She fronted the rock trio Crowsdell in the 90's, recording two albums, Dreamette and In the curve of an arm. Both featuring her intense writing, playing and singing.
Her first solo album, Flightsafety (1999) featured a gentle acoustic sound. Her next release, Maps of Tacit (2000) brought a more vocally aggressive approach. This was further developed on her next two albums, Dyed in the Wool (2001) and Over the Sun (2004), which were both recorded with Steve Albini.
After a collaboration with French musician Yann Tiersen (Yann Tiersen & Shannon Wright, 2004), the works that followed moved in a gentler direction, mixing warm folk and rock songs with moodier pieces. These albums included Let in the Light (2007), Honeybee Girls (2009), and Secret Blood (2010).
Her next album, In Film Sound (2013), incorporated more raw and harsh indie rock elements reminiscent of earlier works. Later, on Division (2017), she experimented with a fragile keyboard-based sound incorporating sampling and electronic beats. Her most recent release, Providence (2019), also has a haunting sound mainly based on piano.
She's a frequent road warrior, playing shows everywhere from South Dakota to Brazil. Her live shows are emotionally charged, unbridled pieces of rock and roll, featuring Shannon's trademark vocal howl and multi-instrumental palette. Shannon was handpicked by Sleater-Kinney and Nick Cave to open some of their US tour dates.
fractured
Shannon Wright Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dubious son doubled up inside
Magnify build a son
Rather than mend a man
Hide your face ringside in fright
Hammer down broken up inside
Magnify build a son
Rather than mend a man
Magnify build a son
Rather than mend a man
The lyrics of Shannon Wright's song "Fractured in 2" is quite cryptic yet thought-provoking. The opening line, "Burn your iris with a clash of light" suggests sudden brightness that could blind or distract someone. The next line, "Dubious son doubled up inside" could be interpreted in several ways. It could mean someone feeling uncertain or worried about themselves (the dubious son) while keeping it all in (doubled up inside). The line also implies that there is a sense of duality within the person, possibly struggling with conflicting emotions.
The chorus begins with "Magnify build a son," which seems to suggest a call to create a better version of oneself or someone else rather than just "mend(ing) a man." This can be interpreted as a desire to make major changes instead of just fixing minor faults. This idea is repeated twice in the chorus, emphasizing its importance.
The second verse again starts with a line about hiding - "Hide your face ringside in fright" possibly referring to someone retreating from a situation due to fear. "Hammer down broken up inside" may allude to a person who is dealing with some internal struggles, but is putting on a brave front to cope with it.
Overall, the lyrics of "Fractured in 2" suggests someone wanting to bring about a significant change within themselves or someone else, acknowledging the inner turmoil but also encouraging them to create something better than what they already are.
Line by Line Meaning
Burn your iris with a clash of light
Blind yourself to the harsh realities of life through an intense flash of light
Dubious son doubled up inside
A son who is uncertain and conflicted internally
Magnify build a son
Focus on creating and sculpting a child, rather than repairing a broken adult
Rather than mend a man
Instead of healing and repairing a broken individual
Hide your face ringside in fright
Cower in fear and avoid facing the challenges that life presents
Hammer down broken up inside
Suppress and bury internal pain and turmoil
Magnify build a son
Emphasize the importance of shaping and molding a child into a desired form
Rather than mend a man
As opposed to healing and repairing the broken soul of an adult
Magnify build a son
Focus on constructing and creating a child, rather than fixing a damaged adult
Rather than mend a man
Instead of repairing and restoring a broken individual
Contributed by Anthony B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.