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Jane Shearer
"Squashed Frog and Other Stories"

Stories are life and life is stories. Once upon a time I played the cello and thought there was no music other than classical music. Now I know there’s a whole wide world of variety, in everything else as well as music. I’m originally from Otautahi Christchurch, which has little influence on my songwriting. I’ve also lived in Canada, the USA, Austria and the United Kingdom, Wellington and now Gibbston, none of which influence my music either.

From my classical days till now, I have loved words and use of humour in telling stories. Relatively recently, I refound my love of music in song writing with a goal of telling stories about anything and everything. Green Bacon? I can write a song about that. Didymo? I can write a song about that. Knitting Zombies? No problem. I aim to leaven most songs with a shot of comedy and include at least one word in each song that’s outside people’s normal lexicons (my mother was an English teacher).

If there was a band I’d aspire to be like it would be Flight of the Conchords, except there’s only one of me and I’m no good at ballet or stand-up comedy. In terms of songcraft, I'm particularly drawn to any songwriter with great lyrics and smooth tunes – Simon & Garfunkel, The Front Lawn, Leonard Cohen, Barenaked Ladies, Billy Joel. However, I’ve never actually aspired to be like anybody else – my aspiration is to be a credible version of myself because I’m never going to be as good at being someone else as they are.

Why my show theme? When I was in the Greengates lift queue at Coronet Peak a few years ago, the liftie mumbled something as I lined my skis up. By the third repeat, I heard him say, “You’re the Squashed Frog Lady – I saw you at the Sherwood." I was inspired to write my song ‘Squashed Frog’ by a very flat frog that passed my wheel as I was cycling uphill towards the Republic of Whangamomona in the central North Island. I’ve been referred to as the Squashed Frog Lady on a number of occasions since, including at Siberia Hut on the Gillespie Pass hiking circuit. Squashed Frog I’m fine with. Lady not so much. However, given I may never escape the Squashed Frog appellation, I have decided to own it.

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