“I Kidnapped Willie Nelson”

“Through the jaundiced eye of a starving artist, Jack Shields paints portraits of heartbreak, vice, and hilarity over eight barnstorming songs. Something like a marriage between Loudon Wainwright and John Prine (with Ween as the wedding band), Shields is in sparkling form on “I Kidnapped Willie Nelson,” a meditation on the thankless nature of individual genius. Disreputable, cautiously optimistic, and quietly self-loathing, “Late to the Funeral” is a picture of a party coming to a final, sordid finish. Shit, it was cheaper than therapy.” – Brendan Ruberry, Medium

Uh-oh, someone dropped acid in the moonshine again. “I Kidnapped Willie Nelson” listens like a Nashville nightmare.

Think the Joker picking up bluegrass. Featuring Grammy-winner Michael Cleveland on fiddle, Andrew Hendryx on Mandolin, and Marco Apicella on double bass, ‘Willie” puts Shields in the company of alt-country great Sturgill Simpson in proving songwriters don’t have to choose between making their audience laugh or sing along. They say you shouldn’t meet your heroes — if Shields’s latest is any indication, they might think twice about meeting you.

“I Kidnapped Willie Nelson” is the first single from Jack Shields upcoming debut album “Late to the Funeral”. The album is set for release in late 2021.

ARTIST BIO

A rootsy, Los Angeles-based Singer/Songwriter, Jack Shields finishes alt-country with an indie-folk varnish. Given that Shields’ upcoming record was partially recorded in Connecticut’s “Dirt Floor Studios,” it’s fitting that his tunes conjure a hootenanny gone terribly awry. His music, however, is anything but rustic. His songs feel reminiscent of The Band, had they honed their craft in mall gallerias rather than Arkansas honky-tonks. As a natural storyteller, Shields’ swooning melodies come alive with irreverent lyricism, ranging from hilarious to heartbreaking. Following a string of singles, an EP, and a soundtrack album, Shields is set to release his full-length debut “Late to the Funeral” in late 2021.

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