Joan Shelley is a songwriter and singer from Louisville, KY. She draws inspiration from traditional and traditionally-minded performers from her native Kentucky, as well as those from Ireland, Scotland, and England, but she’s not a folksinger. Her disposition aligns more closely with that of, say, Roger Miller, Dolly Parton, or her fellow Kentuckian Tom T. Hall, who once explained—simply, succinctly, in a song—“I Witness Life.” 

Her perspective and performances both have been described, apparently positively, as “pure,” but there’s no trace of the Pollyanna and there’s little of the pastoral, either: her work instead wrestles with the possibility of reconciling, if only for a moment, the perceived “natural” world with its reflection—sometimes, relatively speaking, clear; other times hopelessly distorted—in the human heart, mind, and footprint.

Since the 2015 release of her fourth album Over and Even, Shelley has crossed the country and toured Europe several times as a headlining artist, joined by guitarist Nathan Salsburg and sharing shows with the likes of Jake Xerxes Fussell, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Doug Paisley, Daniel Martin Moore, the Other Years, and Michael Hurley. She has opened for Wilco, Chris Smither, Andrew Bird, and Richard Thompson. Jeff Tweedy produced her 2017 record “Joan Shelley” at The Loft in Chicago. She’ll be familiar to readers of guitar-centric magazines for having appeared, in the same season, on the covers of Fretboard Journal and Acoustic Guitar. Her seventh album, “The Spur” was released on June 24th 2022.

“If Nick Drake and Sandy Denny had had a kid, she may have grown up to be Joan Shelley” - Rolling Stone

Discography:
Ginko (2012, Ol Kentuck) - first full-length studio album. Full band. Released on the Ol Kentuck label, run by friend and collaborator Daniel Martin Moore.

Farthest Field (2012, Ol Kentuck) - second album with songs written by Joan and Daniel Martin Moore (written separately but performed together).

Electric Ursa (2014, No Quarter) - third album and first on No Quarter Records. Backing band, “June Brides.”

Over and Even (2015, No Quarter) - collaboration between Joan and guitarist Nathan Salsburg.

Joan Shelley (2017, No Quarter) - recorded at The Loft, Wilco’s studio in Chicago, IL. Produced by Jeff Tweedy.

Rivers & Vessels (2018, No Quarter) - Benefit EP of covers featuring musicians from Louisville, KY (and Canada). Bandcamp-only digital release benefitting Kentucky Waterways Alliance.

Like the River Loves the Sea (2019, No Quarter) - Recorded in Reykjavic, Iceland. Produced by James Elkington and Joan Shelley.

Live at the Bomhard (2020, No Quarter) - Recorded at the Bomhard Theater in Louisville KY on Dec 13, 2019

The Spur (2022, No Quarter) - Produced by James Elkington and recorded in Shelbyville, KY at Earthwave farm

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