Shellshag

Back in the '90s, John Driver (aka Shellhead) and girlfriend Jennifer Shagawat decided to form a band, which they named Shellshag (get it?). With a minimalist combination of guitar, drums and vocals, Shellshag never had aspirations of worldwide stardom or acclaim. Driver and Shagawat were content to write songs about their affection for one another and perform them for friends at house parties and warehouses in their native NYC. More than ten years after their formation, Shell and Shag are still going strong, both as a band and as a couple, and with the release of the appropriately titled Shellshag Forever, the duo are beginning to receive some well-earned attention. With a cursory knowledge of the band's history, Shellshag Forever will make any listener feel happy for the Brooklyn duo. On autobiographical tracks like "Sweet Hoodie," Driver reminisces of a time when the couple "walked a mile to play that show out in the sunset." His low rasp of a delivery sounds as though it has aged quite well, and happily, over Shellshag's lengthy career. The band haven't strayed from their DIY roots and the growing critical attention the album has garnered serves as the perfect complement to the love story that is Shellshag.