Exclusive Audio: The Shins' James Mercer Talks to RS

James Mercer, lead singer and songwriter for the indie-pop powerhouse the Shins, sat down with our very own Jenny Eliscu for a glimpse into his perfectly harmonious, yet tortured mind and what inspired their new album Wincing the Night Away. Read the full article here.

It's rare for Mercer to be this open about his creative process, so we wanted to share it with you, faithful Shins lovers. Check out Mercer discussing his personal songwriting technique, as well as why his lyrics are so obscure.

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Song Stories

“Oh Sherrie”

Steve Perry | 1984

Steve Perry's girlfriend Sherrie Swafford was actually in the studio when Perry began writing this song--his lone Top Ten hit as a solo act--with two co-writers. The trio began at midnight one night with just "Oh, Sherrie!" and "hold on, hold on." Three hours later, they had a complete song. Swafford, however, had to wait until the next day to hear it. "Sherrie actually got tired and went to bed," Perry said. She also appeared in the video, but their relationship did not hold on for long.

More Song Stories entries »

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