On Notes From Hoover Street, Shawn Pander’s songs and stories sound so immediate it seems he’s living every line for the first time as you listen. “I take a lot from the experiences of friends and the people around me. Even though I may not know all the details, I know the results and how they feel about them, and I conjure up a story about it.”
His friendship with a local Houston bluesman and street musician named ‘Homeless James’ stirred Panders passion for music and at their last meeting, James gave Pander one of his own guitars as a parting gift, but while Pander treasured the gift, it would be many years before he actually did much more than ‘fumble around on it.
Eventually Pander picked up James’ Yamaha SG75 and moved to centre stage. In 2002 he relocated to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music, ultimately releasing a record entitled Memories 4 Sale in 2006. The album played well on a variety of AAA, AC and Country stations. Memories 4 Sale made a dent in the public consciousness. After spending seven years in L.A trying to further his career, Pander had had enough of the city. “I’d been in LA for maybe a year and a half, but the honeymoon was over. I didn’t notice the palm trees anymore. All I could see was the traffic, the attitude and the desolation in people.”