Shenandoah Davis + Tommy Santee Klaws
Thu, Oct 12, 2017 at 7pm
On Shenandoah Davis:
“And you know how to find the Northern lights / and you know how to fight wildfires / and you know the Latin names for every tree / but you don’t know me,” Shenandoah Davis sings on the fourth track of her forthcoming third full-length record, Souvenirs. The song, “Gold Coast,” is one of the album’s many peaks in poetic, yet direct lyricism, showcasing Davis’ astounding ability to distill even the tiniest moment, to pinpoint even the smallest of feelings, and spin them into a dynamic narrative that instantly reels us in.
Shenandoah Davis grew up attached to the piano. Being homeschooled, she’d spend each day racing through her lessons so she’d have time to practice for as long as possible. After graduating from the University of Northern Colorado with a degree in opera performance, she packed up and moved to Seattle to pursue their music/arts scene. Davis has been based in Seattle for ten years now, but has spent nearly half of that time away from home, touring throughout North America and the globe both in support of her solo music as well as part of other bands. This extensive touring and DIY work ethic led Davis to write articles and publish zines, giving detailed advice to fellow musicians based on her own experiences recording and on the road, covering topics such as “The Art of Gratitude” and “Things That Will Probably Happen To You On Tour.” Her most recent full-length, 2011’s The Company We Keep, took her to New Zealand, Australia, and Portugal, and also led to coveted slots opening for The Lumineers, Laura Marling, Angel Olsen, and Martha Wainwright, to name a few.
Souvenirs is a breakup album, but not in the traditional sense. Recorded and produced by Sam Miller in his Brooklyn apartment, it delves into breakups both personal and professional, romantic and platonic, intimate and inanimate, shedding light upon seemingly inconsequential occurrences and illuminating their greater meanings and potential consequences in our lives. Its message is amplified by masterful vocals, driving piano, and sweeping orchestral arrangements, with horns and strings that were recorded at the College of St. Rose in Albany, New York, where Davis’ younger sister had been studying.
Shenandoah is on Plume Records in the US and on Home Alone Records in New Zealand.
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On Tommy Santee Klaws: