Tell us about how the four of you formed Shel.
Well, basically we are four sisters raised by hippie parents who encouraged any artistic endeavor we started, so when a collective interest in music surfaced they began giving us pep talks and telling us that if we'd learn to get along we could be like the Beatles or the Marx Brothers someday. It was a smart motivational tactic, we idolized both groups, mostly fascinated by the synergy that came from four distinct individuals combining brain power.
What kind of music and sound should we expect from the group?
We're striving to create a dynamic journey, both musically and lyrically, so the sound is varies from song to song. The tracks range from pop, art rock, cinematic classical pieces to folk influenced sound. At this point in recording, two songs feature Liza (drummer and youngest sister) beatboxing, which adds another layer to the sound.
Nashville is known as the root of country, is it a good place to hone your talent as musicians?
There's a lot to say about Nashville. The heritage is incredibly rich, the community diverse and supportive, and the level of dedication to music truly inspiring. We spend as much time as we can with the musicians and songwriters that are everywhere in Nashville. Our co-producer, Brent Maher and songwriter, Paul Kennerley, have become inspirational mentors and have introduced us to some great music and musicians!
Where do you draw influence or inspiration from for your music?
Life. There's love, wonder, sadness, hope, pain, struggle, and joy everywhere.
If you could work with anybody on new material, who would you choose and why?
Where to start. There are so many fascinating artists making music today, but it would be incredible to collaborate with Florence and the Machine, Alt-J, Lord Huron, Vampire Weekend, or Muse.
You're signed to Dave Stewart's label, how did that come about?
His publicist is a mutual friend of our manager, and she ended up coming out to a show and forwarding the music on to Dave, who offered to co-manage and collaborate with the group, which was a bit unreal for us, we were very excited about working with such a legendary artist, producer and songwriter. Dave encourages everyone he works with and is a fearless creative force.
Last week you performed in London, how did you find the reception from that show?
Amazing. We were thrilled and relieved to have a full house of enthusiastic fans, some of whom had come from Scotland, Sweden, and even folks from California, who happened to be in London. Some fans even showed up in top hats.
Your track 'You Could Be My Baby' is great and the music video looks brilliant - was it a lot of fun making that track and film the video?
Thank you very much, yes we put a lot of very excited energy into the tune and video. It was the first track we collaborated with Dave Stewart on production wise, so it is was the start of our new record with Dave and will always be special for us. The video was filmed at Wyatt Hall, the home of our very dear friends Dr. and Mrs. Benny Woody. They've put loads of time and love into every room of the home, it's arranged from floor to ceiling with the most fascinating antiques. Benny and Alix Woody said the lyric described their romance…"You Could Be My Baby, You Seem Just Crazy Enough," so shooting the video at their home was a perfect fit at many levels.
Whose is the dog? It's adorable!
The star of the video is Mimzy, also known as "The Princess," who resides at Wyatt Hall. She's one of sixteen Shitzus that have been adopted or rescued by Alix and Benny Woody.
Do you have any definitive aims or goals for your career you can share with us?
Our dream has always been to share the music with as many folks as possible and to remain in love with the process of creating, whether it's an album, a film, a fashion concept, or a film score. We have a lot of artistic interests and passions we enjoy cultivating. So we want to keep developing and expanding as artists, and of course we'd love to share the stage with some of our favorite performers.
What should we expect from Shel in the coming weeks and months?
We're playing some exciting shows in our home state Colorado over the summer, including a performance with The Boulder Orchestra as well as a show at Red Rocks, then we're back in Nashville finishing up the album before heading to the UK and Germany in September. We loved being in London and look forward to being back in the fall for more shows!
New single 'You Could Be My Baby' is out now.