On April 14th, Shannon Lay will release a 9-song digital album of covers entitled Covers Vol. 1.  She shares “I absolutely love doing covers. It’s such a joy to offer my perspective on songs I admire and spread the word about amazing artists. Covers Vol. 1 is the first in a series of cover records celebrating my obsession with shannonizing songs.”
 
For her debut cover,  “Angeles” by Elliott Smith, Lay shares “If I had a nickel for every minute I’ve spent listening to Elliott Smith I’d be a very rich woman. His intricate thoughtfulness always fills me up. “Angeles” was one of those songs I was always quite intimidated to learn but upon finally trying it came together so naturally.  Then Debbie Neigher topped things off with an amazing piano outro. I love feeling Elliott’s spirit embedded in the musical scene at large. Anywhere notes are played he lives on.” Directed by Kai MacKnight you can watch this charming homage to Smith and her home, Los “Angeles” HERE.
 
Lay will embark on a 8-date run opening for Whitney starting on March 20th in Denver, CO, with additional shows in Salt Lake City, Seattle, Portland and San Francisco, ending on March 30th in her home city of Los Angeles. She will then head overseas in April playing headline shows in France, Manchester, Bristol and London with performances at Sound & Vision Festival in Cambridge, UK and Roots of Heaven Festival in Haarlem, NL. See below for a full list of dates.
 
Mon. Mar. 20 - Denver, CO - - Bluebird Theatre ^
Tue. Mar. 21 - Fort Collins, CO - Aggie Theatre ^
Wed. Mar. 22 - Salt Lake City, UT - Soundwell ^
Sat. Mar. 25 - Seattle, WA - Crocodile ^
Sun. Mar. 26 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater ^
Mon. Mar. 28 -San Francisco, CA -  The Chapel ^ 
Tue. Mar. 29 - Menlo Park, CA - Guild Theater ^
Wed. Mar. 30 - Los Angeles, CA - The Regent ^
Sat. Apr. 15 - Toulon, FR - Faveurs de Printemps
Tue. Apr. 18 - Manchester, UK - Gullivers
Wed. Apr. 19 - Bristol, UK - The Cube
Thu. Apr. 20 - London, UK - Kings Place
Fri. Apr. 21 - Cambridge, UK - Sound & Vision Festival
 Sun. Apr. 23 - Haarlem, NL - Roots of Heaven Festival 
Wed. Apr. 26 - Dublin, IE - Cobblestone 
 
^ w/ Whitney

Shannon Lay
Covers Vol. 1

 Tracklisting:
Angeles (Elliott Smith)
From the Morning (Nick Drake)
Blues Run the Game (Jackson C. Frank)
Close My Eyes (Arthur Russell)
The Keepers (Ty Segall)
I Lost Something in the Hills (Sibylle Baier)
Glow Worms (Vashti Bunyan)
I’m Set Free (The Velvet Underground)
I Am Slow (OCS)

Shannon Lay’s alluring new record, Geist is out today worldwide via Sub Pop. Geist has received acclaimed support from places like Uncut, Stereogum, Under the Radar and Mojo. Pitchfork gave her single “Rare to Wake” its coveted “Best New Track,” saying “Shannon Lay delivers each moment in “Rare to Wake” with deep care and intention. Throughout the song’s five-minute runtime, the Los Angeles songwriter’s voice never appears unaccompanied: It is always layered in harmonies, followed by wordless echoes, or conversing with a sparse ensemble of upright bass, keys, electric guitar, and handclaps. Her lyrics are formed by existential concerns (“Have I always been who I am?”) and quiet affirmations (“I am longing to grow”). While her words slowly outline an imagistic narrative, the real story is in the sound itself—percussion teases a climax that never arrives, the background vocals sometimes overtake the lead, and her central acoustic guitar riff loops with the steady, meditative quality of ambient synths. Like a living painting, each new texture and color shifts the mood.” 

Lay will be touring in support of Geist and has confirmed new shows in North America, UK, and Europe. Click here for a full list of shows. 

What people are saying about Shannon Lay:

 “It’s impossible to overstate just how beautiful the song is, Lay’s voice woven into transcendent harmonies as her patient but insistent acoustic guitar loops itself into a kind of instrumental mantra. Glistening keys and handclaps play around the edges, shading in new colors without ever disturbing the serenity of repetition. If this is what change sounds like, it’s easy to look forward to whatever’s next on the horizon for Lay.” [“Rare To Wake”] - Stereogum

“Drenched in brilliant Californian sunshine, beautifully layered harmonies and an all-around feeling of loveliness [..] Divine” - God Is In The TV 

“Geist already feels like a special record” - For The Rabbits 

“Lay’s voice is a thing of burnished beauty, quiet and warm with a certain gravity” [9/10] - Uncut

“Geist is a beautiful spin through the windmills of Lay’s mind, unreal in the best ways” - [4/ 5] - Mojo

“Geist is shaping up to be a real must listen” [Single of the Week] - Secret Meeting 

“Judging from ‘Rare To Wake’ the best is yet to come as her voice and sound has blossomed” - The New Cue

“Sensational” - Beats Per Minute

Shannon Lay

On the heels of her previously released singles, “Rare to Wake”, “Awaken and Allow “ and “Geist,” Shannon Lay shares the official new video for “A Thread to Find.” Lay wrote this song after walking into an old hotel in Switzerland and being struck by the feeling like she’d been there before, which is a testament to the energy we leave behind and stumble across. She shares about the song:
 
“ ”A Thread to Find” is about finding pieces of yourself in unfamiliar places.  It is about watching the people around you grow and evolve and admiring the chaos and the beauty of discovering new worlds within ourselves.  It is recognizing the courage and strength in each other even in the face of great challenge.  And it is a reminder for when you get lonely on your journey that we are in this together.  You’re on your own but not alone.”

These singles are off her forthcoming long-player Geist, which will be available worldwide on October 8th from Sub Pop.
 
In addition to the previously announced shows, Lay has confirmed new UK & EU dates. See below for a full list of dates.  
 
Fri. Sep. 10 - Los Angeles, CA - Gold Diggers
Sat. Sep. 11- Los Angeles, CA - Bob Baker Marionette Theater 
Fri. Oct 8 - Long Beach, CA - Living Room Show
Sun. Oct. 14 - Los Angeles, CA - The Ebell Theatre 
Thur. Oct 16 - Sonoma, CA - HUICHICA Festival 
Fri. Oct 17 - Sonoma, CA - HUICHICA Festival 
Tue. Oct. 19 - Brooklyn, NY - TV Eye
Wed. Oct. 20 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
Mon. Nov. 08- Hamburg, DE - Aalhaus    
Tue. Nov. 09 - Berlin, DE - Monarch
Thu. Nov. 11 - Utrecht, NL - Le Guess Who? Festival
Fri. Nov. 12 - Paris, FR - Le Consulat
Sat. Nov. 13 - Kortrijk, BE - Sonic City Festival    
Mon. Nov. 15 - London, UK -St. Pancras Old Church
 
What people are saying about Shannon Lay:
“It’s impossible to overstate just how beautiful the song is, Lay’s voice woven into transcendent harmonies as her patient but insistent acoustic guitar loops itself into a kind of instrumental mantra. Glistening keys and handclaps play around the edges, shading in new colors without ever disturbing the serenity of repetition. If this is what change sounds like, it’s easy to look forward to whatever’s next on the horizon for Lay.” [“Rare To Wake”] - Stereogum
 
“Shannon Lay delivers each moment in “Rare to Wake” with deep care and intention. Throughout the song’s five-minute runtime, the Los Angeles songwriter’s voice never appears unaccompanied: It is always layered in harmonies, followed by wordless echoes, or conversing with a sparse ensemble of upright bass, keys, electric guitar, and handclaps. Her lyrics are formed by existential concerns (“Have I always been who I am?”) and quiet affirmations (“I am longing to grow”). While her words slowly outline an imagistic narrative, the real story is in the sound itself—percussion teases a climax that never arrives, the background vocals sometimes overtake the lead, and her central acoustic guitar riff loops with the steady, meditative quality of ambient synths. Like a living painting, each new texture and color shifts the mood.” - [“Rare to Wake”, “Best New Track”] - Pitchfork
 
”Geist already feels like a special record, emerging from a global struggle with something rich and optimistic, a reminder of the power of creativity and our ability to adapt.” [“Awaken and Allow”/”Geist”] - For The Rabbits 

Shannon Lay
Geist
 
1. Rare to Wake
2. A Thread to Find
3. Sure
4. Shores
5. Awaken and Allow
6. Geist
7. Untitled
8. Late Night
9. Times Arrow
10. July 

On the heels of her previously released single, “Rare to Wake,” Shannon Lay shares the official double video for the gorgeous singles “Awaken and Allow “ and “Geist,” from her forthcoming record Geist, which will be available worldwide on October 8th from Sub Pop Records. 

Watch the new video for “Awaken and Allow “ and “Geist” now, which was directed by Kai MacKnight. Lay says of the singles “Awaken and Allow” is a prayer and a promise.  A quiet moment to reflect on transformation and what it means to me.  California represents my comfort zone and in this song, I am urging myself and everyone listening to move out of their comfort zone in order to push ourselves to grow and evolve.  We are all in a constant state of change and the way we can learn to move and flow with that change completely elevates our experience with it.  The most amazing thing we can do for ourselves is recognize where and how we are standing in our own way and move aside.  “Awaken and Allow” your greatness to emerge. 

“Geist” is a testament to the power we all have within.  We are so much more amazing than we know ourselves to be.  With this video, I really wanted to acknowledge some of the incredible people who make shows possible.  We filmed at Zebulon in Los Angeles; a venue that has brought so much to the community here and I am so happy they have survived this uncertain time.  There is so much going on behind the scenes to create the amazing memories we all have of live music and every part of that took a hit with the pandemic.  With all we have been through it has been awe-inspiring to see the strength of the human spirit.  Let us move forward with kindness and love toward ourselves and others.  Let us see the beauty and wonder in the lives we get to live and appreciate every moment of it.”

 
Lay has confirmed a handful of live performances this fall in support of Geist. These include appearances at this year’s Huichica Festival in Sonoma, California on October 16th and 17th, and NYC-area shows on October 19th at TV Eye in Brooklyn, and October 20th at the Mercury Lounge in Manhattan. More shows to be announced soon. 

Fri. Oct 8 - Long Beach, CA - Living Room Show
Thurs. Oct 15 - Sonoma, CA - HUICHICA Festival 
Fri. Oct 16 - Sonoma, CA - HUICHICA Festival 
Tue. Oct. 19 - Brooklyn, NY - TV Eye
Wed. Oct. 20 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
 
Geist feels like a window - or a mirror - into possibilities of the self and beyond. Lay’s new album is tender intensity, placeless and ethereal.  It exists in the chasms of the present – a world populated by shadow selves, spiritual awakenings, déjà vu, and past lives.
 
“Something sleeps inside us,” Lay insists on the opening track, and that’s the guiding philosophy throughout. A winding, golden, delicate thread of intuition that explores the unknown, the possibility. Its title, Geist, the German word for spirit, is rife with an otherworldly presence, the suggestion of another. The promise that you are never alone.
 
Lay tracked vocals and guitar at Jarvis Tavinere of Woods’s studio, then sent the songs out to multi-instrumentalists Ben Boye (Bonnie Prince Billy, Ty Segall) in Los Angeles and Devin Hoff (Sharon Van Etten, Cibo Matto) in New York; trusting their musical instincts and intuition. She then sent those recordings to Sofia Arreguin (Wand) and Aaron Otheim (Heatwarmer, Mega Bog) for additional keys, while Ty Segall contributed a guitar solo on “Shores.”  
 
As a whole, Geist is both esoteric and accessible. There’s the concise, pared-back cover of Syd Barrett’s tilt-a-whirl-esque “Late Night,” while “Rare to Wake,” inspired by Dune, is existential and meditative, a circular guitar riff looping at the core of it.  “Awaken and Allow,” is ancient-feeling and mainly a cappella, its melody channels her deep Irish roots, a moment of reflection, before a drop happens – its intensity mirroring the anticipation and anxiety that come with taking the first step to accepting change for yourself. 

“Time’s Arrow,” with its refrain of heading downhill, was inspired by something a close friend said. Lay notes: “I wanted ‘Time’s Arrow’ to be this gentle reminder that we’re on our way, and we’re moving forward.  There is medicine in every moment so don’t rush.”
 
“Thread to Find,” which Lay wrote after walking into an old hotel in Switzerland and being struck by the feeling like she’d been there before, is a testament to the energy we leave behind and stumble across.
 
And the title track “Geist,” a song about the power living in all of us, is a love song to the possibility of healing, an ode to falling into the arms of what you’re becoming. It’s a glimpse into the parts of yourself you have yet to meet. But you can, if you want to.

Geist is now available for preorder on CD/LP/CS/DSPs from Sub Pop. LP preorders from megamart.subpop.com, select independent retailers in North America will receive the limited Loser edition clear with orange and green hi-melt vinyl (while supplies last). Meanwhile, LP preorders in the U.K, and in Europe will receive the limited Loser edition on sun yellow vinyl (while supplies last).

Shannon Lay
Geist

1. Rare to Wake
2. A Thread to Find
3. Sure
4. Shores
5. Awaken and Allow
6. Geist
7. Untitled
8. Late Night
9. Times Arrow
10. July

Today, May 11th, 2021, marks the return of Shannon Lay with the official video for “Rare to Wake,” a gorgeous new single which is now available at all DSPs, and first material since the release of August, her acclaimed 2019 label debut.
 
Shannon says of “Rare to Wake”: “Change is a constant in every aspect of our experience yet sometimes it is difficult to accept. Without change we cannot become who we are meant to be and with change comes the upheaval and transformation of who we were. There is an inevitable discomfort that comes with challenging the environments, roles and identities we embody throughout our lives. Trust that part of yourself that knows you’re on the right track, even when it’s challenging. That trust and love helps to guide and reassure us as we explore new realms.
 
Wherever you are in your adventures let this song be a reminder to never be afraid to receive and accept the changes that beckon you to grow and evolve. Allow yourself to awaken and embrace your many destinies.  When your heart feels heavy ask yourself what needs to be cleared out.  That new found space will be occupied by something better, something brighter, something that lifts you up; make way.” You can watch the new video for “Rare to Wake” which was directed by Kai MacKnight by clicking here.

What people are saying about Shannon Lay’s August:
“A quiet resolve underlies the folk singer’s mesmeric Sub Pop debut, which is her sunniest and most intrepid.” - Pitchfork
 
“Both bracing and enticing, as she invites you into her world but doesn’t let you get too comfortable (8/10).”  - Uncut
 
“August feels like the product of a wandering mind deliberately slipping through the cracks” ★★★★ - Mojo
 
“Blissful but measured, pretty but also in possession of a soothing plainness.” ★★★★ -  Q
 
“Shannon Lay lives in the real world even as she’s fascinated with all that is not obvious to us, and she’s rarely in better form than on August.” ★★★★- All Music
 
“Captures the artist’s pure joy in committing her life to music… exudes warmth and love, with empowering poetry sung along to creative updates on folk tropes.” -The Line Of Best Fit
 
“It feels more self-assured and hopeful.” - CLASH