THE BERESFORDS
Country Music Duo
Shannon & Brendan Beresford are a brother and sister country music duo from Aurora, Ontario. Their debut EP released in June 2017 climbed to #4 on the Country music charts on iTunes Canada, propelling them into the spotlight of up and coming country artists. Their second EP titled Dust was released in December 2018, with their single Can’t Chase a Runner debuting on Spotify’s Down Home Country playlist and New Music Friday playlist. Their music blends the sounds of all of their musical influences, from Shania Twain and Fleetwood Mac, to Brad Paisley and the Dixie Chicks. Shannon & Brendan are known for their down-to-earth personalities and their stage presence. Their personalities shine through in every song and performance, and they have an undeniable sibling connection that is quickly stealing the hearts of country music fans all over the country.
Q) Who inspires you most?
A) Shannon: “Brendan is always an inspiration for me as an artist because he is always trying to get better every day.”
A) Brendan: “Shannon inspires me all of the time with her never-ending abundance of creativity with her song-writing and vocal compositions.”
Q) What do you do in an attempt to alleviate stage fright?
A) Brendan and Shannon: “We typically get very anxious to play and tend to stay active before performing…. Usually this is in the form of jumping jacks and a few laughs with our band.”
Q) Top 3 “desert island” albums?
A) Shannon: “Rumours – Fleetwood Mac, Home – The Dixie Chicks, and the soundtrack from the movie Twister.”
A) Brendan: “Hits Alive – Brad Paisley (I would want every single song of his, but I can only pick 3 albums! Hahaha.), The Three Pickers – Ricky Skaggs, Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson (The Three Pickers), Providence Canyon – Brent Cobb.”
Q) What advice would you give a new musician trying to break into the local music scene?
A) Brendan and Shannon: “Be yourself. Don’t be afraid to meet other artists and put yourself out there, and never write to please other people. Write for yourself and listeners will find their own way to connect to your music.”
Q) What are some of your favorite venues that you’ve played?
A) Brendan and Shannon: “Rock N Horse, The Social Pub, Markham Canada Day Celebrations, Yonge Dundas Square, and The Markham Pan Am Games.”
Q) If you could open for any artist/band, who would you choose and why?
A) Brendan and Shannon: “It is a dream of ours to open a show for both Lady Antebellum and Brad Paisley. We look up to Lady Antebellum for their incredible song-writing talents and for their magical harmonies. They are a vocal group we look up to very much and it would be so much fun to open for them and see how they conduct their show up close.
As for Brad Paisley, he is a living legend in country music and a pure class act. Not only do we want open up for him to share the stage with his unbelievable talent, we aspire to be as true and genuine as him throughout all aspects of our career, so sharing a moment like that would be an incredible honour.”
A) Brendan: “I have seen Brad Paisley live 4 times now and his shows are flawlessly executed every time. The lights, the video displays, his remarkable band, and of course his absolutely ferocious guitar tone blow me away. He is my idol and it truly is one of my biggest dreams to meet, and play with Brad… Just ask Shannon or anyone else who knows me…. I talk about it all the time.”
