Biography

Telephone Explosion Records is delighted to announce the release of Shirley Hurt’s self-titled, debut LP on December 2, 2022. For most of the world, it will be the first glimpse of the all-encompassing universe this nascent-yet-enlightened singer/songwriter has invited us into. Throughout the course of nine songs, Shirley Hurt traverses into the furthest corners of experimental indie folk, pop and country, alchemizing a singular sound that integrates elements of each with elegant unpredictability and ease. Skeletal arrangements slink around Hurt's compelling voice, an instrument in its own right which brings to mind some of the great classically left-field singers while retaining a distinctiveness that is increasingly rare in this era. Hurt never seems to leans overtly into any one particular sonic landscape enough to pigeonhole herself. Instead, the album and artist herself seem wrapped in a captivating, just-barely-penetrable opaqueness, identifiable only by the confidence of its execution. There is an air of ease and simplicity to Shirley Hurt that belies its inherent intricacy. A timelessness that makes the album feel like it has always existed, like it was meant to be here. This is clearly the beginning of a long artistic story, one that will likely be stippled with many unpredictable chapters. Like any great book, however, it’s the introduction that draws you in.