Shannon Stephens sings about the frequent downs and rare ups of a life as a commuter. Up at five to get to the office in time - You know the drill. Yet Stephens will get a smile out of you before the album is over.

‘The Breadwinner’ is set to music that oscillates gently between the soaring harmonies of 1970’s Westcoast Singer Songwriters and the smooth groove of 1980’s songstress Suzanne Vega. Lyrically, Stephens draws a bleak picture of her life as a commuter working hard to make ends meet.

There is no trace of escapism here. Stephens doesn’t subscribe to the philosophy of ‘you had a bad day, so sit back and enjoy an extra skinny latte cappucino from your local petrol station’. Stephens eschews light diversions for a fundamental stock taking exercise: Love and family are the only things worth fretting about, work sucks, there are no magic breaks in life and the cavalry won’t be here in time to get us out of this. So get on with it.

What makes ‘The Breadwinner’ so listenable is the fact that, despite her subject, Stephens never whinges. Hers is a proud voice that sneers in the face of the neverending rat race. Shannon is clearly used to holding things together.

If you are a bit tired of songwriters who sound like they cry every time they spill a mug of hot chocolate, then try Shannon Stephens.

Listen here to ‘In Summer In The Heat’ by Shannon Stephens or right click to download the track for free!

Shannon Stephens - In The Summer In The Heat

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