Beer, wine, whiskey, sobriety, vegan nachos, yoga, blood oranges, flowers, rainstorms, sunsets, snowstorms, light, homemade pie, coffee, tea. Avocados. Life, death, love, friends, loneliness...usually all at the same time. Lucinda Williams, Patty Griffin, The Mountain Goats, Modest Mouse, Micah Walk, Neko Case, Kelly Hogan, Simon & Garfunkel, Eliza Gilkyson, Lyle Lovett, Wilco, Bright Eyes, Cat Power, Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer, Glen Hansard, Ryan Adams, Jeffrey Foucault, Billie Holiday, Cab Calloway, Gillian Welch, Damien Rice, Greg Brown, Otis Redding, Janis Joplin, Michelle Malone, Suzanne Vega, Bob Dylan, Drive By Truckers, Joni Mitchell, Elliott Smith, Nick Drake, Nina Simone, Steve Dawson, Dolly Varden, Kristin Hersh, Vic Chesnutt, Maery Lanahan, Johnny Cash, Beth Amsel, Erin McKeown, Led Zeppelin, Rose Polenzani, IBOPA, Morphine, Rufus Wainwright, Rolling Stones, Shawn Colvin, Jeff Black, Ray Charles, Johnette Napolitano, Ellen Rosner, Anne Lamott, Linda Hull, Uncle Earl, Cyndi Lauper, Tiffany, Richard Marx, Jane's Addiction, Sublime, Tracy Chapman, Carrie Rodriguez, Tommi Zender, The Ramblers, Jeremiah Birnbaum, Dave Golden, Kara Kulpa...plus whoever I'm listening to right now. And whatever classic rock song my kid students just learned on guitar hero. 3 a.m. burritos, with friends or alone. Long car rides. Long bike rides. An intermittent fear of flying. Second hand joy. Second hand grief. Good and bad dreams. My wonky wrist. My kick-arse job. My vivid imagination. Lots of spooky dead old-time musicians. My brief stint in the cherub choir (age 6). My year of wanting to be Whitney Houston (age 14). The guitar I found at the thrift store (age 21). All of the musicians I've worked or shared a stage/couch/conversation with. And probably some more beer.
Sounds Like
Patty Griffin, Suzanne Vega, Lucinda Williams, Eliza Gilkyson, Tracy Chapman, Tracy Grammer, Kelly Hogan, Neko Case, Jeffrey Foucault. 3 a.m., warm summer days, puddles of rain, unexpected lightning, music from passing cars. Has also been told that she looks like Jeff Tweedy, but she's not so sure about that.
"Singer-songwriter and veteran Old Town School teacher Shelley Miller...could teach a lot of folkies a thing or two about sophisticated imagery and hooks. And 2006's excellent, self-released Morning Somewhere should earn her fans from the Lucinda Williams camp."
--Time Out Chicago
"Incognito Seething Rocker"
--Expository Magazine
Equal parts abandoned building, strawberry shortcake and high lonesome cowgirl, Shelley Miller aims to save the world one listener at a time...if not through her music, then through the homemade cookies she often bakes for her shows. From the rootsy grit of "Fool for Loving You" to the soul-drenched ache of "Buckle to Burn", Shelley writes songs that grab listeners by the heart...and stick in their minds.
A versatile guitarist and intensely emotional performer, Shelley has performed at venues and festivals throughout the Midwest and Southeast, including: The Old Town School of Folk Music, Estrojam, The Chicago Folk and Roots Festival, Ladyfest Lansing, the Queer is Folk Festival and Taste of Champaign. Her blend of soulful folk, rock and Americana is at home in rock bars, country dives and acoustic cafes alike.
"Listening to her is like pulling up a pair of very, very soft faded jeans over bare skin."
--Les Reynolds, indie-music.com
Shelley has released 2 full-length albums (2006's Morning Somewhere and 2002's Tear Me Down, both arranged and produced by Tommi Zender) and is in pre-production for a third, self titled CD, tentatively set to be released Fall 2009.
Her songs have won awards in the Mid-Atlantic Songwriting Contest, VH1-sponsored Song of the Year Contest, A Call to Arts Song and Music Contest and the Just Plain Folks Songwriting Contest. In addition to her two CDs, she has appeared on the acclaimed Bloodshot Records 2007 release 'Songbook: Volumes 2 and 3', and on compilations released by Waterbug Records and SBS Records.
"...Miller at her best hauntingly channels Tracy Chapman."
--David C. Eldridge, Illinois Entertainer
Shelley released her newest CD, Morning Somewhere in October 2006. Arranged and produced by Tommi Zender, this twelve song disc offers a darkly redemptive journey through loss...and love. From the rootsy title track to the swampy "Hurricane" and the lush folk-pop of "Say It's Love", "Morning Somewhere" marks Miller's maturation as a songwriter and offers a collection of tunes sure to appeal to fans of artists such as Patty Griffin and Lucinda Williams.
In addition to her solo work, Shelley has performed with Micah Walk, Jeremiah Birnbaum, Anthony Whitaker, Kara Kulpa, and Dave Golden. She has sung on albums by Amanda Sena and Tommi Zender, and has co-written several songs with Brooklyn-based roots-rockers The Ramblers. She teaches guitar and songwriting at the Old Town School of Folk Music. When not playing music, Shelley can often be found careening her bicycle through the streets of Chicago...singing.
