Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA (1888PressRelease)
June 13, 2009 - In a first-time departure from the raucous and rabble-rousing of its queer punk and alternative rock roots, Queer Control Records (QCR) recently announced that Seattle’s Shenandoah Davis would be included among its new line-up of Resident Artists. A self-described “postfolk” musician, Davis’ wide array of musical talent is infused with tastes of vaudeville, ragtime, and classical.
As one of QCR’s five Resident Artists, this brilliant one-woman production is ready to take on the world – literally. With the support of a label for the first time, Davis hopes to finish recording a follow-up to her debut release “We; Camera” and will be taking off for a tour through Europe this summer.
“I chose to sign with QCR, because they were really great at communicating with me and were extremely laid back when it came to retaining a lot of the creative freedom that I hold so dearly,” remarked Davis. “My biggest fear about signing onto a label was that they would try to push me off as the next Regina Spektor or Joanna Newsom, and while I admire both of those artists, I’d rather keep on doing what I’m doing and see what it ends up sounding like without trying to ‘sell’ an image, or another person’s name.”
Davis also feels a deep sense of connection to QCR’s mission beyond the music. “I really appreciate the outreach that QCR is doing in the community,” said Davis. “Especially after the passing of Proposition 8 in California, it is more important than ever to have queer folks spotlighted as regular people with jobs, playing music, going to coffee shops, and pretty much trying to live in the same manner as everyone else.”
In addition to representing new genres for the label, Davis is also QCR’s first solo artist. Yet, she is most certainly the right artist to broaden its horizons. “It is a good thing that not all musical prodigies end up playing with the symphonies of the world,” joked QCR President and CEO Marlene Melendez. “Not that those sorts of folks should be frowned upon, I’m just glad that QCR managed to snag one of our own – a prodigy that manages to be inspiring to all, but is still accessible to the queer kid that’s raising themselves with what they can find from the safety of their own bedroom. Shenandoah is a very special artist, who doesn’t just set herself apart from the other artists on our label, she sets herself in a league of her own – she is simply great!”
For more details, please visit www.myspace.com/missshenandoah or www.queercontrol.com.
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