Limerick born multi – instrumentalist, producer and string enthusiast, Shunya

aka Alan Keary will embark on his first debut tour to Ireland accompanied with

his versatile five piece band from Manchester. On top of being a studio

engineer and arranger for producer Mike Bennet (The Fall, Ian Brown,

Emerson Lake and Palmer) and collaborating with the likes of Intastella, Craig

Gannon (The Smiths) and Nick McCabe (The Verve), Keary has been carving

a name for himself under Shunya as a growing influence in the underground

jazz / electronica scene in Manchester.

Alan is also son of Limerick guitar legend and producer Dave Keary (Van

Morrison) which started his obsession with playing and producing music. “I

was really lucky to have access to my Dad’s studio from a very young age, he

taught me how to produce bands, record and mix records. Having this space

also allowed me to experiment in my own way as a teenager using computers

and toys to give rise to songs and grooves!”

Shunya’s sound is an amalgamation of influences, ranging from his early

musical background of classical violin to the sounds of Manchester’s

electronic music scene which compliment his highly accomplished abilities as

a jazz bassist. With influences referencing artists such as Flying Lotus, Bjork

and Eric Whitacre.

In early 2017, Shunya’s name saw a rapid increase in notoriety when his

single Wonder N Wane (feat Hayley Pip Williams) was picked up by Huw

Stephens (BBC Radio 1) and BBC radio Manchester. Ilovemanchester also

ranked Shunya in their “top 5 local bands making it big in Manchester”.

His recent collaboration with DJ Yoda’s & Breakfast of Champions live band

has gained Shunya a notable reputation as a collaborator. With co-writing on

tracks such as “Pebble Beach” going on to be play listed by BBC 6Music.

Other notable collaborations include Werkha, (Tru Thoughts, Brownswood

Bubblers) & Josephine Oniyama (Rubyworks), lending arrangement and

performance of strings & bass.

Shunya’s self-titled release also features appearances from GoGo Penguin

drummer Rob Turner and session drummer Craig Hanson on the track ‘The

Beauty of Being the Void’. Singer Hayley Phillipa Williams features throughout

the E.P and brings a haunting yet soulful feel to tracks such as ‘The Elaborate

Hoax’, suggesting connotations reminiscent to the music of Kate Bush.

Shunya continues to collaborate with various artists and musicians with a

vision to combine everything into one boiling pot, defying the notion of ‘genre’.

Live performances display varying arrangements ranging from a duo to a 12

piece band. Virtuosic solos fly above live beats drawing similarities to the likes

of Snarky Puppy or Robert Glasper. Keary features as violinist, bassist and

vocalist whilst also delivering the texture and backbone of electronic beats

loops and samples through Ableton.