Joan Shelley

BIOGRAPHY

Joan Shelley, born in 1985, is an American indie folk musician from Louisville, Kentucky, who honed her craft while attending college in Athens, Georgia. Drawing on classic American country and traditional folk alongside U.K. singers like Sandy Denny and Vashti Bunyan, she released her solo debut Ginko in 2012 on Ol' Kentuck, later collaborating with Daniel Martin Moore before joining Philadelphia label No Quarter for 2014's Electric Ursa. Subsequent albums include Over and Even (2015), a self-titled record (2017), Like the River Loves the Sea (2019), The Spur (2022), the Mood Ring EP (2024) and Real Warmth. Her work has drawn praise from The New York Times, Pitchfork and The Guardian, with The Spur named the #2 album of 2022 by Uncut. She has performed and recorded with her husband, guitarist Nathan Salsburg, alongside producers Jeff Tweedy and James Elkington, and has opened for Wilco, Patty Griffin, Andrew Bird and Richard Thompson. Shelley and Salsburg had a daughter in 2021.

WHY THEY'RE COOL

Joan Shelley occupies a rare space in contemporary folk, her gentle articulacy and calm romanticism drawing comparisons to touchstones like Pink Moon and Court and Spark. Critics at The New York Times, Pitchfork, The Guardian and Uncut have singled her out, with MOJO going so far as to ask whether she is America's most consistently exceptional songwriter. Her records, built with longtime partner Nathan Salsburg and collaborators like Jeff Tweedy, James Elkington, Meg Baird and Bill Callahan, carry a quiet dramatic weight that rewards close listening.

GEORGE'S PLAYS

George has played this artist 2 times.

PLAYED ON WOKE1

• Where I’ll Find You2 PLAYS