Our first glimpse of Shez Raja’s enthralling performance was at the Liverpool International Jazz Festival in February 2023, an event orchestrated and facilitated by Liverpool Hope University. Then, we managed to establish contact with him, paving the way for the intriguing interview that would follow. In contrast to what one might expect, Shez’s life-changing experience wasn’t set in motion by a high-profile festival but rather a deeply personal journey.
Shez Raja couldn’t have imagined just how much life was going to change when he embarked on a family holiday to Pakistan in March 2020. Travelling with his parents and sister, it was an opportunity to see where Shez’s dad had been brought up in Lahore.
“I really wanted to immerse myself in the culture of my roots and the music of my roots as well,” remembers skilled bass player Shez.
During the trip, the news channels were repeatedly reporting on a deadly virus, and there were rumblings that countries across the globe would soon be locking down. Funnily enough, this wasn’t what changed Shez’s life. Instead, the experience of stepping into the studio with a series of ‘incredible musicians’ would steer his career in a different direction.
“I just knew immediately that something very, very special and magical was happening,” recalls Shez, reflecting on his time alongside these artists.
Shez and his family safely made the final flight home from Pakistan to London, England. But while he might have had fears for the future as the pandemic took hold, he had every reason to be optimistic about the ‘magic’ that he had created during his travels.
Tales from the Punjab
Flash-forward to the present day and Shez’s experience on this trip – including his time in the recording studio – make up the foundation of his new album Tales from the Punjab. This six-track record digs deep into his rich South Asian heritage to debut a new sound that’s rather unlike anything he had produced prior.
In fact, the evolution of Shez’s sound is so distinctive that it often leaves audience members feeling like they are at two gigs when he performs his old and new songs during the same set.
“You’ve got the real, very, very Eastern traditional sound in the first half,” he explains. “Then in the second half it’s then the more traditional high energy sort of rock infused jazz/funk sound.”
Shez adds: “The audience really love it!”
Earlier this year, Shez – who was once voted one of the top 30 ‘Hottest Bass Players in the World’ by readers of Bass Guitar Magazine – was able to perform in front of family and friends in Liverpool. This is just a stone’s throw away from where he was brought up in The Wirral in Merseyside. It was a special occasion because he had the opportunity to play his new tracks with his loved ones in attendance.
“It was very special because my parents were there and my brother and sister, and a lot of old friends as well,” he recalls. “So yeah, it was a great evening – very memorable!”
The artist you see on stage, the music you hear him play and the enlightenment you sense from his soul, all stem from that trip to Pakistan. It kick-started what Shez calls ‘a great journey’ that is now seeing him showcase his new tracks and embrace new sounds.
“It’s been a great journey,” explains Shez. “It’s like a story unfolding. It really is a fascinating experience.”
Becoming an Artist
Shez has been developing his sound much further back than the trip to Pakistan. You can trace the journey all the way back to when he first began learning to play the violin at the age of six. While he had a fondness for this instrument, it didn’t quite capture his imagination in the same way that the bass guitar later would.
“I still love the violin,” insists Shez. “But it was just starting to feel a little claustrophobic.”
British-Asian Shez must have had plenty to inspire him when he was growing up. With Liverpool on his doorstep, he had a city full of rich music history to draw upon, with many great artists emerging from there, including The Beatles.
For Shez, however, he found inspiration even closer to home. He describes his mum as ‘musically-minded’ and notes that she has played the piano, while acknowledging that his dad’s ‘constant singing’ also played a part in him becoming the talented artist that we see today.
“I think my sort of melodic sensibility was heavily influenced by my dad, who sings constantly around the house,” reveals Shez. He quips: “He still does just walk around the house singing while he’s doing the dishes.”
This all set the stage for the big turning point in Shez’s life when as a teenager he first had the honour of picking up a bass guitar. In more ways than one it was a much better fit than the violin – and this took his life in the direction that he’s still travelling in today.
“I just loved everything about the bass guitar. I loved the vibration of the instrument and I loved the tone of the sound,” says Shez. “I think I knew perhaps more subconsciously than consciously that it was an instrument on which I could become fully self-expressed as a musician.”
Shez Raja: Finding his Sound
Those who have had the pleasure of listening to Shez’s music will know that it’s extremely distinctive. While the sound has now evolved with the new album, he describes his original work as a ‘blend of east and west, but in high energy, jazz, funk, rock compositions’.
This sound is something that he was able to really hone when he attended the prestigious Leeds College of Music. As well as refining his bass guitar skills, he also had the opportunity to learn other instruments, such as the tabla. This is a pair of twin hand drums from the Indian subcontinent that are shaped similar to bongos.
He says: “I’ve definitely found that I have generated rhythmic ideas on the bass that I wouldn’t have done without my knowledge of tabla.”
Shez’s education and skillset paved the way for him to become a session player. He played in many different bands, proving he was capable of performing genres such as rock, funk, jazz and Afro-Cuban.
He eventually had a ‘brainwave’ to start on his own projects. This came about when Shez had experienced a ‘loss in his life’ and used this as a springboard to change direction and become more involved in the creative process of being a musician.
“[The loss] was a catalyst for really focusing in on my own creativity and really creating music for myself from the heart that’s raw and real,” he reveals. Shez adds: “I hoped it would be something that I could share and that would sort of move and inspire people at the same time.”
Once Shez was more involved in the writing process, he quickly learned that he’s the type of artist whose writing is ‘visual’. He admits that he always ‘taps into his feelings and heart’ whenever putting a song together.
For evidence, look no further than the song Adventures in the City of Wonders from his new album Tales from the Punjab. It’s about what he’s seen and done – and could only have been written by him. In particular, it reflects on his travels to the East. While putting pen to paper, he had his mind set firmly on the likes of holy mosques, bustling markets and snake charmers that he’d seen in these wondrous places.
Shez reveals: “The song is such a mix of feelings and experiences that I was channelling when I was playing that piece of music.”
The Creation Process
Shez has combined his guitar skills with his songwriting abilities to create some truly memorable tracks. We shouldn’t, however, take the smoothness of this process for granted. No musician can knock out song after song in a matter of days, nor should they be expected to.
This is something that Shez wants to raise understanding of, saying that it’s normal for artists to experience ‘ebbs and flows of creativity’.
He elaborates: “It’s completely normal. When you are in a bit of a valley as opposed to a peak of creativity, I think there’s no point fighting it.”
For Shez, inspiration can strike when he hears another artist or when he’s sat at home with his wife and young son. However, it can also strike when he least expects it – such as when he is just walking down the street.
“I do randomly get hit by waves of inspiration,” he reveals. “I can literally be, you know, walking down the street and I’ll get a melodic idea and I’ll sing it into the voice recorder on my phone.”
If this sounds like the kind of thing that can only happen to someone who’s already in tune with their creativity, then fear not because there are ways to learn. In fact, Shez doesn’t just inspire people to follow in his footsteps but actively teaches them how to through running creativity masterclasses.
These popular tutorials are attended by diverse groups of people – which see everyone from lawyers and accountants to writers and technology professionals seeking out his help. Just like Shez’s music, it’s yet another way that he shares his gift with the world.
Silver Linings
Shez is a man who cherishes music and creativity. Therefore, it’s no surprise to discover that lockdown tipped his life upside down in March 2020. While he did make that final flight back to the UK prior to lockdown, the country – and most of the world for that matter – looked a lot different from when he left.
Bursting with inspiration after his trip to Pakistan, he admits that the early days of the pandemic left a ‘huge gap’ in his life.
“I felt a huge loss,” he explains. “There was a huge gap in my life. It wasn’t just that I wasn’t playing gigs, but I also wasn’t seeing them either. That’s something I really enjoy.”
There were, of course, unexpected upsides. Shez found more time to enjoy in his garden, as well as spent more quality time with his wife, who’s a singer, and his young son. Shez is quick to praise his son for being ‘very creative’ and sharing his dad’s love of music, while revealing he’ll cherish that added time in which they had to bond during the summer of 2020.
“It’s something that never would’ve happened, to get to know him that well and connect with him so much,” says Shez. He adds: “That never would’ve happened without the lockdowns.”
Music-wise, Shez also made positive strides forward and managed to make the most of the uncertain times that the world found itself in. He added new equipment to his home studio and through the power of technology he was able to collaborate with artists from across the globe. This includes musicians from places such as Cuba, France, India and Pakistan.
At least three of these artists will be featuring on his upcoming album.
Irons in the Fire
The prospect of a new album is very exciting. It’s not just that Shez is still riding a wave of momentum after releasing Tales from the Punjab, but also that it will be fascinating to hear how his sound has continued to evolve.
Due to the fact that Shez will be collaborating with a large number of musicians (many of which aren’t based in the UK), the next record promises to have a real global flair to it. This, however, does come with its challenges as Shez has had to finalise the logistics behind such an ambitious venture.
“I could have chosen the easy option to work with four people based in London instead of working with about a dozen people in a number of different locations,” he reveals. “But I think the diversity that it’s going to bring to the music and the sounds will be well worth it.”
There’s no doubt that Shez can overcome this challenge, meaning his fans can look forward to a future release that’s surely going to impress. When this happens is currently uncertain, which is why Shez says it’s important that musicians have different income streams so that they can be selective about what they do and who they work alongside without feeling pressured to meet a deadline.
He explains:
“I think it’s a good idea to have a portfolio of activities and income streams so you can be resilient and you can also be in a position where you’re selective on what you do musically.”
The Ups and Downs
Indeed, it’s often the case that the obstacles in life are where we find out just what we’re made of. Hurdles only prove to show us how high we can jump – and this is a belief that’s fully endorsed by Shez.
The music industry is tricky to navigate and there’s perhaps no other sector quite like it. But for those people looking for a career with more ups than downs, Shez insists that they should instead ‘pray for mistakes’.
“I’d say pray for mistakes. I’d say don’t be afraid of making mistakes, even live on stage,” says Shez.
He elaborates: “As soon as you make a mistake, that’s your gateway, that’s your opportunity to find music or a sequence of notes that you’ve never played in your life before.”
In addition, in a world where music is now more accessible than ever before and on an average day you can hear a variety of tunes from all different continents, Shez wants people to feel comfortable in using different inspiration to find a voice that is distinctive to them and their music.
Speaking about what he’d recommend to young and emerging musicians, he advises: “Listen widely. Go and find your own unique voice.”
It’s clear that Shez is speaking from experience, meaning there’s no reason to doubt that this path works.
What’s Next?
Shez’s future is something that we should all look forward to. It promises to feature even more live gigs in which people will have the opportunity to hear him perform tracks from his album Tales from the Punjab, while in the not-so-distant future it looks like another record will be on its way.
However, Shez admits his work is not finished – far from it. As a devoted artist, he sees his life’s work as a constant series of events and experiences in which he can get better at what he does.
“My goal is to become the best musician that I possibly can. And I think there’s no real end goal to that one because I think it’s a lifetime’s work.”
This isn’t just an honourable aim, but also gives us even more reason to keep a close eye on Shez. After all, the best could still be yet to come – and this can only be a good thing for music fans!