Silent as Shannon Slaughter’s grave

Bluegrass singer and songwriter Shannon Slaughter has left a considerable mark on music during his career in the industry. While attending college in Virginia, he played with notable artists like Lost & Found and The Larry Stephenson Band, before becoming a member of the Lonesome River Band, Lou Reid & Carolina and Grasstowne.

Now living in Alabama where he teaches high school history, Shannon produces music of the highest professional caliber as an independent artist, primarily with songs he wrote or co-wrote. His single releases regularly find a place on our Bluegrass today Weekly Airplay chart, as is surely his latest this month, which he wrote with Tim Stafford, titled Silent as the grave.

Slaughter says he built this song from a single phrase commonly used in conversation and turned it into a killer story.

“I heard my good friend Tim Stafford say this exact phrase when describing something several years ago, and I wrote it down, hoping that at some point I would ask Tim to help me with it. ‘to write. The song was inspired by too many cop show episodes you’d like to choose from! »

Recording with some of his favorite musicians, Shannon turned out a serious and lonely track about a faithful, hard-working man with a wife who was never satisfied. Things aren’t going well for her, but not in the way you might initially think.

With Shannon on guitar and lead vocals, studio support came from Ron Inscore on mandolin, Aubrey Haynie on fiddle, Trevor Watson on banjo, Gary Hultman on reso-guitar and Cliff Bailey on bass, who also sang tenor vocals.

“I really like what the guys did here with the intro. Gary’s reso and Trevor’s banjo supporting the top vocals worked really well to set the tone of the song.

It is good. Listen…

Silent as the grave is available now on popular online download and streaming services, as well as to radio programmers via AirPlay Direct.