From painting houses to painting emotional landscapes through melancholic indie pop, Shane J. O’Dwyer laid everything on the line for his solo debut CALL ME BABE. After navigating heartbreak, band breakups, and the daily weight of sobriety, his debut transmits unfiltered emotion forged in isolation and resilience.
In this interview, Shane opens up about the emotional gravity behind the single, his raw recording process at CYBERSOUND Boston, and the pivotal moment when California stopped being a pitstop and became home. Whether he’s pacing train platforms with a demo in his headphones or finding solace in LA’s psychedelic rock undercurrents, Shane refuses to hold anything back — not from himself, and certainly not from his audience.
Welcome to A&R Factory, Shane J. O’Dwyer — we’re glad to have you here and excited to talk about this new chapter in your music career. The circumstances leading up to your solo debut weren’t easy — how did those experiences shape the emotional weight behind CALL ME BABE, and did they change how you approach your songwriting?
I definitely had a shift in perception for most things leading up to this debut. I had walked into it absolutely heartbroken for a handful of different reasons, my lady, my band, sobriety, but underneath it all was this inevitable force I finally felt myself lean into. No matter what, when the lights go down, and there’s nothing left, music is always there for me, and it’s the only way I can translate my feelings into something that can justify the struggles I find myself tumbling through. In terms of songwriting, not much has changed besides me finally sharing what I write and being more patient with the process.
There’s a striking euphonic authenticity in the track — it doesn’t shy away from raw sentimentality, yet every note feels refined. Did you always envision CALL ME BABE sounding the way it does now?
Honestly, no, the original demo of this song sounds different, and part of me enjoys the energy more in the raw bedroom tapes, but I’ve always looked at these songs like my own little Frankensteins, so however they grow is ultimately out of my control — I’m here for the organic magic. I more or less let the song itself take the wheel, and I find that a lot more satisfying from an artist’s perspective.
After such a disheartening fallout with your band, was stepping into a solo project freeing, daunting, or both?
Both — I was looking forward to finally doing my own thing, but it was a bit of a trip going into a studio alone for the first time, it’s a lot easier to deal with the environment when you have your close pals with you, but the experience was great, and I’m really lucky I worked with Rob at CYBERSOUND in Boston. He made the process really pleasant, and I’ll always be grateful for that. I honestly think Rob is a big part of the reason I’m more comfortable with the position I am in.
The production in CALL ME BABE carries a sense of adventure while still sounding fully realised. Were there any moments in the process where you thought, “This is the direction I’ve been chasing all along”?
There were moments at South Station waiting to take the train home, I’d listen to the demo from the day, and sort of pace back and forth, dissecting what we had done, and what I needed to do next. It’s a funny question for me because I did have a moment where I went “thank god I like this so far”.
What was the point where you decided your return to LA wouldn’t just be temporary, and did that shift mentally push you into finishing and releasing your debut?
Ironically enough, I did my final recording session a couple of days before I flew back to LA for my “little break”, so Rob was able to polish up the song without me in the room. I initially presumed that when I returned, I’d finish it, but after being in CA for a couple of weeks, the anxiousness of releasing the song grew, and I was no match for patience. Rob and I chatted through text, and after 2 sessions without me there, it was ready to go. It was perfect timing. I had a moment with myself out here in Malibu, and simply just didn’t look back to Massachusetts, there was too much smoke to try and see through anyway, whereas in California, there was just a clear road ahead, which I needed.
I feel at home in California, and that presence I find from within when I am here is something I treasure, and I’m at a place in my life where I’m not going to let go of that, or look back for nothing, or anyone, sincerely speaking. I knew, though, I had to come out with something immediately, and that was an already pre-embedded thought. If anything, this song should’ve been out months ago, but I had to save the money to record, and that required more disciplined time getting side jobs painting houses, and extra hours at work.
You’ve said you’re doing everything you can to let your music bleed into new places. Are there any specific spaces or listeners you’ve felt most drawn to since releasing this single?
I’ve been really drawn into the local psychedelic rock scene out here. I would like to start a new band on the side, and that solely came from the inspiration of seeing some really great local bands, and meeting some great artists out here, like The Snares & Rainbow City Park, they made me feel right at home. Although they are both from the Bay Area, it was my first local show this time around with this mindset in place. I saw another LA band that night as well, Babe Ruthless — they f***** ripped. I really recommend checking them out. As of late, I have only been listening to LA WITCH; they have been my favourite band for months now, and I’m hoping to catch their show next weekend here in LA. I found LA WITCH through the recommended artists tab on Spotify through Death Valley Girls, another LA-based band as well.
Has going solo changed your relationship with music in any way? Do you find yourself writing from a different emotional register now that you’re not considering a group dynamic?
Yes, and no. More pressure applied, but fewer things to worry about. At the end of the day, I’m just doing what I do, I haven’t put much thought into comparisons.
For anyone hearing CALL ME BABE as their introduction to your work, what do you hope they take away from the tonal bliss and the lyrical depth in the track?
Nothing but a picture, and a space where they can feel good even about the things that hurt most. I really enjoy the thought of everyone hearing the same song, but the place they go to is as unique as a snowflake, and I find it a privilege that those can be made between my sounds. It’s really cool.
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Stream CALL ME BABE on Spotify now.
Follow Shane J. O’Dwyer on Instagram.
Interview by Amelia Vandergast
