Most recently charming audiences as the touring accompanist and opening act to breakout folk act Lily & Madeleine, Shannon Hayden has been creating her own music since childhood. She received her first cello at the age of seven and dedicated herself to classical training. Yet, she found herself loving the instrument but craving a way to fit all of her musical influences into her playing. Inspired by artists ranging from Beethoven to Björk, Hayden began exploring new boundaries with the use of instruments and technology to develop her unique one-woman-band approach to songwriting.

The result is beautifully crafted songs that start with one voice and conclude as if a rock orchestra has taken the stage. At its most basic setup, her musical devices include the cello, vocals, and a complicated setup of connected electronic pedals, buttons, and gadgets. In other songs, the multi-instrumentalist will add guitar or mandolin to the mix. And when a traditional instrument won’t do, she’ll take to using non-traditional techniques, such as strumming the cello with a guitar pic, or creating percussive sounds by banging the neck with a hard –but protected—object.

Her musicianship has taken her through many milestones, including completion of two solo albums, Pieces of the Sun (2010) and Solid State Cello (2012), both recorded, mixed, and mastered by Hayden in her off-the-grid, solar-powered recording studio on her family’s vegetable farm. She’s recorded and performed with acts including Carrie Newcomer and Lily & Madeleine, and keeps to her classical roots, touring with string combos when time allows. Shannon Hayden is currently completing her third solo album, expect to hear more from her in 2014!