Shaina Shepherd Talks Fronting Nudedragons (aka Soundgarden) and Bringing Back Grunge

Those who love Seattle’s live music scene know Shaina Shepherd’s name well. She’s been a sonic force on the scene for about a decade now, moving between you-can-hear-a-pin-drop solo jazz performances to raucous the-ceiling-might-be-crumbling-down rock gigs. But more recently, she’s taken on the role of fronting the iconic grunge rock band Nudedragons (aka Soundgarden).

With guitarist Kim Thayil, drummer Matt Cameron, and bassist Ben Shepherd, Shaina is a torrent. A weather system that may soon find your city. But what does she think about her new gig with the guys? Is she trying to bring grunge back to the forefront? How did she get to working with these Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees?

VICE checked in with Shaina Shepherd to talk about her dreams and how they’re quickly coming true.

VICE: Tell me the quick origin story of Shaina Shepherd singing with Nudedragons.

SHAINA SHEPHERD: Working with Nudedragons came as organically as farm-raised oysters. And it all started with [Guns N’ Roses bassist] Duff McKagen.

Back in 2020, when the pandemic was disrupting the music economy locally and nationally, nonprofits were doing whatever was possible to keep artists united in purpose and working on their craft. A group of up-and-coming Seattle artists were paired with legendary slayers for a charitable TV show, and I was lucky to be paired with Duff. We spent a grip perfecting a version of “A Change Gonna Come,” and after the project, we continued to work together in his studio as he was putting together his record Lighthouse. He mentored me as I worked on my own record. I sang my background vocals for him, and it was a wonderful time.

Soon after, I got a call from Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil, and I’ll never forget the thrill that filled me when he asked if I would sit in with him and Nate Yaccinno for a Layne Stanley tribute at MoPop. It was my first time working with the Soundgarden guys, and we spent lots of time working together on Alice in Chains songs. That was the most cementing and validating time of my career, and the lessons I learned in that studio have truly crafted my performance mentality. Because it was, dare I say, easy? I think Kim would agree that there was something magic happening between us and the music back then.

Drummer Matt Cameron found me when it was time to celebrate [early grunge icon] Tina Bell. He was sitting throne on an epic Tina tribute that her son T.J. Martin and Om Johari were throwing at Central Saloon. My first time meeting him was at the Pearl Jam studio—we had, like, 15 minutes to shake hands and rehearse, and I wouldn’t see him again until I arrived to a Central packed to the gills with sweaty fans and heart-wired artists. I jumped up on stage, we gave each other the look, and we were off to the races. Over the years following, we’d get closer: share stories, share our passions for the city, and now we share a project called Matt & Shaina.

Nudedragons came out of the blue for me. I got a call from Matt asking if I’d join them for a show supporting the charity, SMOOCH. I was very glad to be thought of, but I was also terrified. Bassist Ben Shepherd [no relation] and I didn’t meet until the first rehearsal for Nudedragons, and that was what really gave me the sweats. But as soon as we met, I knew it was kismet, that we were cut from a similar cloth, and that his wisdom was going to help me grow as a human. Playing with those guys felt like playing on the playground at recess from the first riff. 

VICE: You have an incredible range as a performer, but what does performing rock music do for you, specifically?

SS: Gospel was my gateway to internal solace. I was raised with it, and in many ways, it has formed my spirit as much as my family or my DNA. But rock was my first connection to a certain type of choice. Meaning, I chose rock and roll to design the framework of my imagination, to de-clutter the questions of my mind and the world around me. The storytelling of Bruce Springsteen taught me to be authentic; the strength of Joan Jett taught me to be bold; the mystery of Patti Smith taught me to trust my feet as I wander; Sinead put the right questions in my stomach; Betty put the cause in my hips; Tracy Chapman kept the light in my heart; and Tina Bell taught me I have a place in the world.

Rock music is my gateway to myself. I am crunch and causation. I am a runaway and a getaway car. I am rock, and rock is me. Everything I make is rock and roll. Listen to my voice.

VICE: How have you bent yourself to fit together sonically with grunge icons like Matt Cameron, Ben Shepherd, and Kim Thayil?

SS: Those guys are my family. It’s like asking someone how they blended with their extended relatives at grandma’s house for Thanksgiving—it took intention from all parties, but gratification came as quickly as smoked meats at the cookout.

When I started [my rock band] BEARAXE, I was very intentional about flowing with sounds of Kim Thayil. The sound of his guitars helped me find the grit in my voice after years of smoothing as a student to the classical genre, and Matt’s always been the cleanest church cat drummer in the game. I’ll never forget feeling that connection as a kid checking out Superunknown in the library and feeling the connections to Andre Crouch, Darryl Coley, and Kurt Carr. 

I never had to bend, even though I tried to at first. I never had to imitate. They literally just told me to follow my instincts. And when I came up for air, bleary-eyed and spent with the end of a song, my inner sabatour would come back up and plead for validation, or edits or whatever you’re trained to look for in self doubt. But those guys would be like, “Ok, cool. What’s next?” or “Let’s run it again for fun!” Just back in the water for another swim.

VICE: Do you feel as if you are “bringing grunge back” into the music world—if so, what does that genre and performing it mean to you?

SS: Yes and no. I don’t think grunge has ever left. Music is a spectrum of thought shared by multiple parties all contributing their little snapshots to an inimitable collage, and grunge will always be an in-erasable streak in that texture. Grunge was birthed in Seattle when a bunch of counterculturists had a thought-baby, and they nurtured that kid because they needed it in their family. The world decided they needed that kid, too. If anything, Seattle is an amazing parent at raising kids that rattle cages when cages need rattling, and maybe she decided it’s time to have another kid. I’m just one part of that kid’s life. There are so many stories and artists marching to the beat of that drum in our town right now. The world needs us. And so grunge is back, sweeping its color through the music world.

VICE: Tell me a quick story of the most sublime or surreal moment you’ve had performing with the band.

SS: Those that know me know I have a passion for drag. Hair, makeup, clothing, color—it’s all a feast of choices to inspire the inner self to come out and play. So, choosing my clothes is a very important part of my performance style. But with all the prep for my performance with Nudedragons, I could not decide how to show up. 

We were at the venue the day of the show. There were only a couple of minutes before we went on stage. I had shown up to the event with a suitcase full of clothing options and had the audacity to throw the dreaded girl question at these grown men! I’m throwing up hangers at these guys and watching the confusion and panic hit their eyes, and I got the final reminder I needed before we hit. My brain reminded me, “Shaina, this is not about you. This is about them. This is about your friends. Share this moment with them.”

So, I ran out on stage in a pair of SPANX and an X-Men t-shirt, fully committed as an artist to Matt Cameron’s bass drum, Ben’s stack, and Kim’s amp. For maybe the first time in my career, I didn’t give a flying eff what I looked like or how I was being perceived. I was a fan living her dream and a friend to those living theirs. I don’t remember anything after that. 

VICE: For all the fans who are excited to see the Soundgarden songs performed on stage again soon, what message do you have for them?

SS: I like to think of my passions as puzzles I can’t solve, as the games you play with a team or those choose-your-own adventure books we had as kids. Drafting one’s life can take the fun out of it, so I’m not doing that for anyone. If you want to see it, want it. Want it, and you’ll have it. I hope folks will join me in celebrating the work and legacy of these guys. That’s what I get to do when I’m with them.

VICE: What’s the one thing you want the world to know about you, Shaina Shepherd?

SS: I’m a girl who’s sensitive, kind, and kind of crazy. The world is not built for a girl like me to survive, and yet I have, inner child intact and with a heart full of love. I will protect my right to design, inspire, and evolve. I will defend my right to choose joy. My life is a series of opportunities given to me by a legacy of hardworking American healers and a God that still calls me Child. I’m grateful. And I will continue to access that gratitude as I make art however I see fit for the rest of my life.