By Mike Romero
Tonight, two world-class musicians from Seattle, WA are gracing Provo’s most iconic stage. Josiah Johnson and Shaina Shepherd will co-headline tonight’s show as part of their joint 17-date tour of the western United States.
Josiah Johnson is a singer/songwriter best known as a founding member of folk-pop powerhouse The Head and the Heart, who signed with Sub-Pop in 2010. He began a solo career in 2018 and released his debut LP, Every Feeling On A Loop via ANTI-Records in 2020. Johnson’s music is deeply personal, charting a course through the darkest corners of his life into the daylight of joy and exuberance.
Shaina Shepherd is a singer, songwriter, vocal teacher, and community organizer in Seattle. Known for her pervasive soul-grunge style, she fronted the rock band BEARAXE. Now a piano songstress, Shaina Shepherd’s distinctive voice has brought her into contact with prominent creators like Duff McKagan, members of Soundgarden, Nancy Wilson of Heart, and Modest Mouse. Seattle radio station KEXP 90.3 said, “Shaina Shepherd is one of our city’s brightest voices, to the point where she barely needs an introduction. She’s a classically trained singer who injured her vocal cords in her early twenties only to become one of the most distinctive singers in Seattle music today.”
Both artists will be supported by local acts Talin Everett and Michael Barrow & The Tourists. Everett was a contestant on Season 18 of American Idol, and Michael Barrow & The Tourists recently completed a tour of the midwest.
Doors at Velour Live Music Gallery open at 7:30 PM tonight, November 17. Tickets are still available. While you’re waiting for the show to start, check out “I Wish I Had” by Josiah Johnson below!
Provo Music Magazine 