How Chasing His Dreams Inspired Shane Appell’s Inspiring Single, ‘Pono’
Rising singer-songwriter Shane Appell has a singular dream of making it big in the music industry, and he's not going to let anything get in his way.
His latest single, "Pono," dropped last month, serving as the perfect distillation of that mission. The resilient and raw track tells Shane's true story of defying the naysayers and working to follow his musical ambitions, meanwhile serving as a heartfelt and inspiring anthem for anyone who's ever wanted to exceed the expectations others have put on them. Today, Shane has more than 875k TikTok followers and counting, showing us he's well on his way, and we got the chance to speak with him all about the track to share his story in the interview below.
The Story Behind 'Pono'
Shane Appell: I grew up in a very small-minded town only playing sports. When I started singing and decided not to go to college, I got a lot of hate. I decided not to listen to outside opinions and chase my dreams—that's what "Pono" is about!
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What 'Pono' Means
SA: This song inspires me to chase my dreams and block out the haters. I hope it does the same for everyone who listens.
(Photo credit: Josiah Richwine)
Shane's Favorite Lyric
SA: "Say bye-bye to the haters 'cause they're trippin, they hate what you're doing cause you're doing what they didn't, you'll watch 'em spin back and love you when you're winning."
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Shane's Biggest Advice
SA: To do it for yourself, and because you love it—not because anyone else wants you to.
(Photo credit: Josiah Richwine)
What's Next
SA: I plan to keep dropping songs that people can listen to daily and feel inspired afterward.
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Final Thoughts
SA: I was able to start and finish the song in one night! Also, the definition of "pono" is an unwavering congruency between who you wanna be and who you are in this moment…
It's also available on all platforms!
(Photo credit: Josiah Richwine)
For even more on our new favorite music, click HERE to read our interview with Sheppard on their latest album, ZORA.