"Shelby Earl’s first two albums earned the kind of raves any musician would kill for. Upon hearing her 2011 debut, Burn the Boats, NPR’s Ann Powers called Earl her “new favorite songwriter,” and she wasn’t alone. Accolades followed from Rolling Stone to the Wall Street Journal and a million music publications in between that positioned her somewhere to the left of Neko Case, a few blocks from Sharon Van Etten, catercorner to Angel Olsen. She toured everywhere, playing with the likes of Loudon Wainwright, Rhett Miller, and Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie, who spoke for many people when he said Earl had “the most heartbreakingly beautiful voice in Seattle.” 2017 saw the release of Earl's third, and most accomplished record to date, The Man Who Made Himself a Name." - Sean Nelson (Harvey Danger / The Stranger)  Full bio, press pics, and more here.

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Press:

  • "Shelby Earl's "Strong Swimmer" Video Is a Powerful Ode to the Strength of Gender Nonconforming Youth" [Full Article- The Stranger

  • "Shelby Earl Explains 'Strong Swimmer,' An Ode To Trauma And Recovery" [Full Article- NPR Weekend Edition

  • "PREMIERE: Seattle’s Shelby Earl premieres duet with Josiah Johnson (The Head & The Heart)" [Full Article] - Huffington Post
  • "...Burn the Boats in 2011 and Swift Arrows in 2013—were vehicles for Earl’s voice, a rich and expressive instrument capable of substantial power. The Man Who Made Himself a Name is less a vehicle than a co-conspirator riding shotgun and reaching over to stomp on the accelerator.[Full Article] Paste Magazine

  • "Shelby Earl Incorporates Soul and Gospel Into Her Rugged Roots Rock" [Full Article] - Bandcamp

  • "PREMIERE: Shelby Earl "Call Her Mercy" (Incredible!)" [Full Article] - Impose Magazine

  • "Shelby Earl is back and bigger than ever..." [Full Article] - No Depression Magazine

  • "The Songwriter pushes away from her folky roots on 'The Man Who Made Himself a Name'" [Full Article] - Seattle Met Magazine

  • "...it’s the nuance of her lyrics and the push in her production that distinguishes her as one of the Emerald City’s finest players." [Full Article] - Seattle Times

  • PREMIERE: "The Man Who Made Himself a Name" [Full Article- She Shreds Mag

  • "If you’ve ever gotten into an interesting and inquisitive conversation about Seattle music and got asked who you thought was “the most heartbreakingly beautiful voice in Seattle,” some might say the timbre tycoon Shelby Earl"  [Full Article- KEXP 90.3

  • "Shelby Earl Awaits Disaster in 'Stay With Me Tonight' Video" [Full Article- Wall Street Journal

  • "If “Stay With Me Tonight” is any indication of the direction Earl is taking, we’re eager to hear what’s next"  [Full Article- Paste Magazine

  • "Do206 Interview: Shelby Earl" [Full Article- Do206
  • "Your Unexpectedly Good Christmas Carol of the Day is Shelby Earl's 'We Three Kings'" [Full Article- Entertainment Weekly

  • "Rock Stars Enter the Production Booth" [Full Article- The Wall Street Journal
  • "SXSW: Meet Shelby Earl, the singer you need to know" [Full Article- Salon.com
  • "Shelby Earl Comes Out Firing in Swift Arrows Premiere" [Full Article- Rolling Stone
  • "Music For Folks Who've Been Through a Few Things"[Full Article- NPR Weekend Edition
  • "Top Seattle Bands You Should Hear Now" [Full Article- Seattle Magazine
  •  Top 2013 Albums List Round-Up: [Full List] - KEXP 90.3/No Depression/Seattle Times/and more! 
  • "Her songs are gorgeous, heartbreaking and extremely relatable..." [Full Article- Paste Magazine
  • 10 Great New Bands from CMJ [Full Article] - Paste Magazine
  • "This Is Me Now: Shelby Earl on Leaving Corporate America for CMJ'" [Full Article- Consequence of Sound
  • "Shelby Earl Finds Self-Assurance in Vulnerability on 'Swift Arrows'" [Full Article- Listen, Dammit
  • Soundtrack Suggestions for Zach Braff's 'Garden State' Follow-Up: Shelby Earl, "Everyone Belongs to Someone" [Full Article] - Rolling Stone
  • "Her Name Is Earl: Shelby Earl & the Desert Church of Doo-Wop..." [Full Article- No Depression
  • "...Swift Arrows, a poignant and roiling act of honesty from Seattle singer-songwriter Shelby Earl..." [Full Article- Indie-Music.com
  • "Morning Show host John Richards was smitten by this “beloved” performer and had nothing but praise for Shelby, whose second studio album is fast gaining critical acclaim."  [Full Article] - KEXP 90.3
  • "We love Shelby Earl. Her new album [Swift Arrows] is among the best of the year..."[Full Article- KIRO Radio
  • "[Swift Arrows]...is an invigorating, bold statement from a singer/songwriter..." [Full Article] - American Songwriter
  • "Album of the Month: Shelby Earl's Swift Arrows" [Full ArticleSeattle Met Magazine
  • KEXP Song of the Day: Shelby Earl - "Sea of Glass" [Full Article- KEXP 90.3
  • Singer-Songwriter Shelby Earl Live In Studio [Full Article] - KUOW Seattle
  • "I don’t think I overstate my case to say that Shelby Earl has one of the best voices I’ve heard in my 10 years on call here at Fingertips...I can confidently report that she is the real thing, a bona fide star..." [Full Article] - Fingertips Music
  • "Earl Avoids Sophomore Slump with full-length Swift Arrows..." [Full ArticleTribLive
  • "Glory On the Horizon for Shelby Earl" [Full Article] and "...her masterful sophomore effort..." [Full Article] "[Swift Arrows) encapsulates Earl’s talents concisely, delivering disconcerting truths in a style that’s undeniably beguiling" [Full Article] - The Seattle Times (*3 articles)
  • "The New Sound of Seattle: These 3 acts have what it takes to deliver our distinctly Seattle sound to the world"... [Full Article] - Seattle Met Magazine
  • "This time around, Earl is not holding anything back, nor is she hiding behind anything..." [Full Article] - The Stranger
  • "Shelby Earl's Swift Arrows is One of the Most Anticipated Locals Records of the Year" [Full Article] and "...she is a songwriter, not a hobbyist with a nice voice and a day job...." [Full ArticleSeattle Weekly (*2 articles)
  • eMusic Pick: "Tart, wry pop, delivered with a wicked grin..." [Full ArticleeMusic
  • "Coffee With Guppy: Shelby Earl" [Full Article] - Seattle Magazine
  • "It's clear that Shelby Earl is going big places" [Full ArticleThe Sunbreak
  • "From the Horse's Mouth: Shelby Earl on Swift Arrows" [Full Article] - Ghettoblaster
  • #1 Amazon.com Outstanding 2011 Album You Might Have Missed: Shelby Earl, Burn the Boats [Full Article] - Amazon.com
  • "Singer/songwriter Shelby Earl released one of the best albums to come out of the Northwest in 2011" [Full Article] - Paste Magazine
  • "Seattle Music Now: Ten Acts That Move This Town" [Full Article] - City Arts Magazine
  • "singer-songwriter Shelby Earl cut out every anguished and beautiful facet of "All Apologies" with heart-wrenching grace." [Full Article- Rolling Stone (Nirvana "Nevermind" 20th Anniversary show)
  • "With songs that transcend trends and musical boundaries, Shelby Earl’s Burn the Boats is a fine example of a singer-songwriter who has honed her craft to a fine point and whose songs are both touching and inspiring." [Full Article- Pop Matters
  • "'Burn the Boats' features simple, elegant tunes that showcase a voice that rings with confidence..." [Full ArticleSpinner.com
  • "...Earl's voice has an infinite depth to it..If you feel the need to lose yourself and/or be restored, put your faith in Earl." - The Stranger
  • ""Burn the Boats," is a thing of beauty. If you aren't familiar w/ Miss Earl, now would be a good time to get up to speed.." - DJ El Toro, KEXP 90.3
  • "Shelby’s story is the sort of underdog tale that both inspires and restores faith..." [Full Article- Rocktorch
  • "Shelby Earl's "At the Start" Is NPR's Song of the Day" [Full Article- The Seattle Weekly
  • ""At The Start"...an early frontrunner for best song put out by any artist in 2011." [Full Article- The Seattle Weekly
  • "...a naturally gifted singer and songwriter."  [Full Article- AnotherRainySaturday.com
  • “The opening tracks...put Earl at Neko Case level…” - ThreeImaginaryGirls.com
  • "Perhaps it's time [Shelby] Earl gets used to being noticed."  [Full Article]- The Seattle Weekly