gino, does. And I think when you listen to that stuff when you’re younger, you’re not playing the blues, but it resonates with how you approach music and probably write songs.
Shawn Hess: Of course. Everything you listen to has an effect in some way.
Greg Schultz: Yeah, especially guys like him who could just sit down with that electric and play those easy little blues chords — that I could even play — but turn them into a masterpiece.
Shawn Hess: Exactly.
Greg Schultz: That’s pretty cool. So, real quick, your music — you put out a record last year, didn’t you?
Shawn Hess: Beginning of 2024, I put out a record called Wild Onion. It was recorded in Flatirons, outside of Boulder.
Greg Schultz: Oh, nice.
Shawn Hess: Yeah, it was really nice. We tracked the whole thing live and had the entire album done in ten hours.
Greg Schultz: That’s the way to go. Pay for less studio time! Unless you start tweaking everything, it’s not going to be perfect — and for me, I don’t know if it needs to be perfect.
Shawn Hess: No, no. Capturing the moment is what I’m after.
Greg Schultz: I think capturing a feeling is better than perfection.
Shawn Hess: Absolutely.
Greg Schultz: Well, I feel that way because I’m far from perfection. (laughs) I’m a volunteer DJ. Did you get out and play that record around a little bit?
Shawn Hess: I’ve toured it — played a handful of tours. I’m about to go on another one, heading up to Canada to play there for the first time, doing a little festival on Vancouver Island. Hopefully the weather cooperates until I get to the coast.
Greg Schultz: When are you heading out?
Shawn Hess: November 1.
Greg Schultz: Okay, you should be okay.
Shawn Hess: Should be all right.
Greg Schultz: You might hit some rain on the way — who knows, right? What festival is it?
Shawn Hess: It’s called the Woodstove Festival in Bamfield. Seems like a really cool thing.
Greg Schultz: Nice. That’s exciting. Are you working on any new music now? I’m sure you’re always writing songs.
Shawn Hess: Yeah, I’ve been trying to get some songs together for another new album. Songwriting’s coming a little slower these days — I think I’m enjoying life too much and having too good of a time.
Greg Schultz: Don’t let that pass you by, pal.
Shawn Hess: No, I’m thankful for it.
Greg Schultz: You should be — that’s what life’s all about. And then you kind of lock in and start saying, “Well, I need to really start getting some tunes.”
Shawn Hess: I think I gotta get my feelings hurt again, maybe.
Greg Schultz: (laughs) That always works! That’s probably the best remedy for songwriting — a broken heart and a bottle, and off you go with another couple of tearjerkers. That’s what country music’s about — that and too much drinking.
Shawn Hess: (laughs) Not always.
Greg Schultz: Sadness can be a good thing.
Shawn Hess: Yeah.
Greg Schultz: Well, why don’t you give us another tune? We’ll chat a little bit more and then take out with one more. What are you gonna give us here?
Shawn Hess: I’ll play one called A Tear for You, but it’s not a sad tear — it’s a happier song, really supposed to be a little more sentimental.
Greg Schultz: Good! I feel like smiling and not crying, Shawn. Let’s kick it up a notch.
(plays music)
Greg Schultz: All right, man, that’s a cool tune.
Shawn Hess: Hey, thanks.
Greg Schultz: Nice picking there — sounding pretty good over the headphones.
Shawn Hess: Good! That guitar is crystal clear.
Greg Schultz: It is a beautiful guitar.
Shawn Hess: Yeah, it’s stellar. I just put a pickup in it — it’s my new daily driver. I’m sure it’ll have plenty of dings and scratches next time you see it.
Greg Schultz: Just like your life and your body — it adds character, makes you who you are. Folks, we’re listening to Shawn Hess, coming down from Laramie, Wyoming, singer-songwriter. Real quick before we do one more — where are you from originally? Tell the folks a little bit about your background, then we’ll get back to the music.
Shawn Hess: I grew up in Cheyenne, was born there, went to high school there. I started playing music in middle school with bands — everything from blues to doom metal and psychedelic rock. I moved to Laramie about 15 years ago and started making more folk music, and here I am.
Greg Schultz: And you’re a bass player.
Shawn Hess: And I’m a bass player — lifelong bass player.
Greg Schultz: We were speaking off-air about being a bass player, and you said it’s kind of hard to do a solo thing as a bass player. I joked that unless you’re Jaco Pastorius, you can’t hold a room very well. But I think you made a good decision, pal.
Shawn Hess: (laughs) Thanks.
Greg Schultz: You have a unique sound and nice songwriting skill — and it is all about the song. That’s what it’s all about.
Shawn Hess: Yep.
Greg Schultz: Another old guy trying to tell you what to do, Shawn. I love having people come in — young, old, whoever — just to bring your guitar and lay it out on the line. It takes not only nerve, but conviction to put your thoughts on paper and sing them to folks. I appreciate you having that.
Shawn Hess: Absolutely.
Greg Schultz: All right, folks, we’re going to take you out with Shawn Hess giving you another tune. Where can people find anything about you — your tour, your music, your life?
Shawn Hess: I’m Shawn Hess Music on Instagram. All my tour dates are posted there. I’m too lazy to maintain a website, but you can hear all my music on all the streaming platforms, YouTube videos, and all that good stuff.
Greg Schultz: Yeah, I listened to some of your stuff on Spotify, which was nice to have since we just buttoned this thing up not too long ago. I’m really glad we were able to make this work and that you came down. We appreciate live music.
All right, folks — Shawn Hess is gonna take you out with one more. Tell us what we’re gonna hear.
Shawn Hess: I’m gonna do a more folk-style song that I wrote called Harvest Me. It goes out to agriculturalists and organ donors.
(plays music)
Greg Schultz: Hey, that’s live music, man — that’s the way it goes. You make a little nick here and there, and you just keep moving on. That proves we’re live on air.
Everybody’s smiling — anybody who plays guitar’s done that before.
All right, Shawn, thanks for coming in. Shawn Hess, folks — thanks so much for joining us live in the studio here at KGNU.
We’re gonna play some new music now — jumping into a song by Joshua Hedley. I love this one — it’s called All Hat, No Cattle, right here on KGNU.
