Rees Shad

Rees Shad is a singular individual whose kaleidoscopic talents range from label founder and CEO to recording engineer and studio owner to troubadour extraordinaire. He claims to have been born singing, while songwriting came a few years later at the ripe old age of five. He cut his first '45 under his Sweetfish label in 1983 as a way to overcome less than exceptional grades in high school and get into a good college. While working toward a degree in history and English literature, he began his professional recording career as an engineer and studio manager at Sweetfish Recording Studios in rural Argyle, New York. Over the next decade Sweetfish Studios gained national renown among a diverse cross-section of artists, but the label and Shad's career as a writer remained on hold until 1996 when he began Sweetfish Records in earnest. Within the space of a year they had their first Grammy nomination with All the King's Men. Moving as skillfully as he does between the art of business and the business of art, Shad's visionary endeavors continue to break new ground.

Anderson, Ohio introduced Rees as an important new singer/songwriter on the American musical landscape. The finely crafted small town chronicles drew comparisons to James McMurtry and John Mellencamp, and the album was dubbed a "minor American masterpiece" by The Boston Sunday Herald.

Musically, Riggley Road is as engaging, evocative and cathartic as the story it tells. Shad's infectious, beautiful voice, powerful melodies, and exquisitely drawn lyrics are taken to the next level in this haunting work. And while Shad has his fingers in many pies, so to speak, Riggley Road makes it abundantly clear that his singing and songwriting are at the heart of his wide-ranging interests. The multimedia Riggley Road package, with guest appearances by violinist Jay Ungar and guitarist Molly Mason, includes an interactive computer element and a book containing the full-length narrative. The first single, "I Don't Venture Out," will be promoted to Americana and Adult Album Alternative (AAA) radio.