Stable Shakers music was made to be unexpected - the material exists in it’s own ethos. The Pennsylvania-based outfit, featuring songwriter and guitarist Spencer Pheil and vocalist Brechyn Chace, strive to create music that is both nostalgic and contemporary. Their most recent release, “Low Key” (Dec 2020) conveys the convergence of old and new creative inspiration. Nine original songs running the gamut of love, loss and deep introspection are a musical glimpse into the experience and observation of Pheil during the pandemic. The poignance and beauty of the recording transport the listener to truly emotionally visceral place.

The debut EP "Stable Shakers" - was released on August 23, 2019. Asking Pheil and Chace to define their music and genre is a loaded question - one that elicits a very dynamic, yet opportunistic answer. Both Pheil and Chace are satisfied with leaving it’s wonder and lore as it is - a theme prevalent in the band's EP and down to their core as musicians.

The EP features seven original songs written by Pheil, all at various times in his life. The release focuses on themes of complacency in life and love, coming of age and one’s search for greater purpose. Some of these intimate sentiments can be heard on their single and final track "The Grind" - which explores the darkness within daily routine, and the desire to be free from the clutches of societal expectation. Chace's vocal performance yields a soothing, melodic gestalt, adding balance to the lyric’s inner haunting expression. For Pheil and Chace, this equilibrium seems deeply personal - a balance they both find in their lives as a married couple.

For their debut CD & live shows, Pheil and Chace enlisted their touring band and life-long friends, who have also worked with them in several other projects throughout their years, most notably, The Hello Strangers. The band's live performance is not one to be missed, as Chace's soulful warmth and Pheil's cerebral introversion coalesce on stage in an experience that is nothing short of cosmic.

PRESS

“[The Grind] is an atmospheric and sacred composition” - Fresh Out Of The Booth Aug 2019

“I really enjoy the production aesthetics of this release, particularly because they let the authentic dynamics of the band shine, giving the listeners a more realistic representation of their chemistry. “ - The Band Camp Diaries Aug 2019

Low Key by Stable Shakers Self-released,
December 11, 2020

Stable Shakers’ new album Low Key represents something of a departure for the group, pared down to its core duo of composer/guitarist Spencer Pheil and singer Brechyn Chace by

pandemic necessity. In con- trast to their 2019 self-titled effort that featured a full-band texture, the

group’s first self-described “duo al- bum” is an entirely guitar-and-vocals affair. The music suffers not one bit for the transition; the relative uniformity of the texture lends coherence to the record’s sound without straying into monotony. The wide-open uncluttered palette allows for the full depth and richness of tone inherent to its constit- uent elements—layered acoustic and electric guitars and Chace’s resonant singing—to shine through in the mix.

Chace’s vocals bring together the full tone of Chan Marshall with the vibrato and ornamentation of a significantly less agitated version of Fiona Apple. It is a voice that is, at once, singular and familiar, delicately wrapped in subtle but evident plate reverb. Pheil’s guitar parts are thoughtful and inventive, al- ways framing the lead vocals and clear- ly communicating the ideas behind his songs. With Low Key, Stable Shakers have produced a beautiful album rich in meaning and atmosphere that lives up to its titular mandate while remain- ing thoroughly engaging. This band deserves a much larger audience; they are ready for prime time.

-NEPAudio 2021