New album "Near Future" out now
Bio
Benjamin Shepherd was born in Nashville TN surrounded by country music and the bar bands that his father moonlit in. When he moved to Richmond, Virginia at eighteen he began composing original songs inspired by late 90's Pacific NW indie rock, 80's post-punk, and mid-century rock 'n' roll records. This soon led to a passion for the 1960's folk revival and contemporary singer-songwriters which sent him to New York City in pursuit of the Antifolk scene of the East Village where he began to hone his solo performances and develop a lyrically-focused songwriting style.
Having lived between Richmond and New York, touring the country, and beginning and ending with various bands along the way (The Veins, Nervous Ticks, Stake, Southside Stranglers), Shepherd recorded "Eleven For The Road" in 2014--a live solo performance captured in one take at Montrose Recording--that would become his first studio LP. 2019's album of full band arrangements titled "Hold the Line" was made with the help of Kevin Guild (Devil's Hand, Diamond Hairbrush), Tyler Williams (The Head And The Heart), Charlie Glenn (The Trillions, Thao & The Get Down Stay Down), and Adrian Olsen (Spacebomb Studios, Avers). His third studio album "This Was Supposed to Be Temporary" was released 2023 again featuring contributions from Guild, Olsen, Glenn, and others.
New album "Near Future" was recorded in his home studio on Tascam 388 and Ampex 440 tape machines and is out now.
Press
"For...Benjamin Shepherd, it’s substance above all else...['This Was Supposed to Be Temporary]'s latest single, 'Love Is Not Enough,' gives a glimpse of how honesty manifests personally. The song offers a stark depiction of moving past the honeymoon phase of a relationship, starting with an image of alcohol-fueled good times and the frank reckoning that sets in as love matures."
-Style Weekly
"I can still remember just how Benjamin Shepherd looked the first time I saw him play. A guitar strapped to his tall frame, a harmonica holder dangling loose from his shoulders, and his sleeves rolled up past his elbows like he wasn’t concerned if things were about to get messy. He reminded me of Bob Dylan or Paul Westerberg obsessing over the minimalist literature of Raymond Carver or the adventurous cinema of Jim Jarmusch or the immersive art of David Lynch."
"Hold the Line," [is] a solid collection of eight songs finely aged over the past two years that mark the exponential growth of an artist. Lush arrangements, swanky guitars and hearty vocals flourish in 30 glorious minutes reminiscent of a young John Prine or Neil Young.
-Style Weekly
"Benjamin Shepherd brings a folky touch to his songs, but he's not without some side trips into drug-fueled weirdness."
"On [Hold the Line], Shepherd's introspective take on Americana-influenced rock n' roll is distinctive and memorable."
-RVA Mag
"Expertly merg[es] his twangy Nashville roots with Northern indie-rock vibes"
-The Music Mermaid
"That'll work"
-Mayor of Catskill NY, Vincent Seely