Rees Shad has been crafting musical narratives across decades In the rich tapestry of Americana music, few artists have woven stories as intricate and compelling as Rees Shad. Since his 1994 debut 'Anderson, Ohio', Shad has been on a relentless quest to push the boundaries of musical storytelling, earning him a reputation as not just a songwriter, but a true architect of narratives in the world of contemporary folk and Americana. The Evolution of a Storyteller With a catalog spanning an impressive 17 solo albums over three decades, Shad's journey is a testament to his unwavering commitment to artistic growth as he 'has been on a relentless quest to push the boundaries of musical storytelling' (Seth Rogovoy). Each release serves as a chapter in his ongoing exploration of sound, story, and the human experience. From the early days when critics dubbed him a 'wordsmith to watch,' to his current status as a celebrated songwriter and performer, Shad's evolution has been nothing short of remarkable.The Art of Musical World-Building What sets Shad apart is his unique approach to composition. 'I often work by assigning myself compositional parameters,' he explains. This method has led to a diverse body of work, each album a distinct world unto itself. Whether it's crafting story songs in the style of particular writers, responding to specific production styles, or creating interconnected overarching narratives, Shad's process is more akin to that of a novelist or filmmaker than a traditional songwriter

SINGER-SONGWRITER-GUITARIST Kate McDonnell has captivated audiences all over the world with her award-winning songwriting, her unusual deft guitar style, and her jaw-dropping voice. Her introduction to folk music was conventional, if precocious as a four-year-old, she heard a Joan Baez album in her mother’s collection. Her reaction was somewhat less conventional: she picked up her mom’s guitar, taller than she was, and started to teach herself how to play the instrument, strung for a right-handed player, left-handed 'upside down and backwards,' using her stronger right hand for chording and ignoring the customary positioning of the guitar strings. Eventually, Kate realized that the guitar could be more than background padding, she started to listen to Leo Kottke, Mason Williams, Steve Howe, and others. At 16, a Baltimore-area guitarist and luthier Ken Dubourg taught Kate to play Duane Allman's Little Martha, and her skies opened. Not a surprise, given that Kate comes from generations of musicians on both sides: her maternal grandfather (trumpet) and great grandfather (trombone and viola) performed with the National and Baltimore Symphonies. Kate's father sang in operettas in his younger years, and her mother continues to play anything she can hear on the piano in F#, just as her own mother did. All three of Kate's siblings have the musical gift, so at any given night around the dinner table, they were bound to break into song.