Ellis Paul – Masterful Story-Driven Folk and Americana by a Defining Voice of American Songwriting | with our guest, Shanna in a Dress

Ellis Paul returns to Godfrey Daniels! Known as one of the defining voices of modern folk, Ellis Paul transforms the stories of everyday life into timeless songs that resonate with truth and heart. With 23 albums, multiple awards, and songs featured in films and covered by major artists, Paul remains a powerful voice in American songwriting. Sadie Gustafson-Zook, a rising artist whose warm melodies and thoughtful lyrics have earned national recognition, will open the show. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience two celebrated voices in an intimate setting at our Live Music Listening room.

Opening the night is our guest, Shanna in a Dress. “Shanna in a Dress combines witty, heartfelt songwriting with great musicianship guaranteed to deliver a memorable experience for anyone lucky enough to hear her. From the incredibly moving “Daddy’s Little Girl” to the super funny “Mmm That’s Hot,” she hits home on every level, taking her listeners on a delightful roller coaster ride of laughter, tears, and everything in between.” — Steve Seskin, Grammy-nominated songwriter

Ellis Paul
ellispaul.com

Ellis Paul doesn’t just write songs; he’s a guitar-carrying reporter who covers the human condition and details the hopes, loves, losses of those he observes, turning their stories into luminous pieces of music that get under your skin and into your bloodstream. And much like the artists who have influenced him, everyone from Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and Paul Simon to the singer-songwriter who is undoubtedly his greatest inspiration, Woody Guthrie, Paul weaves deeply personal experiences with social issues and renders them as provocative works that are as timely as they are timeless.

Born and raised in Maine, Paul attended Boston College on a track scholarship and in the evenings became a fixture on the city’s open mic circuit. After winning a Boston Acoustic Underground songwriter competition, he caught the ear of folk luminary Bill Morrissey, who produced his indie album Say Something in 1993. This led to a seven-album contract with Rounder Records and the 1994 album, Stories. His songs have appeared in several blockbuster films (Me, Myself, and Irene; Shallow Hal, Hall Pass) and have been covered by award winning country artists (Sugarland, Kristian Bush, Jack Ingram). Through a steady succession of albums of his own – a remarkable 23 releases so far – and a constant touring presence around the world, Paul’s audience has grown into a loyal legion of fans. Along the way, he has picked up an impressive number of awards including the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Award, 15 Boston Music Awards, An Honorary Doctorate from the University of Maine, the 2019 International Acoustic Music Awards Artist of the Year and most recently his album, The Storyteller’s Suitcase, was named the 2019 NERFA Album of the Year. His new album “55” touches on the necessity of gratitude in a difficult era of the pandemic and divided political stances on his own imprint, Rosella Records. 

Our Legacy Artists have made a distinguishable number of performances on our stage across the decades. Their presence has helped to shape the very identity of Godfrey Daniels.

Shanna in a Dress
shannainadress.com

“Shanna in a Dress combines witty, heartfelt songwriting with great musicianship guaranteed to deliver a memorable experience for anyone lucky enough to hear her. From the incredibly moving “Daddy’s Little Girl” to the super funny “Mmm That’s Hot” she hits home on every level taking her listeners on a delightful roller coaster ride of laughter, tears and everything in between.” — Steve Seskin, Grammy-nominated songwriter

Shanna in a Dress is your quirky best friend who refuses to wear pants. She says what everyone has felt but no one else will say and you’ll get an uncensored journey of clever humor and heartbreak, extreme candor, and a hefty side of entertainment at her shows. This witty wordsmith is known for taking you on an emotional roller coaster, sometimes within the same song. Think John Prine mixed with Ingrid Michaelson with a twist of Phoebe Buffay from Friends all wrapped up in a sweet voice accented by guitar, piano, and ukulele. She’s as real as it gets, as anyone who follows her on FB or Instagram knows. 

Shanna started her career at the University of Virginia, fell in love with Boulder, Colorado, and now keeps her fun music flowing out of Nashville unless she’s touring the US or Europe. You can’t get the same Shanna in a Dress show twice with her spontaneous banter and playful stage presence. She manages to teeter the line masterfully of taking on complex subject matters with smart, bold, and yet accessible lyrics. Her charisma and boldly honest songs are full of interesting language and wordplay and delight audiences of all ages. 

Most recently, Shanna in a Dress was pronounced the winner of the Rocky Mountain Folks Fest Songwriting Contest and will be performing with a full band at the 2023 Rocky Mountain Folks Fest. In 2020 alone, Shanna was a winner in the Kerrville New Folk competition, winner of the Great River Folk Fest Song Competition, a finalist at Songwriter Serenade, and a Grassy Hill Emerging Artist at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. 

During the summer of 2021, Shanna bicycled from Seattle to Boston while music-touring on her epic “Tour de Dress,” playing over 60 shows from coast to coast and partnering up with the global non-profit Pangaea World Foundation. 

In May 2022, her debut record “Robot” was released after a wildly successful crowdfunded campaign years earlier. She was the winner She has most recently been seen gracing the stages of Kerrville Folk Festival, Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Black Bear Americana Fest, Great River Folk Fest, and the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. Tom Prasada-Rao called her “Kerrville’s fastest rising star” and she’s certainly delightfully unique and is one to watch in the future.