October 18, 2019
SHEL
"There's a code of love that preserves our ability to create." Says Eva, lead singer and mandolinist of SHEL. "It also preserves our curiosity." You can feel this code in the colorful sound and imagery of the band's newest collection, starting with Rainbow; a soft, but powerful anthem inviting us to embrace unity in the midst of fear. "I had a vision of women in India when I started writing Rainbow, but I had no idea it would lead me to Vrindavan, or what it would mean to hold the women there in my arms. Their strength and hope changed me and made me realize the necessity of family and community." Rainbow is the symbol of a new era for SHEL. After a season of clearing the fields and letting the ground rest, a deep desire to reconnect as sisters blossomed. "We want to bring healing to the world." Says Hannah, pianist and oldest sister of the band. "This is only possible if our collaboration is healthy." With the sisterhood front and center, the scenes of a full-length album began to unfold with exciting depth and vividness, but something else was happening. "These incredibly joyful songs started to spring up." Recalls Eva. "We're very grateful we had an opportunity to capture them with Tim Myers and Joey Verskotzi, but none of us saw an EP like Wild Child coming. We were processing some pretty heavy and traumatic life events in writing the album, and then we were given this pause to celebrate and share the joy of our journey." There is a lot for the band to celebrate. With a renewed sense of family and purpose as well as restored creative autonomy, the sisters have experienced a steady recovery from depression. "So many people suffer from a sense of despair today, it's like an epidemic." Explains Sarah, the violinist of the band. "In a quest for answers to our own depression, we started having these emotional breakthroughs that turned into mantras, and then into songs for Wild Child." Songs about liberation from fear, embracing uniqueness and celebrating it, about the inner wild that calls us to climb trees and touch stars, to unite in love amidst the storm, to follow the unknown road, and finally, to come home to the warm embrace of family. One thing that becomes clear when you talk to the sisters of SHEL is their belief in grace as a foundational element of meaningful relationship, especially in regards to one another. "Healing is a lifestyle." Says Liza, the youngest sister, the drummer and perhaps the most understanding member of all. "I'm excited to see where we go from here, as individuals and as a family. We've been through hell together, and that's made us stronger. It's also helped us realize how important it is to bring joy into the world." Perhaps 'Family Band' is the wrong way to describe SHEL. Family comes close, but sisterhood rings true.