The Modern Vaudeville of SHEL

Over a year ago, Express talked with Colorado indie band SHEL as they prepped for a performance at Blissfest.

Sept. 21, 2014

The four-girl band–all sisters–were just starting to snag attention for their unique brand of eclectic folk music. They were keeping a focused schedule of performances across the country and enjoying inclusion in ad campaigns like commercials for Splenda and Glade.

Progress has been stylishly sweet for this fashionable quartet that garbs itself in vaudeville-meets-Dresden Dolls outfits for its performances. Their trademark top hats are even catching on with their audiences who often wear them to SHEL shows.

Since our last chat, Liza, Sarah, Hannah, and Eva Holbrook have been, as Eva puts it, "nonstop touring, writing and recording, with a little hiking in between."

Anxious to get a new album to their listeners (most recent is 2012’s Paint My Life), they’re making the most of all their opportunities and maximizing their last set of songs before they embark on the next.

"Paint My Life may not be considered "˜new’ anymore, but we still love it very much," Holbrook said. "The goal of that album was to offer our listeners a diverse experience. We wanted to tell them about ourselves through fantastic stories and melodic moments."

Highlighted by songs like the folky "Freckles," the pensive "Like Minded Fool," and Holbrook’s own favorite, "The Man Who Was the Circus," SHEL’s sound is thick with harmonies, technically-solid instrumentations, quirky lyrics, and arrangements that shift with remarkable speed. "Vaudeville" is a good style description, as their performances carry a circus-like quality underscored by catchy indie-folk tracks.

And more and more people are noticing. "We had an opportunity to do a tour in the Virgin Islands," Holbrook said enthusiastically. "That was a magic moment!" The girls were also excited to learn that a song they wrote with collaborator Gareth Dunlop, a duet called "Hold On," will be included in the upcoming film The Best of Me, based on Nicholas Sparks’ novel and starring X-Men’s James Marsden and Mission Impossible’s Michelle Monaghan.

"There have been too many wonderful moments and people to keep track of," Holbrook said.

Many of their experiences are sure to find their way into SHEL songs, though. Holbrook says they’re currently "in the writing and recording phase" for the next album, which will have even more four-part harmonies than their previous efforts.

"We’ve created a lot of new music this year, so now it’s a matter of shaping the album," she explained. "We’re recording in Nashville and the feeling of the album is all over the place: anthemic choruses, dark ballads, and a little nod to our old-school country and R&B heroes. We want to put together something our listeners will really love, so we’re taking our time and testing the tunes out at live shows."

Live shows, of course, are where SHEL stands out–almost as much for their fashion as for their music.

Don’t think they won’t use this tour as a good excuse to shop.

"We’re doing more antique mall shopping, looking for attractive pieces," Holbrook said. "I found a real 19th century Victorian jacket the other day. And we are seeing more and more folks showing up wearing top hats, which is fantastic; it’s great to see so many pioneers. And we’re excited to share our mad endeavors with Petoskey."

SHEL will perform at Crooked Tree Arts Center, 461 East Mitchell Street in downtown Petoskey, on Saturday, September 27 at 6pm. For tix and more info, visit www.shelmusic.com