Shannon Stephens

Seattle, WA singer-songwriter Shannon Stephens hasn't been around much lately. After beginning her musical career playing with Sufjan Stevens in Marzuki, she released her self-titled debut disc in 2000. And although Will Oldham (Bonnie "Prince" Billy) covered one of the tracks from that album ("I'll Be Glad") on his 2008 album, Lie Down In The Light, Stephens burned out on the music business and retreated, focusing instead on her family and cozy, down-to-Earth pursuits like gardening and homemaking. Nearly a decade later, Stephens returns, transformed by her experiences, with a spectacularly beautiful and fiercely compelling sophomore album. Simple acoustic guitar and piano arrangements play host to raw, poignant lyrics that will rip your heart out and then comfort you with sweet caresses. Cutting straight to the core of the anxieties and unprecedented challenges of modern life, Breadwinner is intensely relevant, lyrically incisive and richly deserving of your attention.