The contemplative indie-folk of Jess Shoman — who performs under the name Tenci — can be nostalgic and euphoric at some times and dark and brooding at others. With her unforgettably eloquent, vibrato-laced voice as the anchor, Shoman weaves emotive guitars, dreamy pedal steels and palpable emotion together into a raw, delicate and striking tapestry of sound. A local to Chicago, the rest of the world will get to hear this sound in its full-length glory on Friday when Shoman releases her debut studio album, My Heart is an Open Field via Keeled Scales.
Videos by American Songwriter
Ahead of the record’s release, Shoman debuted the single “Forgot My Horse’s Name,” which is an amusing and heartfelt look into the souring of a relationship.
“I went horseback riding and afterward forgot my horse’s name,” Shoman told American Songwriter. “The horse and I weren’t really getting along. She wasn’t listening to me and kept running me into trees because she didn’t wanna get mud on her feet. By the end of it I was all scratched up and her name was erased from my mind. I was really fixating on the situation and felt really bad about it! So out came the song.”
The song has a sentimental, yet melancholic mood to it. Shoman’s signature sound blossoms as her haunting voice guides you through a sonic atmosphere that feels akin to what David Lynch imagines cowboys do when they’re sad. The end result is something unique and moving — something that is as evocative of a sad drive home alone in your car as it is of a sunset lounging out along a wide-open field.
“Sometimes relationships don’t work out and can leave you scratched and bruised,” Shoman said, “but don’t forget about the parts of yourself that you gave. Even with horses.”
Listen to Tenci’s new single “Forgot My Horse’s Name” below:
