Shannen Moser

Shannen Moser refers to their songs as "storytelling," and the pastoral calm and naturalistic tone of their melodies, and the warm, personal tone of the lyrics, certainly communicate in a way many pop songs do not. Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Moser grew up in a small college town before they relocated to Philadelphia, and their first two albums, 2017's Oh, My Heart and 2018's I'll Sing, capture a small town vibe with a big city intelligence and sophistication. Moser's third LP, 2022's The Sun Still Seems to Move, was recorded over a period of several years, and was more ambitious in its arrangements and production while honoring the soul of their songwriting. Shannen Moser was born in the Oley Valley section of Berks County, Pennsylvania in 1993. The town was home to a small college, and as a child, they grew up listening to the classic singer/songwriters their parents favored, including Joni Mitchell, Townes Van Zandt, and Jackson Browne. They also attended Quaker meetings in their youth, as well as Sacred Harp vocal practices, where they grew to love an idiosyncratic take on gospel music. Their brother was an accomplished guitarist who tried to teach them to play, but they ended up learning the instrument mostly through trial and error. When Moser was 15, they fell in with a group of friends who turned them on to a broader range of music, including indie and punk music that didn't get much of a hearing in the Oley Valley. After graduating from high school, Moser attended college in California, but they grew weary of academia and the West Coast and decided to return to Pennsylvania after two years. Not wanting to move back in with their parents, Moser settled in Philadelphia, where they had a number of friends in the city's music community. In Philadelphia, Moser immersed themself in the local punk and alternative rock scene, but as they took up songwriting, their music reflected a strong folk influence, with notes of classic 1960s folk, contemporary acoustic music, and shape note gospel singing making their way into the melodies. After circulating a pair of simple homemade demos (2014's All Dogs Go to Heaven and 2015's You Shouldn't Be Doing That), Moser started making a name in the Philly music scene and struck a deal with the local punk label Lame-O Records to record an album. 2017's Oh, My Heart leaned to the rougher and more straightforward side of their music, with a handful of friends adding accompaniment in the studio. 2018's I'll Sing was a more accomplished set, with Moser working with a larger ensemble and a more refined vocal style. A variety of factors (not the least being the COVID-19 pandemic) slowed progress on Moser's next LP, but they used the delay to their advantage, with Moser and engineer Alex Melendez working at their own pace and experimenting with stings, woodwinds, and horns along with the guitar-based sound of their first two fell-length projects. Begun in 2018, The Sun Still Seems to Move was issued by Lame-O in September 2022, receiving positive reviews in the independent music press.
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