SHEL

Artist Information

Biography

"What a great band and they're a family too! The whole family is amazing. You can hear things that only people who know each other on a certain level can pull off. Family bands can do that and groups that have been together for 20 years can - to musically finish another’s sentence. Plus they do not limit what they do - go climbing on branches well away from the sturdy safe torso of the tree. This is a band to watch grow up. Some are not old enough to drive yet." Dan Harris - The Soupy Gato podcast radio Show.

SHEL is four incredibly gifted, beautiful, young women who compose, write, and play with their provocative singer/songwriter father. Together they bring brightness, freshness and fun, insight and poignancy to every powerful performance! Sarah, Hannah, Eva and Liza are often told that they are wise beyond their years.

All of SHEL’s music is original and the number of instruments mastered by the 5 members of SHEL adds to the incredible variety of songs, instrumentals and moods for any show. Recently labeled "neo acoustic" by local DJ, Chris K, this is a serious band and each member works diligently to improve all of their skills. As young musicians, each girl was taught by the best in the region of Northern Colorado, which currently flaunts a wealth of great musical talent.

Sarah, 18, loves Celtic music and with the help of her sisters, created a BUTTERFLY/SWALLOWTAIL JIG medley that rouses every audience. She adds her bass chops to some of SHEL's music except when her violin takes center stage. She also lends her "opera" voice to The Latest And Greatest Blueberry Rubber Band. Revving up audiences with her funny stage antics, witty repartee with her dad, Sarah brings them to their feet with her violin playing. Her work on new songs that will be recorded in early August is nothing short of gorgeous!

Hannah, 20 works on her piano at home constantly. She composes, sometimes daily and attends Colorado State University for piano performance and composition. Her favorite courses have been piano performance and music theory which she has gladly used to keep SHEL's songwriting and musicality vibrantly original. Hannah’s recent works include THE EDGE and STILL YOUNG, showcasing her compositional skills and her lovely voice. She is sought after for solo gigs all over Northern Colorado because of her uniquely arranged instrumentals and amazing skill with classical piano. She was awarded the Colorado State University sponsored Wendel Diebold Competition gold medal for one of her compositions in 2004 at age of 16. Satie, Chopin, Gershwin, Copland, Edward Shearmur (K-PAX), and James Horner (Field Of Dreams) are among her favorite composers. Lately her song writing has taken on a Broadway tint with several new "torch songs".

Eva’s original composition, TUSCANY is an acoustic mandolin tour de force. Now 19, she wrote TUSCANY in 2006 while in an acoustically perfect room. Her fingers fly all over the fret board on her Weber mandolin. Contrast that with BORN FROM JETS, written on her sea-foam green, “telecaster”, custom, electric mandolin. FERRIS WHEEL, off of her latest recording project is a well written and realized song that belies her age of 19! EVA ROCKS! Nicknamed "teen queen of cross picking" by Martin Stillion of emando.com, she is a REAL show stopper. New songs soon to be recorded continue to reflect her unique grasp of deep lyricism and are coupled with her amazing instrumental and arranging skills. Eva has released two solo CDs; THE VERY LAST DREAM from 2007 and IT'S OBVIOUS NOW in the spring of 2008. Both are available from CD Baby.

Liza, 14, recently gave up the pedal harp to play drums. It was Eva’s mandolin teacher who first noticed that Liza is naturally poly-rhythmic as she was beating out a rhythm on her harp's sound board during a SHEL song. Children, and teens especially, love seeing her on stage. SHEL just added her drum kit to the equipment on stage this year and she stepped right into the challenge of beating her kit with joy on SHEL's early summer tour through the midwest. Liza is so incredibly proficient with her djembe and her Roland Hand Sonic synthe that a number of professional drummers have been totally amazed at her ability. She loves to hold court after most performances with young and old alike who come up for a chat and an education on the Roland.

Andrew Holbrook reigns over this lively group of young women with warmth and humor. He adds his rock solid songs into SHEL’S eclectic mix, having been finely tuned with layers and layers of SHEL's amazing music and arranging. He freely admits that after playing in other bands and then solo, these years with his daughters are the best in his musical career, spanning the past 35 years and 4 solo recording projects.

SHEL is becoming proficient on Pro Tools as well as creating their own promotional materials with Final Cut and Adobe. If anyone could apply the term Renaissance Man to a family, it would fit this group. Currently they are working towards sustainability through a small farming project in conjunction with other family members. They live life fully and their audiences reap the rewards and encouragement to do the same in every concert.

Instrumentation

Sarah Holbrook - violin, electric violin, electric bass, vocals
Hannah Holbrook - Kurzweil keyboard with additional Korg effects, vocals
Eva Holbrook - Weber Beartooth acoustic mandolin, Scwab custom tele-electric mandolin, electric bass, vocals
Liza Holbrook - Pearl drum kit, djembe, Roland Hand Synth drum
Andrew Holbrook - Taylor and Bashkin acoustic guitars, vocals

The name SHEL was formed from the first letters of the girls’ names Sarah, Hannah, Eva and Liza.

Discography

Eva Holbrook - It's Obvious Now - May 9, 2008
Tracks @ cdbaby.com/cd/evaholbrook2
SHEL - The Edge - EP - December 7, 2007
Tracks @ cdbaby.com/cd/shelmusic3
Eva Holbrook - The Very Last Dream - May 2007 - tracks @ cdbaby.com/cd/evaholbrook
SHEL - Jack Box - October 2006 - tracks @ cdbaby.com/cd/shelmusic2
SHEL - Sweet Dreams - November 2005 - tracks @ cdbaby.com/cd/shelmusic
Andrew Holbrook - Gently Falling - March 2002 - tracks @ cdbaby.com/cd/andrewholbrook

Official Website

http://www.intoonmusic.com

Audio

• Try To Scream
  Listen  
• The Edge
  Listen  
• Tuscany
  Listen  
• The Latest and Greatest Blueberry Rubber Band
  Listen  
• TURN
  Listen  
• Ditty
  Listen  
• When I'm Gone
  Listen  
• Shooting Star
  Listen  
• Born From Jets
  Listen  
• Still Young
  Listen  
• Car Ride
  Listen  
• Dizzy Up The Daisy
  Listen  
• The Very Last Dream
  Listen  
• Ferris Wheel
  Listen  

Lyrics

• Abstract Romantic
• Car Ride
• Shooting Star

Video

Very Last Dream CD release

Photo Gallery

Press

• New from SHEL [+ Show ]
  

  February 23, 2008 We've become huge fans of Eva Holbrook; her breakthrough solo CD "The Very Last...February 23, 2008
  
  We've become huge fans of Eva Holbrook; her breakthrough solo CD "The Very Last Dream" was reviewed last spring in our Artist Spotlight section. We hear another CD is being recorded, but meantime, her family band "Shel" has released an intriguing 6 song EP CD, "The Edge" available at CD Baby. Of course the family unity is as strong musically as it is spiritually, each one of her sisters have been making music together in the family literally since the womb.
  
  Eva's electric work is stellar, a true pioneer for the instrument's untapped potential. She wields a mean acoustic, too, but she definitely forages a new sonic path with her Sea Foam Green Schwab. We're eager to catch her again in her midwest tour this summer!
  
  

• Eva Holbrook The Very Last Dream (LP) [+ Show ]
  

  Eva Holbrook The Very Last Dream (LP) January 2008 by Sydney Hostetler Sydney@ColoradoMusicBuzz.co...Eva Holbrook The Very Last Dream (LP)
  January 2008
  by Sydney Hostetler Sydney@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com
  
  Young Eva Holbrook is worth watching. Her current CD is full of fanciful, if somewhat underdeveloped tunes, laced with a fresh and appealing voice and sophisticated writing style gratifying to discover in someone in her tender teens.
  
  Holbrook grew up in a highly musical family and is an experienced performer. It shows in her recorded work. Almost half the CD is comprised of instrumental pieces featuring Holbrook's dead on mandolin playing and some promising explorations on electric guitar. (Electric Mandolin - SHEL's addition/correction)
  
  Holbrook has taken on the daunting task of attempting to marry two completely different genres (Bluegrass and Rock) and to her credit is surprisingly successful. What is wanting is a fully developed production and polish that will surely be on the near horizon for this abundantly talented musician. The Very Last Dream is worth the listen. It would also be worthwhile to seek out a live performance by Holbrook. Tracks to highlight: "Shooting Star." "Born From Jets," and The Very Last Dream."
  myspace.com/evaholbrook
  

• JazzMando Staff Road Trip [+ Show ]
  

  October 29, 2007 | Eva Holbrook in Omaha JazzMando Staff Road Trip--we had the privilege of seeing ...October 29, 2007 | Eva Holbrook in Omaha
  JazzMando Staff Road Trip--we had the privilege of seeing Rocky Mountain mandolin child prodigy Eva Holbrook (though at 18, hardly a child anymore) in concert with family band, SHEL in Omaha, Nebraska this weekend. A Recent mention in the latest issue of Mandolin Magazine as premier Schwab electric mandolin wielder, she and her three amazingly talented sisters Sarah, Hannah, and Liza, along with father Andrew dazzled a captivated audience.
  
  Strapping on her signature sea foam green Telemando, Eva's acoustic wizardry with her custom Weber A-body mandolin was equally impressive. A triple-play powerhouse of skill she sings AND writes as well as she plays. What's especially daunting is the depth of talent in the rest of the family; each of her sisters executes their parts with proficiency well beyond their years.
  
  SHEL has a new recording coming out in December. Visit website: http://www.myspace.com/coloradoshel
  
  
  Posted by Ted at October 29, 2007 04:25 AM http://jazzmando.com/new/archives/000659.shtml
  
  

• The Very Last Dream [+ Show ]
  

  Eva Holbrook: The Very Last Dream Eva Holbrook Intoon Music It's a tough world for teen pop s...Eva Holbrook: The Very Last Dream
  Eva Holbrook
  
  Intoon Music
  
  It's a tough world for teen pop singers, those most vulnerable inhabitants of the "long plastic hallway," as Hunter S. Thompson reputedly characterized the music business. Especially for the girls. To garner sufficient attention for themselves, they have to fight with their record labels over their weight, or stagger around in a black bikini with a hangover at the VMA awards, or bring their own hairstylists to the rehab clinic. Without engaging in such outré behavior, how can a young chanteuse hope to distinguish herself?
  
  Here's a thought: She can learn to play an instrument, and get by on talent.
  
  Consider young Eva Holbrook. No, you won't find her name in the gossip columns or the police blotter. You will find it attached to her new solo disc, The Very Last Dream — one of the most refreshing albums of the year. It's the rare 18-year-old who has her own idiosyncratic vocal and playing style and an album's worth of strong original material and conspicuous talent and a seafoam-green Schwab electric mandolin. But that's Eva.
  
  Actually, Eva was 17 when she wrote this stuff, but it shows in only one respect: the lyrics are teen poetry. Even so, it's teen poetry that's far too thoughtful for the bubblegum crowd. If she sticks with it, she'll come into her own as a mature songwriter in a few more years. Eva's breathy, winsome singing voice is so pleasant that it easily makes up for the occasional clunky turn of phrase, and you know she'll be able to carry off more nuanced material in the future.
  
  Half the tracks are instrumentals, giving Eva the chance to display her considerable chops, both as a composer and a player. I hereby nominate her for the title Teen Queen of Crosspicking — that marvelous technique where the pick floats rapidly from string to string, churning out a cascade of arpeggiated notes while the left hand hardly moves. On either the Schwab or her acoustic Weber, fast, clean crosspicking is one of Eva's trademarks. Check out the title track to hear her crosspick the Schwab, or dig "Tuscany" to catch her putting the Weber through its paces. We also get to hear the Schwab chug away on "Glass Circus" and absolutely shred on "Born of Jets."
  
  Some people might think that touring with one's sisters and dad in a pop band that plays church basements and coffeehouses would be a prescription for dreadful music. But instead this record is loaded with originality and accomplished musicianship. Eva practices her mandolins three to four hours a day and it shows. Now that Nickel Creek is all grown up and disbanding, it's time for someone else to pick up the grasspop banner. Might as well be this kid. Do her a favor and yourself an even greater favor, and pick up The Very Last Dream from CD Baby.
  
  http://emando.blogspot.com/
  
  

• Jazzmando.com review of Eva's ...Very Last Dream [+ Show ]
  

  May 11, 2007 | Eva's Last Dream Fresh out from 18 year-old Eva Holbrook (just had a birthday, so we...May 11, 2007 | Eva's Last Dream
  Fresh out from 18 year-old Eva Holbrook (just had a birthday, so we can't call her Wunderkid anymore...), her solo release "The Very Last Dream." We've had a chance to spin it a bunch and can't say enough about this promising young talent. She sings, she plays, she writes like a Nashville industry veteran. Who knows, we guess she can probably cook too (at least she does on her custom Schwab Tele Emando!).
  
  We appreciate the new terrain she explores musically. There's certainly a crop of young mandolin talent out there, yet she remains unrivaled midst these young "punks" in her electric voice. Run through a Boss GT8 Guitar Effects Processor her seafoam green ax makes a statement, and one you'll enjoy as much as us in hearing.
  
  Not to disrespect her acoustic chops either, she wields her Weber Beartooth with equal confidence and authority. This young lady has a huge head start. We'll be excited watching her as she continues to spread out and grow.
  
  Rock on, Eva!
  http://jazzmando.com/new/archives/000547.shtml

• Greg Allen/ host of The Right Balance radio program [+ Show ]
  

  Greg Allen chose JACK BOX as his number one pick for the best CD for 2006! Announced on The Right ...Greg Allen chose JACK BOX as his number one pick for the best CD for 2006! Announced on The Right Balance on January 4, 2007.
  “You write a lot of stuff that is a nice combination of electronic, Brian Eno kind of music along with a classical touch as well, and folk. You really are an amazing amalgam. This album of yours is one of the three or four best albums I’ve heard this year, by the way - JACK BOX.”
  November 17, 2006 interview with Greg Allen, the host/producer of The Right Balance interview program, www.therightbalance.com.

• Eva's latest review! [+ Show ]
  

  May 24, 2008 | It's Obvious, Now; Eva Holbrook New from the provocatively talented young Colorado m...May 24, 2008 | It's Obvious, Now; Eva Holbrook
  New from the provocatively talented young Colorado mandolinist, Eva Holbrook, her latest EP "It's Obvious, Now." The prolific composer, singer/songwriter, and master fret techncian has crafted yet another music project beyond her years. The six song collection forages new ground for the mandolin as her Weber Acoustic supports her deeply introspective and personal lyrics, and her 4-string Schwab Electric complements with R&B prowess, a machismo conviction that betrays her curls.
  
  While this brilliant musician tackles some technical studio processing wizardry, underneath it all is dynamic, raw ability. The etheral reverb, delay, distortion of her electric is part of her artist palate, not an empty substitute for talent as is so common in today's pop music. This nineteen-year-old (Happy Birthday, Eva!) continues to think and play outside the box. The mandolin world would do well to take note.
  
  Eva begins her midwestern summer tour this month, and we're certainly looking forward to seeing her and her family in our area very soon.
  
  http://jazzmando.com/new/archives/000804.shtml
  

Setlist

SHEL has over 2 hours of completely original music.

Basic Requirements

Calendar