 Shelley
Doty
"I started singing as
soon as I could talk. I took piano lessons and flute lessons and
violin lessons all through school. The Berkeley school system
had a music department and when I was in Hillside, which I guess
would have been first and third grade because I skipped second,
I was taking recorder. That was when I was first introduced to
notes. I was taught that these are the notes, this is what they
do. But I was always more into exploring it in an intuitive way.
In college, when I actually studied music - that's what I got my
degree in - I fought the theoretical in a way. I didn't want to
think that way."
Shelley Doty is an artist
who is always moving forward. A former member of the eclectic
west coast band Jambay, Shelley has continued to build her
reputation as one of the hottest guitarists of the nineties.
Sometimes guitarist for Pele Juju, sometimes solo musician,
sometimes guest for any number of bands around the San Francisco
Bay Area, wherever Shelley is playing you can expect to see a
virtuoso who brings together a variety of influences into a
completely unique style. I was fortunate enough to meet with
Shelley on a warm, sunny afternoon in Santa Cruz, where we spoke
about her latest e.p., "Opportunity", her new band, her studio
work with Booker T. Jones, and other aspects of her life and
music.
 Over
800 acts submitted entries to be considered for the San
Francisco Xoom.com/Lilith Fair Acoustic Talent Search.
During the contest Shelley brought the packed crowd at Slim's
nightclub to its feet and wowed the judges with her guitar
playing, expressive vocals, and originality. Shelley is very
excited and honored to have the chance to play at the Lilith
Fair and intends to make the most of this opportunity.
Shelley Doty is a San Francisco Bay Area local who has been
playing guitar for over half of her life and singing since she
could talk. She's been called a guitar goddess and plays with
wild abandon as well as open tenderness. At thirteen Shelley
heard a song on the radio and realized that she would rather
play the guitar than do just about anything else. She picked up
the instrument the next day and hasn't put it down since.
Shelley pretty much taught herself to play guitar, before going
on to earn a degree in music from the University of California,
San Diego. In addition to being a fantastic guitarist, she also
has a powerfully rich voice, is a prodigious songwriter, and is
a dynamic performer. The East Bay Express called Shelley "the
complete performer in her use of cranked emotions in her
singing, edgy rock energy and swinging jazz guitar rhythms."
 Shelley's
music is rock & roll in its best tradition: it infuses pop,
blues, jazz, and folk with a strong dose of passion. It's not
too heavy, but it's got an edge, and it can also be delicate and
subtle. It's not just that she can play, it is the way Shelley
interprets a song, both through her guitar and her voice. She
tells compelling stories about life, drawing inspiration from
personal loss to a stranger's smile. Some of her best songs are
simple observations that ring true for all of us, such as in
Passion Play: "Set a line and speak your mind or you'll be
sorry / The problem with passion it can slip away / I guarantee
you'll want it back someday."
Shelley spent many years honing her talent on the road and
recording with her band Jambay, a popular indie jam-rock band
that toured nationally and released three CDs before disbanding
in 1996. At that point Shelley conceptualized her own
mini-label, Howlin' Music, and formed the Shelley Doty X-tet (a
rotating group of exceptional musicians). In 1997, she released
her first solo CD, an acoustic EP aptly titled Opportunity.
Shortly thereafter she co-produced a demo with the legendary
Booker T. Jones at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, CA. The first
Shelley Doty X-tet album, Possible Reasons For My Insomnia,
features Shelley on electric/acoustic guitars and vocals. In the
last year Shelley's been teaching herself bass and drums and
used both instruments along with keyboards and guitar to write a
lot of the material in her home studio. In true indie-style,
basic tracks were recorded one day in a glass and log cabin in
the Santa Cruz Mountains. Shelley wrote all the tracks except
one, a beautiful cover of Kate Bush's L'Amour Looks Something
Like You, and she produced and co-mixed the entire album. Rich
Williams, the mad scientist behind Snap to Zero studio
engineered, co-mixed and was the assistant producer on the
project. The bulk of the recording has Deb Lane on drums and
Chad Heise on electric bass, with Mike Sugar and Jeff Hallan
adding stand-up bass to one tune each. This recording showcases
Shelley's songwriting with themes ranging from love to lunacy.
It's catchy, thought provoking, and fun to listen to. The CD is
a true testament of the amazing music that is being recorded on
shoestring budgets by independent artists who will be tomorrow's
shining stars. Possible Reasons For My Insomnia will be pressed
as a limited edition and released in conjunction with Shelley's
Lilith Fair performance.
Contact Information:
Shelley Doty
2342 Shattuck Avenue PMB #198
Berkeley, CA 94704
For booking, management or any other
related questions or comments:
Howlin' Music
2342 Shattuck Ave. PMB #198
Berkeley, CA 94704
(415) 273-7276
Source: For more information, visit
Shelley Doty's official sites:
www.shelleydoty.com
Interview With Shelley Doty
http://www.butterflydreams.com/pub/interview.html
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