Shawn Hook

From a young age Shawn Hook immersed himself in music through piano, bass, and trombone lessons, choir participation, and high school composition studies. Born Shawn Hlookoff in South Slocan, British Columbia, he entered college as a geological engineering student before shifting his focus entirely to music. He relocated to Vancouver’s Art Institute to train in audio engineering while performing in the disco cover band Shag. Under his birth name he issued albums in both 2004 and 2006, and his songs were placed on series such as The Hills and Bones. At the time his style stayed organic and guitar-centered, favoring a relaxed acoustic tone. The poignant ballad “Soldier” became a modest hit and an unofficial Canadian anthem aired each Remembrance Day. By 2012 his approach had shifted toward a pop-driven vision that folded in his broad range of influences. His first project under the name Shawn Hook, Cosmonaut & the Girl, appeared that year on Kreative Soul Entertainment/EMI Canada. Growing American visibility prompted a 2015 deal with Hollywood Records. Analog Love followed in June 2015 on Universal Music Canada, with a shortened EP edition issued in the United States the same year. His commanding falsetto anchored new electronic-tinged indie pop tracks laced with R&B, soul, and disco, echoing the melodic ease of Maroon 5, Fitz & the Tantrums, and Enrique Iglesias. He joined Vanessa Hudgens in 2017 for the reflective single “Reminding Me.”