In her most recent solo album, Joan [Musselman] Shelley ’04 draws on the traditions of American roots music, but there’s something about the album that feels contemporary. The songs blend the traditional ingredients of roots music — banjo and acoustic guitar — with unexpected string and percussion arrangements, all anchored by the clarity of Joan’s voice.
Joan’s solo albums include Dawnlight and Ginko, which was just released in the fall of 2012. She has also recorded a pair of albums with the band Maiden Radio, who opened for Abigail Washburn at the KCD Theater in 2012. Her most recent release is the song “Electric Ursa,” written and recorded with Nathan Salsburg.