The Portland-based indie folk group Shook Twins has released their track “Mad Scientist” via No Depression. The track appears on their forthcoming EP, 2, out November 03, 2017. The EP finds the group strip down from a full band to inherent power of the group’s namesake duo—identical twin sisters Katelyn Shook [vocals, guitar] and Laurie Shook[banjo, vocals]. Listen to “Mad Scientist” here, and stream or purchase via Spotify and Apple Music.
“Mad Scientist is a song written by our friend Vance Bergeson who lives on a mountain in north Idaho and makes guitars from local trees,” says Laurie Shook. “We heard him play it at an open mic 13 years ago, and have been playing it ever since. It’s a beautiful song about being a small time luthier and a farmer, and holding on to the simple things in this life. His words make us think of home, and dirt and the amazing hard working good people in our lives.”
In early 2017, Katelyn and Laurie Shook holed up alone in a room with just two voices and two instruments and cut the seven-song collection live to tape, serving up bare bones renditions of fan favorites, covers, and one new tune entitled “Safe.”
“Musically, it differs from our other studio albums, because it’s just two twins in a room performing on two instruments,” explains Katelyn. “It’s much more raw emotionally and almost vulnerable. It’s nice to hear our growth as a duo and notice our individual grooves. It showcases these songs in a different way than they had been or will be recorded. It’s just a taste of the simplest core of our band: The Shook Twins.”
“It goes back to the very beginning,” adds Laurie. “When we were 18, we started writing songs together, just the two of us. We practiced how to blend our voices and instruments, trying to make our 2 voices and 2 instruments sound like one thing instead of 4 separate pieces. That’s how we started this whole musical life. We wanted to go back to that for a minute and remember.”
The group emerged in 2008 with their independent debut You Can Have The Rest followed by Window and 2014’s What We Do—which garnered acclaim from USA Today and more. Organically stirring up a buzz, they engendered fandom in fellow creators such as Langhorne Slim, The Lumineers, Mason Jennings, and iconic best-selling author Neil Gaiman who claimed, “They make music that twines through your soul the way vines cover an abandoned shack in the woods.” Along the way, the full band, including Niko Slice[electric guitar, mandolin, vocals], Barra Brown [drums, vocals, drum pad], and Josh Simon [bass, vocals, electric guitar, synth], has shared bills with everyone from Ryan Adams to The Indigo Girls.
Shook Twins are currently on tour to support their forthcoming EP and ready their next body of work. ****See below for full-announced tour dates****.
Shook Twins Tour Dates
9/22 – Redstone Room – Davenport, IA
9/23 – Boats and Bluegrass Festival – Winona, MN
9/24 – Shubas Tavern – Chicago, IL
9/26 – The Pyramid Scheme – Grand Rapids, MI
9/28 – Hard Rock Cafe Pittsburgh – Pittsburgh, PA
9/30 – One Longfellow Square – Portland, ME
10/01 – The Middle East – Cambridge, MA
10/03 – Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 – New York, NY
10/05 – World Cafe Live – Philadelphia, PA
10/06 – The Purple Fiddle – Nashville, TN
10/07 – The Festy Experience (10/07-10/08) – Arrington, VA
10/9 – The High Watt – Nashville, TN
10/11 – Off Broadway – St Louis, MO
10/12 – Knucklehead Saloon – Kansas City, MO
10/13-14 – Basin Springs Park Bandshell – Eureka Springs, AR
10/15 – The Bluebird Theater – Denver, CO
10/25 – Humbews – Arcata, CA
10/26 – Hopmonk Tavern – Sebastopol, CA
10/27 – Hangtown Music Festival (10/27-10/28) – Placerville, CA
10/29 – Applegate Lodge – Jacksonville, OR
10/31 – Volcanic Theater Pub – Bend, OR
11/03 – Hi-Fi Music Hall – Eugene, OR
11/10 – Liberty Theatre – Astoria, OR
11/16 – Neumos – Seattle, WA
11/17 – Rhythm and Rye – Olympia, WA
11/18 – Wild Buffalo – Bellingham, WA
12/09 – Wonder Ballroom – Portland, OR
