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Tracy Shedd

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Hometown	Tucson, AZ
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About the Artist

"It's never too late to fight for what you want" -- Tracy Shedd.

Tracy Shedd's helpful reminder on the opening track "Never Too Late" from Cigarettes & Smoke Machines, her latest album of smart, pointed pop is a direct and economic assertion backed by sharp musicianship and just the right amount of reverb. Cigarettes & Smoke Machines is Shedd's most accomplished record in a career that has now spanned four full-lengths.

Raised in a music-friendly home -- growing up with piano lessons and a public address system in the living room to practice Patsy Cline on -- Shedd found punk rock as a teen and morphed into a singer-songwriter wrestling with a love of distortion. Also a fan of artists that drape their vocals in various shrouds (My Bloody Valentine, Cocteau Twins, The Jesus & Mary Chain), Shedd decided that she never really wanted her vocals up front, an edict that permeated her previous recordings. Now, with Cigarettes & Smoke Machines, Shedd lets go and we benefit from vocal performances that establish the arresting emotional core of her latest record.

The album comes at just the right time, too. Now that declarative female songwriters like Liz Phair and unheralded classics such as Bettie Serveert's Palomine are finally being celebrated, Cigarettes & Smoke Machines appears just when its audience is ready to identify with it. "What ever it takes, don't let them break you down," Shedd sings on "Whatever It Takes." What's the hardest part of goodbye? Shedd makes you wait for the answer on that track. When we find out that it's "why," we nod our heads. "Remember The Time We Set The Highway On Fire" takes the record in a different direction where the guitars take over and Shedd's connection to The Cure's nine-minute moments are more evident. Shedd's co-existing vulnerability and strength make for convincing, winning and relatable songs that you'll need to hear again and again.

It's been a long road to this level of compositional confidence for Shedd. Letting go of a lifetime of music theory made it easy to write a batch of songs within weeks of first picking up the guitar and Shedd's first album Blue was quickly produced in her then-home of Boston. Counting the infamous DC band Unrest as an influence (the Sarah Records oeuvre and The Softies come to mind as well), Shedd had aspirations to be signed to Unrest leader Mark Robinson's label Teenbeat Records though she knew that he only signed DC-based groups. She decided to give it a shot anyway.

Robinson was convinced and Shedd was signed to Teenbeat which released her debut in 2002. In 2003, Robinson went on to produce Shedd's second album, Red and a third LP, Louder Than You Can Hear appeared on the Devil In The Woods label the next year. Shedd then "got domesticated," and moved to Tucson where the heat "slowed her down" and provided the time needed to craft her most inspired album.

Cigarettes & Smoke Machines brings Shedd back home and is now her third album for Teenbeat. Shedd's place on the Teenbeat roster has obviously grown stronger throughout the years and it's an immense pleasure to see that at a time when the record industry is in a state of "huh?" a record as worthwhile as Cigarettes & Smoke Machines can appear on a label as true to itself as Teenbeat.

Teenbeat's beautifully packaged releases are often as of note as the musician's work that they house and Cigarettes & Smoke Machines' jacket is yet another in the long line of meticulously crafted Teenbeat sleeves. The photo of a blindfolded girl in profile that graces the cover is that of one of Shedd's best friends during her upbringing in Jacksonville. Shedd has had the photo since 1996 and held on to it thinking she would one day use it in relation to her music. It spoke to her twelve years later and is now the stark and stunning image that represents her latest and greatest.

This time around, it's not about being the next best thing to Shedd. Cigarettes & Smoke Machines is her most definitive and easy to climb into statement to date. It truly isn't too late to fight for what you want and this time Shedd really got it.

****

Cigarettes & Smoke Machines featuring guest appearances by John Girgus, Brian Espinosa, Richard Dudley, James Tritten, Craig Schumacher & Joey Burns and produced by Craig Schumacher will be released by Teenbeat Records on 09/23/2008. Shedd is also available to chat about her involvement in organizing the Pot Luck Conference (www.potluckcon.com), a yearly gathering of engineers, producers and musicians passionate about signals, sounds, music, and recordings.

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Achievements

Reached 18th in Best of Pop chart in 2011. In the top 20 for 2 weeks.

Press Coverage

IT'S NOT THE BAND I HATE IT'S THEIR FANS {July 20} by
Cigarettes & Smoke Machines is Tracy Shedd's fourth album, which blows me away since I have never ever heard of her before. What reeled me in to listening to this one is the fact that she's being currently compared to Liz Phair and Bettie Serveert. What's interesting is that this comparison still requires me taking a little bit of a gamble, since I love the 90's versions of these two acts, but I'm decidedly lukewarm about their current versions. So is Tracy Shedd reminiscent of old school Phair / Serveert, or the current Avril-ized versions? Well, to confuse you even more, I'd have to say yes and no. First off, the Liz Phair comparison is really quite superficial in the sense that style-wise, she doesn't really sound like old or new Liz. Vocal-wise however, the similarity is staggering. This is a good thing since I've always liked Liz's voice. Not too perfect, not too flawed, but just the right amount of human to make her endearing. The Bettie Serveert comparison is a little bit more accurate. Palomine was easily one of the great albums of the 90's, and although Shedd's disc doesn't quite have the same edge, it certainly carries the same level of solid alternative 90's pop sensibility. Not every song will grab you right away, but there are some very catchy ones still. Some of the highlights can be found in songs like Won Past Ten, which feels a bit nostalgic in its lyrical delivery as well as the slightly Cure-ish guitar sound. James Tritten plays lead guitar and I love how heavily featured it is on this track, making it as much the lead singer as her voice is. Go On is another standout. The lyrics are admittedly quite simple and a little bit mundane, but I've got to believe that this was done on purpose so as to place greater emphasis on the driving buildup of the song which I find very infectious. I'd say that the album is divided equally between the upbeat numbers and the balladry, and personally I'd say overall the faster songs seem to work a little bit better. But Plastic World is a good one, dealing with the monotony of life and the pressure that comes with being forced into the accepted plastic mold that becomes the standard in the world today, leaving very little room for individuality sometimes. That's a subject matter that's always appealed to me, going all the way back to Zappa's Plastic People in '67, and probably even earlier. Not being familiar with her previous work, I'd be interested in seeing if her music has always been this safe, or if she once had a little bit more of an edge. Not that a touch of anger is always necessary, I mean I like Fountains of Wayne for crying out loud, but it's the misleading Liz Phair comparison that had me expecting something a little bit more 'in-your-face.' The closest she gets is in the song So Sick, where she says some pretty harsh things about being so sick of it all, once again to the accompaniment of a heavily distorted guitar sound. It would've been nice to hear a little bit more of that. Still, as far as singer songwriter pop music goes, Cigarettes & Smoke Machines is better than average and is certain to offer even more grit upon further listenings. ~ Quadb

INDIE ROCK REVIEWS {September 2008} by
Tracy Shedd “Cigarettes & Smoke Machines” Album Review. Score 93% I’m inspired to write about Tracy Shedd and her new album Cigarettes & Smoke Machines. I have the sole intention of telling as many people as I can about her album which drops on September 23rd, on Teen Beat Records. Tracy, has managed to remind me of the jewels from my past, bands like Juliana Hatfield, The Cranberries and The Sundays were all bands that deserved their cult like status, Tracy could very well find herself in such lofty company with an album as good as Cigarettes & Smoke Machines. She has a simplicity of style that leaves nothing behind, and delivers overwhelmingly honest songs. Tracy’s vocals are now residing in my subconscious, have taken up residence and have also made me very embarrassed with the ability of making me sing her songs in overcrowded elevators. That’s another story. The recording on “Cigarettes & Smoke Machines ” breathes with life and fits her sound all to well, and when the guitar driven “Remember the Time We Set the Freeway On Fire?” plays you can’t help but listen and become infatuated. But where Tracy Shedd truly shines is in her lullaby of a song “Paris”, it’s a truly beautiful song that sweeps me away. ~ Administrator

CALIENTE {September 2008} by
Happenings: Tracy Shedd releases "Cigarettes," takes over Apple Store. Local singer-songwriter Tracy Shedd is getting ready to release her new album, “Cigarettes and Smoke Machines,” on Sept. 23, but after that she’s going to make history. Well, kind of. Shedd is set to become the first artist to perform in Tucson’s Apple Store, playing an hour-long set beginning at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 15. So while you’re purchasing your next-gen Nano or debating the feasibility of a MacBook Touch, you’ll be able to hear songs from the fourth album of one of Tucson’s better artists. The cover art for “Cigarettes and Smoke Machines.” The brunt of “Cigarettes and Smoke Machines” features subtle atmospherics that swirl around Shedd’s breathy voice and often whimsical, bittersweet lyrics. The album was recorded here at Wavelab Studio and features its regular inhabitants like Craig Schumacher and Calexico’s Joey Burns (Has there been a local album the prolific Burns hasn’t appeared on lately? He’s like the Lil Wayne of Tucson music.) Shedd has more plans for the release of “Cigarettes” going on, including a free record release party on the patio at Club Congress on Friday, Sept. 26, preceding the Okkervil River Congress show later that evening. Nice. “Cigarettes and Smoke Machines” is Shedd’s fourth album overall and is being released on Teen Beat Records.~ Kevin Smith

PODFLASH {August 2008} by
The first thing fans of Tracy Shedd will notice about her upcoming disc Cigarettes and Smoke Machines is that her voice is finally front and center in the mix...where it should be. A sweet and forthright echo of Liz Phair or Suzanne Vega, it is no longer buried in the instrumentation, and definitively delivers her strongest batch of lyrics and music to date. Check out "Whatever It Takes" now, and mark your calenders for Sept. 23rd, when the rest of this gem hits us. ~ Flash

A LIMERICK OX {August 2008} by
You know the difference between being genuine and billing yourself as genuine, right? Lots of folks enjoy spreading the idea that they’re genuine, like Dr. Phil, Céline Dion, or Ted Stevens. Yup, they never give up a chance to let people know that they are true, real, sincere people. They’re like lawn sprinklers, showering everything indiscriminately until the lawn is so wet nobody can really argue as to whether it’s damp or not. Tracy Shedd doesn’t need to spray anything to get her intentions across, especially not with a song like Whatever It Takes. Such a song speaks volumes, allowing for a pretty safe portrait of someone who really places herself into her art, and we listeners are all the better for it. Across the gritty twang of husband James Tritten’s soul gazing guitar, hazy and mysterious like a smoky after-hours bar, Shedd’s voice softly purrs its heady, earnest harmonies. Like a dreamy glow, her heart-sleeve vocals make her down-to-earth lyricism resonate with truth, palpable and genuine. Mundane wisdom such as “Whatever it takes, don’t let them break you down/And whatever it takes, don’t let them talk to you this way” becomes undeniably crucial and true, grand in its simplicity, while still sounding brittle and tentative, far from being some clamorous self-help guru, as if clutched by her own uncertainty about the statement. It’s this humanity which drips from every word she speaks, without relying on melodrama to immerse listeners into her sheen. Her authentic delivery and mature 90’s powerpop-like urgency make Whatever It Takes one of the most compelling and beguiling tracks of the year.

COPACETIC ZINE {September 2008} by
Okay, I’m biased because it’s on Teenbeat, so as soon as I opened the padded mailer and saw Mark Robinson’s gorgeous design work, my heart went pitter-patter and the CD went right into the player. But, it’s really good. She has such a pretty singing voice. I kinda miss the noisy, lo-fi-ness of Louder Than You Can Hear (I mean, “Wednesday’s The New Thursday,” for crying out loud), but this is still great. ~ Janice

FIRST COAST NEWS {August 2008} by
2008 is shaping up to be quite a year for Jacksonville musicians making headway on the national stage. Black Kids have had huge amounts of buzz since their first EP came out last year and now Tracy Shedd has returned with her latest album Cigarettes and Smoke Machines for the ever impressive Teenbeat label. Tracy Shedd has released two previous albums on Teenbeat and one album featuring a who's who of former Jacksonville bands on Devil in the Woods, but Cigarettes and Smoke Machines marks her return to Mark Robinson's stable of acts and it's a perfect fit. Tracy Shedd, is a singer songwriter to some degree but rather than going at it alone, she's got a full band behind her that helps flush out her ideas and gives a richness to her songs that wouldn't be possible if it were just by herself. In fact, it might not really be fair to call her that because Cigarettes and Smoke Machines seems to be much more of a band effort with it being named after it's singer rather than a singer songwriter w/a backing band. Sounding something like Juliana Hatfield, Jenny Toomey or maybe even a little like the Sundays or Tegan and Sara, Tracy Shedd has a shy, innocent intonation that sort of whispers in your ear while her band lends some indie rock styling and tension to her songs. Far from being a strummy boring record, Cigarettes and Smoke Machines is riddled with upbeat moments that weave their tales in a manner that never gets dull. Whether it's the sustain and strummy jangle of, "Won Past Ten," to the quiet tension and lilting drama of "Hardest Part of Good-Bye," Tracy proves herself to be anything but your stereotypical female singer. She is an artist who is a powerful songwriter who knows how to weave emotions into every word and note played. The result of that is an album filled with tension, drama, sentimental bits, and songs that are deeply provoking making Cigarettes and Smoke Machines a truly entertaining listen. Cigarettes and Smoke Machines is another record from our little neck of the woods that we can all be proud of and Tracy Shedd is another hometown artist that's proving that Jacksonville has a far better musical legacy than we are given credit for. ~ Paul

CATFISH VEGAS {July 2008} by
As Tracy Shedd (a relatively new Tucsonan) preps for the release of her fourth record (Cigarettes and Smoke Machines, produced by Craig Schumacher at Tucson's Wavelab Studio, due out Sept. 23 on Teenbeat Records), the singer-songwriter is making her previous release available as a free download. Louder Than You Can Hear, released in 2004 by Devil in the Woods Records, has a sound that spans from spare singer-songwriter material to the noisy end of shoegaze, and throughout Shedd has a sharp sense of how to blend melody with distortion. She has a dreamy, languorous vocal style, which blends well with buzzing, feedback-prone guitars and the looping, urgently propelling drums. The album opens with the percussive and mesmerizing "Inside Out," a head-nodding tone-setter with the repeated line "You're the only one that ever mattered" fading into the swirl of guitar noise. The record's highlight is the six-minute third song, "If You Really Cared About Me You Would Have Kept In Touch For All These Years," which starts with a build-up of guitar and drum noise, then slows to just one strumming guitar as Shedd starts singing. The distorted lead guitar breaks back in as a soaring echo that intertwines with Shedd's understated vocal. Next is the up-tempo "Try And Get Some Rest" and Shedd settles into a groove that stands next to the best early Liz Phair tunes. The album's title comes from the chorus to "Wednesday's The New Thursday," another song built upon layers of guitars and a thumping drum beat. The closer "Blue (The Blues Explosion Version)" is another perfect example of what Shedd does best on this record: wrap a delicate song inside screaming guitars with a balance and tension so captivating that six minutes pass unnoticed. It starts slow, with finger-picked guitar and Shedd singing the opening lines ("If it takes me all night, I'll get it wrong") with an air of forlorn detachment. The explosion part of the song hits after a beautifully hypnotic three minutes, with a squeal and crash that breaks the quiet but leaves the song's hypnotic core intact. The previews on Shedd's MySpace page point to an even better record, a tighter and more assured batch of songs that could very well make her one of the buzz singers of the fall. ~ Catfish Vegas

THE POWER OF POP {July 2008} by
I must confess that there was a time when the only female singers I listened to were Chrissie Hynde and Annie Lennox (and maybe Pixies-era Kim Deal). Thankfully, I am making up for lost time cos there’s always something different going on when you’re dealing with female singer-songwriters. Tracy Shedd’s new album - Cigarettes and Smoke Machines - is a landmark album of sorts. It’s hard to pin point exactly why but I guess there’s a mature sense of rich pop history that Shedd’s music evokes. While her debt to classic pop (tinges of country sirens like Emmylou Harris linger) is clear, it is the sweet influence of 80s Brit indie that intrigues. These references illuminate superior material like the edgy Whatever It Takes, the twangy New Order vibe of Won Past Two, the torchy Remember the Time We Set the Highway On Fire, the rampaging sexy Go On and the careening dark So Sick. With the depth displayed here, Cigarettes and Smoke Machines is an album that demands repeated listening in order to savour even after the time immediacy often fades. Watch out for Tracy Shedd, I certainly intend to! ~ Kevin

THE POP! STEREO {July 2008} by
Local Girl Makes Good...Again! For those of you who have been around for a while in Jacksonville, you'll know doubt know who Tracy Shedd is. Tracy has been playing stuff in Jacksonville for as long as I've been here and that's been nearly a decade, so she's kind of a familiar name. After a while of being here and doing just about everything there was to do here in Jacksonville she got picked up by the rather brilliant Teenbeat label. After two albums on Teenbeat, one for Devil in the Woods, and more tours than you can shake a stick at, she kind of slowed down to the point where I'm not sure what happened. As fate would have it, she's back and as it happens, with a new record. Cigarettes & Smoke Machines brings Shedd back home and is now her third album for Teenbeat. Shedd’s place on the Teenbeat roster has obviously grown stronger throughout the years and it’s an immense pleasure to see that at a time when the record industry is in a state of “huh?” a record as worthwhile as Cigarettes & Smoke Machines can appear on a label as true to itself as Teenbeat. ~ Paul

ROCK SELLOUT {July 2008} by
I had never heard of Tracy Shedd until we received word that her new album “Cigarettes & Smoke Machines” will be coming out September 23rd. Being the inquisitive sort, I scooted over to her MySpace page to check the score and lo and behold - she’s offering her full length album “Louder Than You Can Hear” for free download! She’s got some great chops too - think The Cure fronted by, say, Liz Phair. It’s addicting in all the best ways. So here’s the plan: 1. Check out “Whatever It Takes” below, fresh off her forthcoming release 2. Enthralled by Step 1, go to her MySpace page and grab that free album 3. Sufficiently armed with Shedd tunes to weather the 2 months until her new album’s release date, stuff a few extra coins in between the cushions each night as a savings fund for September 23rd. ~ Keath

KXCI 91.3FM {July 2008} by
I have a little secret to tell you. There is a band in town that relatively few people seem to have discovered. They are not only good, but they are world-class good. The band is Tracy Shedd, fronted by Tracy Shedd (vocals), with James Tritten on lead guitar, Becca Hummer on electric bass, and Tasha Sabatino on drums. Tracy Shedd has a new album out called "Cigarettes and Smoke Machines." I was able to get an advance copy last weekend, and I have been listen to it ever since, sometimes while dancing in my living room. The album was recorded right here in Tucson at Craig Schumacher's Wavelab Studio. This is smart pop, pop music in the best sense of the word. The most prominent feature of the music is Tracy Shedd's smooth, melodic vocals. There is something calming about her voice, something reassuring. The lyrics are based on conversations and describe everyday situations. "Whatever it takes, don't let them break you down. And whatever it takes, don't let them talk to you this way." sings Tracy Shedd. Tracy Shedd's smooth delivery is juxtaposed by James Tritten's exuberant electric guitar, played on a black Fender Telecaster that delivers that crunchy surf sound. James Tritten's guitar lead is another voice. His guitar sings along with Tracy, harmonizes, and then at times takes its own way only to meld seamlessly once again with Tracy's steady vocals. Tracy Shedd has assembled Tucson's finest with Becca Hummer on electric bass, and Tasha Sabatino on Drums. There is chemistry on stage between these four fine Tucson musicians. They are having fun, doing what they love. The only thing missing right now is a solid fan base, and I have a feeling that is soon to follow. The album has just been released to radio stations around the country and the excellent reviews and blogs are already rolling in. The album "Cigarettes and Smoke Machines" will be released in October, 2008 and there will be a true CD release party at Club Congress. If you want to get a preview of their songs, listen in to Locals Only at 91.3FM KXCI on Monday, July 21st at 8pm and I will be sure to play one song. Or, you can visit Tracy Shedd's Myspace Page. Tracy Shedd will play live on Sunday, July 27th at Plush, opening for touring musician Eef Barzelay of Clem Snide (Nashville, TN). ~ Dr. Dan, Host of 91.3FM KXCI's Locals Only, 8pm Mondays

ESKIMO KISS RECORDS {April 2008} by
I was fortunate enough to receive an advance of the upcoming Tracy Shedd release, Cigarettes & Smoke Machines, which Teenbeat is making available this fall. I was a big fan of her previous output, but this is her best record yet. As usual, the standout is Tracy’s vocals, which are delivered in a very earnest, deliberate fashion, reminding me a little of Laura Veirs. But there are also a few surprises in store… thanks mostly to the very tasty and varied lead guitar work of Tracy’s husband James Tritten (of the late, great Audio Explorations). The entire record is great, but I especially can’t stop listening to “Won Past Ten.” When I first heard it I thought the hooky guitar line sounded just a little too obtrusive, but now that’s the part that I find myself humming almost non-stop. It’s this song that made me think this record fits perfectly on the Teenbeat roster (and would have fit perfectly on Sarah Records, if it were still around), as it reminds me so much of great early 90s indiepop. And speaking of the Teenbeat roster, fans of the band Aden will likely fall in love with this record, as at times while listening to it I couldn’t help but think “this is what Aden would sound like if fronted by a female.” Anyway, it really is great stuff, just check out the track below and keep an eye on Teenbeat for more details of the release. ~ Kim Ware

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