Mat & Savanna Shaw share a rare and lovely distinction. Together, they are the first ever father-daughter duo to boast a No. 1 charting album on Billboard. That happened when the two released the 13-track LP, Picture This, in 2020, which hit the top spot on the chart’s Emerging Artists and Classical Albums chart. It also hit No. 54 on the Top 200.
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In the wake of that success, the family project released several other albums, including the Merry Little Christmas EP and the LP, Stand By Me. Since then, the Utah-based family duo has appeared on shows like Good Morning America and The Kelly Clarkson Show to talk about their bond and their music.
Today, American Songwriter is happy to premiere Mat & Savanna Shaw’s latest work, the music video for their song, “Be Here Now,” a track all about letting go of what could be and accepting to joy that exists in what is.
In the new offering, the duo sings, “I could spend my whole life chasing what I’m missing / And I could miss my whole life trying to change the past / But I wouldn’t change a single thing even if I could somehow / I would rather be here now”
We caught up with the two to ask about the new offering and their familial and creative partnership. Check out the new track, accompanying music video and their responses here below.
American Songwriter: What does the new song and accompanying music video mean to you?
Mat & Savanna Shaw: This song was a way for us to open up about some of our real struggles. Oftentimes, sharing our lives and stories with others, whether it’s on social media, with our music, or even with friends and family, our tendency is to show only the best parts of ourselves. That can create environments where many feel like they don’t measure up. It makes us anxious about the paths we are on, and it makes us overthink past choices. We fall into that same trap far too often.
Something we believe many can relate to is that, at times, it can feel that every success or every accomplishment is just reframed as a step to the next success “to strive for.” There is a pressure to always be doing the right thing and making the right choices—which takes a multitude of time overthinking and replaying past decisions, in turn downplaying our accomplishments rather than celebrating our successes no matter how big or small.
This song was our way of refocusing on gratitude. Taking a breath to let go of the past, and ignore all the what if’s of the future, and just “Be Here Now,” and be grateful for it. So many may have it “better” than us, but so many people have it so much worse. We wanted to just let it go, be in the moment, feel the gratitude for our blessings wash over us. It is a mindset that has helped us tremendously, and we wanted to share that in song.
The music video was filmed in Southern Utah. We haven’t always found beauty in the desert. In fact, we felt quite the opposite. However, the more time we have spent in Southern Utah, the more beauty we discovered. Having traveled the world, we can now say Zion is one of the prettiest places we have ever seen.
So in some ways, the very landscape represents the message of the song. Reframing the way we see the world, and taking the time to find the beauty that exists all around us in places we might not have expected. Beauty that we could easily miss if we don’t take the time to “Be Here Now”.
AS: How has working together on music brought you two closer together?
M&SS: It has not always been easy; learning to manage a father-daughter relationship and a business partnership at the same time has proven tricky at times. There are definite perks to being able to spend so much time together—writing songs, recording music, performing, traveling, etcetera. There are difficulties as well. There are things you learn and appreciate about each other that can only be discovered in the presence of struggle. Having the opportunity to see each other through the highs and lows has brought us closer together than ever before.
Writing music has been an especially rewarding experience, because it is so deeply personal. Talking about the parts of yourself that you don’t always share with others, in order to find the message that is important to you, is an experience that naturally draws you closer together.
AS: What is it like for you to see so much success come from your relationship?
M&SS: Well, to be completely honest, success is subjective. It really wasn’t until recently that we have been able to sit back and appreciate the journey we have been on. Success was that thing we were chasing that was always just over the horizon, just out of reach. We were always so focused on our work and the next thing, that we never even noticed the “success”, maybe still don’t.
The success we try to focus on now, is the feedback we receive from our music and performances. The impact of how it makes people feel. The messages fans are sending about how our music helped them get through the darkest moments in their life, and helped them celebrate the most meaningful parts of their lives.
That is success to us. And to share that with each other as a father-daughter is success, and priceless. It is a type of success that lasts, and that you can carry with you for a long time. We are just so grateful for it all.
Photo by Alyssia Baird / Courtesy MARBMKTG
