Shannon Worrell is a singer-songwriter based in
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Queen Ch ...
. Known for a series of critically acclaimed albums in the 1990s culminating with an appearance (as September 67) on the
Lilith Fair
Lilith Fair was a concert tour and travelling music festival, founded by Canadian musician Sarah McLachlan, Nettwerk Music Group's Dan Fraser and Terry McBride, and New York talent agent Marty Diamond. It took place during the summers of 1997 ...
tour and for collaborations with fellow Charlottesville-based musicians
Dave Matthews and
Tim Reynolds
Tim Reynolds (born 15 December 1957) is an American guitarist and multi-instrumentalist known as both a solo artist and as a lead guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band. AllMusic critic MacKenzie Wilson has called Reynolds "an under-rated master". ...
, Worrell's acoustic songwriting has been described as "subtly orchestrated chamber pop"
and "like a lean country cousin of the
Throwing Muses
Throwing Muses are an American alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Newport, Rhode Island, United States, that toured and recorded extensively until 1997, when its members began concentrating more on other projects.
The group was originall ...
."
Early career and ''Three Wishes''
Worrell was born in Charlottesville to a prominent local media family; her father, Thomas E. Worrell, inherited a media network consisting of the Charlottesville
Daily Progress
''The Daily Progress'' is the sole daily newspaper in the vicinity of Charlottesville, Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It has been published daily, since September 14, 1892. The paper was founded by James Hubert Lindsay and h ...
and 28 other newspapers.
She graduated from the
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...
in 1990
and stayed in Charlottesville, participating in the local music scene.
Worrell played in a band called Paris Match in the early part of the decade,
but left to work as a solo artist sometime after 1991. She played in various locations around Charlottesville's Downtown Mall for several years; in particular, she jammed with Haines Fullerton (formerly of local band
the Deal),
Tim Reynolds
Tim Reynolds (born 15 December 1957) is an American guitarist and multi-instrumentalist known as both a solo artist and as a lead guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band. AllMusic critic MacKenzie Wilson has called Reynolds "an under-rated master". ...
, and
Dave Matthews on several occasions.
[Delancey, 107.] All three would subsequently perform on her solo recordings.
Worrell's first album, ''Three Wishes'', was released in 1994 on her own label, Super Duke Records. The album, co-produced by
John Alagia
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second E ...
, was recorded in a basement studio in Northern Virginia and comprises nine original songs in a mostly acoustic setting. Collaborators on the album included Tim Reynolds, the
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band (also known by the initials DMB) is an American rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1991. The band's founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer and bac ...
's
LeRoi Moore
LeRoi Holloway Moore (September 7, 1961 – August 19, 2008) was an American saxophonist. He was a founding member of the Dave Matthews Band. Moore often arranged music for songs written by Dave Matthews. Moore also co-wrote many of the band's ...
, and Matthews himself, who sang backing vocals on "Eleanor."
Haines Fullerton participated as well, writing vocal arrangements for the album.
Monsoon and September 67
Between 1995 and 1998, Worrell collaborated with a number of Charlottesville area musicians in various group settings. The first to form was a trio collaboration with Kristin Asbury and
Lauren Hoffman
Lauren Hoffman (born 1977) is an American singer-songwriter. She released her debut album ''Megiddo'' through Virgin Records in 1997 to critical praise. In 1999 Hoffman independently issued her second LP ''From The Blue House'' and an EP, ''A Ha ...
initially called Monsoon.
[Delancey, 66.] During this time period, the group appeared on the ''Dear Charlottesville'' compilation to support the local club scene.
[Delancey, 160.]
Initially, all three members were contributors to Monsoon. However, Hoffman ultimately decided she wanted to go her own way and left the band, eventually signing a contract with
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a worldwid ...
.
Worrell and Asbury continued as a duo under the name September 67. The group signed to
The Enclave, an indie label affiliated with
EMI
EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...
, and released the album ''Lucky Shoe'' at the end of 1996. ''Lucky Shoe'' was produced by
David Lowery of
Camper Van Beethoven
Camper Van Beethoven is an American rock band formed in Redlands, California in 1983, later based in Santa Cruz and San Francisco. Their style mixes elements of pop, ska, punk rock, folk, alternative country, and world music. The band init ...
and
Cracker
Cracker, crackers or The Crackers may refer to:
Animals
* ''Hamadryas'' (butterfly), or crackers, a genus of brush-footed butterflies
* '' Sparodon'', a monotypic genus whose species is sometimes known as "Cracker"
Arts and entertainment Films ...
and featured contributions from
Bryan Harvey
Bryan Stanley Harvey (born June 2, 1963) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from to for the California Angels of the American League and the Florida Marlins of the National Lea ...
,
John Alagia (who co-wrote "Little Lantern Face"), and the backing musicians from
Sparklehorse
Sparklehorse was an American indie rock band from Richmond, Virginia, led by singer and multi-instrumentalist Mark Linkous. Sparklehorse was active from 1995 until Linkous' 2010 death. Prior to forming Sparklehorse, Linkous fronted local bands ...
.
The tour behind ''Lucky Shoe'' saw them supporting Wilco's "Being There" tour,
and participating in
Lilith Fair
Lilith Fair was a concert tour and travelling music festival, founded by Canadian musician Sarah McLachlan, Nettwerk Music Group's Dan Fraser and Terry McBride, and New York talent agent Marty Diamond. It took place during the summers of 1997 ...
'97.
During the Lilith Fair tour, the group recorded a live song called "
Steve Malkmus
Stephen Joseph Malkmus (born May 30, 1966) is an American musician best known as the primary songwriter, lead singer and guitarist of the indie rock band Pavement (band), Pavement. He currently performs with Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks and a ...
is a Fucking Snob," which appeared as a non-album track on the EP "What's Wrong with Alice."
The song earned the band some controversy and a mention in Rolling Stone.
When The Enclave was acquired by
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a worldwid ...
, Worrell's contract was not picked up, and the band made the decision to go their separate ways.
''The Moviegoer'', hiatus, and new album
Post September 67, Worrell returned to the studio to record a follow up album. ''The Moviegoer'', released in April 2000 on her Super Duke label, saw her collaborating again with Kristin Asbury, Bryan Harvey; the album features
John Stirratt
John Chadwick Stirratt is an American bassist and multi-instrumentalist for Wilco and The Autumn Defense.
Early career
Stirratt grew up in Mandeville, Louisiana. He attended Mandeville High School and the University of Mississippi, and is a ...
on bass,
John Linnell
John Sidney Linnell ( ; born June 12, 1959) is an American musician, known primarily as one half of the Brooklyn-based alternative rock band They Might Be Giants with John Flansburgh, which was formed in 1982. In addition to singing and songwri ...
on accordion and was produced by his wife, Karen Brown. Worrell took time off from music after the release of the album to raise her children and start Light House Studio, a non-profit media education center for Charlottesville youth.
At the end of 2007, Worrell began performing publicly again, playing supporting gigs for Charlottesville band
Sons of Bill
A son is a male offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative.
Social issues
In pre-industrial societies and some current ...
.
["] In 2008, she entered the studio to record her first album in eight years, ''The Honey Guide.''
The album was released in October 2008, and was a featured pick on the iTunes folk store.
In 2009, Worrell wrote original music for "Our American Ann Sisters", performed at Live Arts by PEP (Performers' Exchange Project), written by Martha Mendenhall.
In 2018, Kristin Hott and Worrell's band, September 67, performed a 20th reunion concert to benefit The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Discography
Albums
* Shannon Worrell: ''Three Wishes'' (CD). Super Duke Records (1994).
* September 67: ''Lucky Shoe'' (LP, CD). The Enclave/Super Duke (1996).
* Shannon Worrell: ''The Moviegoer'' (CD). Super Duke Records (2000).
* Shannon Worrell: ''The Honey Guide'' (CD/digital). Dualtone (2008).
Singles and EPs
* ''Shannon Worrell'' (four-track cassette EP). Super Duke (1994).
* ''Monsoon'' (cassette/vinyl). Self-released (1995).
* September 67, ''Busy Building'' (3-track UK CD single). The Enclave/Virgin (1996).
Promotional Singles, EPs and LPs
* ''Shannon Worrell & Kristen Asbury'' (four-track Lucky Shoe Sampler CD, DPRO-11700). The Enclave (1996).
* September 67: ''Lucky Shoe'' (Advance Promo CD, DPRO-11703). The Enclave/Super Duke (1996).
* September 67, ''Busy Building'' (1-track UK CD single, VSCDJ 1627). The Enclave/Virgin (1996).
* September 67, ''Busy Building'' (2-track US CD single, DPRO-11704). The Enclave (1996).
* September 67, ''Busy Building'' (1-track US 45). The Enclave (1996).
* September 67, ''What's Wrong with Alice'' (4-track CD EP, DPRO-11718). The Enclave (1997).
* Shannon Worrell: ''The Moviegoer'' (Advance Promo CD in card-sleeve, inc. booklet with alternate silver cover printing). Super Duke Records (2000).
Appearances in Compilations
* ''Dear Charlottesville'' as Shannon Worrell and Monsoon (1995). "Hazel Motes."
* ''Lilith Fair: A Celebration of Women in Music'' (CD, 1998). "Long Distance Runner."
* ''Aware II'' (CD, 1994). "Eleanor" & “Not Athena”
*"Aware IV" "Movie Star Mom"
*"Aware's Greatest Hits"
Appearances in Promotional Compilations
* ''The Enclave Music Sampler SXSW 97'' (CD). The Enclave (1997). "What's Wrong With Alice"
* ''Fired Up – Badge New Music: Vol 1'' (CD). EMI/Capitol Records (1997). "Busy Building"
References
External links
Shannon Worrell's Myspace page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Worrell, Shannon
American women singers
Living people
Musicians from Charlottesville, Virginia
Singers from Virginia
Year of birth missing (living people)
21st-century American women