Shantel Bolks

Shantel describes her music as acoustic folk, her songs are gems that play simply or have haunting turns and melody. Lyrically she explores the world around her, she responds with insight and emotion to her experiences while she ponders and protests the dysfunctions of society.

Shantel has been playing the guitar since the sixth grade, she started writing more intensely and taking guitar lessons throughout high school. The few songs on Drifter, her debut CD, showcase her writing skills while her newer, un-recorded songs show a growth in her music and lyrics. ‘The Beat’, one of her newer songs, has an intoxicating thick/rich/dark feel to accompany the lyrics that tell of a person losing herself.

When Shantel first started playing the guitar her goal was to be in a punk-rock band. The turning point came when she finally heard Bright Eyes ‘At the Bottom of Everything’, a tragic tale to a happy tune. With her Sister’s help she explored a variety of music. In her own words her influences are, “Bright Eyes, Cat Power, Kings of Leon, Ani DiFranco, Kerry Leatham, Incubus, Cocorosie, Misfits, Cancerslugs, Mindless-Self-Indulgence, Rancid, Be Your Own Pet, Johnny Cash, First Aid Kit, and jazz.” These influences show up in her live sets when she exuberantly rolls with Kimya Dawson’s ‘My Rollercoaster”, slams Bob Dylan’s ‘It’s Alright Ma’ (which she chose for the 2010 Dylan Days Songwriter Contest), or glides to Cowboy Junkies’ ‘Anniversary Song’.

Shantel lives in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and has been playing locally for 4-5 years; she has shared the stage at local coffeehouses on acoustic nights with many musicians. She has played for large crowds at the New Years Extravaganza 2006 in Sioux Falls, and most recently was booked to open both nights of Wild Bill Days in Deadwood, SD for Ryan Shupe and The Rubber Band and John Michael Montgomery. This summer she is invited to showcase her songs at the 2010 Indiegrrl Conference and Festival in Knoxville, TN.