SHAKEOUT RELEASES NEW SINGLE “BE FOR MYSELF”
Read more for our review of the new single and a Q & A with A.J. Chiarella
Punk Rock Artist Shakeout Releases New Single – “Be For Myself”
WORDS & Q/A BY CHRIS FRAWLEY
Hot off of the success of his recent single, “See Ya Never,” Shakeout — the punk rock solo project of A.J. Chiarella — is back with an enticing new record: “Be For Myself.”
The tone of this single switches back and forth between somber and triumphant, which is apparent in the transition between the verses and chorus. These alternating moods are emphasized by Shakeout’s expressive guitar chords, as well as his introspective lyrics.
On “Be For Myself,” Shakeout once again brings a deep level of soul-searching with his lyrics. But unlike many of his previous releases, which are more focused on promoting and affirming the confidence of his listeners, here he is contemplating his own self-worth.
“I wrote ‘Be For Myself’ after a lot of reflection about how I was constantly putting others before myself. I would say yes to things that I didn't always want to do, I put other people’s feelings and opinions before my own, and overall, I was just constantly spreading myself too thin.” -Shakeout
Ultimately, Shakeout’s track does a fantastic job of displaying the struggle that some people have when they lose track of themselves and what they deserve. It’s a powerful message: being selfless is a great thing, but you should also have the confidence to be yourself and respect your own time without reservations.
From everything I’ve seen of you, you seem like a very high-energy person. Are you naturally energetic and enthusiastic?
“Honestly, yeah. I’ve been pretty high energy my whole life. I just get excited about things that I enjoy and also my brain is constantly running at 1000 miles per hour. But I guess I can’t help it haha.”
You’re very active on social media and dedicated to putting out content filled with effort and passion. Even with the unfortunate luck you’ve recently had (sorry about your studio!), you’re not slowing down. I know that you’ve felt too spread out in the past; are there days when you feel burnt out? What motivates you to stay consistent?
“Like any creative person there are definitely times where I doubt myself and what I’m doing, but I never really get to the stage of burn out and I think that’s just because I genuinely love all the things I’m doing. I love learning and sharing the things I’ve learned, but I also love all the small mundane parts of working as a musician because I feel like I’m carving out my own path with everything I do. The consistency just comes from being grateful that anyone cares about what I’m doing. That just means a lot to me.”
So much of your music is filled with introspective and empowering lyrics. To me, it sounds therapeutic. Do you feel like it’s an outlet for you?
“100%. I’m not always the best at verbally communicating the things I feel and music allows me to express my ideas in the way I feel most comfortable. I tend to have a pretty positive outlook on life. My music, even when it touches on things that I’ve dealt with that were more difficult, always leans back to what I gained from those experiences to better myself moving forward. I take every experience in life, the bad and the good, as learning experiences.”
I’ve seen you refer to Shakeout not as a band, but as a community. Your “Punk Rock 101” series shows me that you enjoy sharing the knowledge and skills you’ve learned throughout your journey with other people, and you’re constantly posting encouraging content. Is it satisfying for you to help others get started on their own musical journeys?
“Absolutely. Something not a ton of people know is that I actually have a Master’s Degree in Music Education. I’ve been teaching music privately for years now. When I started growing a bigger following on TikTok, a lot of people would message me questions about playing in a band and it hit me that I should start a series where I could answer those questions. I love teaching and honestly just want to get more people playing music.”
On “Be For Myself,” you really wear your confidence, determination, and independence on your sleeve. Have you always had this daring mindset or did you develop it over time?
“It definitely developed over time. I always knew that I was a hard worker and really determined to make things happen for myself, but more recently I really started seeing what my path forward is as a musician and creator. I’m really excited for what’s to come.”
I read that you did a lot of soul-searching during the pandemic, what did you ultimately take out of that time? And did you begin conceptualizing “Be For Myself” during that era of your life or did it come to you later on?
“During the pandemic, a lot changed for me, especially with my mindset and how I approach a lot of things. I used to care a lot more about what people thought of me and those days have dwindled thankfully. I also really honed in on what I’m good at and stopped trying to do everything. I used to say yes to a lot of things and put other people before myself a lot, but I realized I needed to start to spend more time being for myself (see what i did there hahaha).”
Is “Be For Myself” also a call for listeners to spend time learning about themselves?
Yes. I realized that self-awareness truly is one of the biggest things that everyone should focus on. The better you know yourself, the more you can live the life that you want to live. Spend time every day just getting to know who you are and what you want/need. It’s so important.
From what I understand, right now you’re spending some time getting Shakeout back on track with live shows, streams, and more content. How has all that been going for you lately? Do you feel like Shakeout is in the right place for now? Where do you want to see it go in the future?
So as you mentioned before, I had some flooding in my house that was a bit of a setback, but I actually just finished putting my studio back together this week. I’m gonna be able to get fully back on track to making a lot of stuff coming up. One thing I have been working really hard on is trying to do interactive live streams where I can bring other bands out to perform from my house. So, that’s on the horizon. Other than that, I’ll be on tour this summer a bit and have a lot of plans to make more Punk Rock 101 content, streams, and a ton of other stuff. The focus for me is always just creating new things.
Is there anything else you think I should know about the track or about Shakeout? Please, let me know!
“I really appreciate you taking the time to make up this interview. Means a lot to have you ask these very specific questions. Other than that, if you’re reading this, my best advice is to get out and make stuff. Get out of your comfort zone, do what’s right for you, and don’t let the opinions of others ever stop you from doing what feels right. Cheers!!!”