Tenci + Thanya Iyer

TENCI: Tenci is a folk-country-rock band which started as the project of lead vocalist and songwriter, Jess Shoman. Introduced to the Chicago music scene with the release of their debut album My Heart Is An Open Field in 2020, Tenci was joined by a full band in 2022 for A Swollen River, A Well Overflowing. The band provides increasingly complex sonic landscapes to interact with Shoman’s emotional, surrealist lyrics and trilling voice, forming a spell to “fill my heart back up,” Shoman says, “by reframing complex feelings by turning my head sideways and seeing them in a different way.”

The current lineup of the band demonstrates undeniable musical chemistry as Shoman is joined by Curt Oren (sax/flute/guitar), Manae Solara Vaughn (drums), and Izzy Reidy (bass). Live on stage, they embody the feelings of wistfulness, dreamfulness, and curiosity which are ever-present throughout Tenci’s recorded discography.

THANYA IYER: Thanya Iyer is an enigmatic songwriter who crafts sparkling, experimental pop music. Her live band features Pompey, Emilie Kahn, and Daniel Gélinas, whose acoustic and electronic contributions enliven serene, spiritual compositions. Thanya and the band’s arrangements empower listeners to embrace mindfulness, aesthetic beauty, and the interconnectedness of all things. The group has performed all over Turtle Island, supporting acts like Julia Holter, Land of Talk, Kimya Dawson, Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter, Jeff Parker, and Kevin Drew. Following their 2020 Polaris long-listed, sophomore visual album KIND, the band’s new record, TIDE/TIED, navigates the rhythms of communal identity, healing, and loving, within a dissonant world.