Tenci Walk Us Through Their Transformative New LP “A Swollen River, a Well Overflowing”

Band leader Jess Shoman breaks down each track on their sophomore record, out now via Keeled Scales.
Track by Track

Tenci Walk Us Through Their Transformative New LP A Swollen River, a Well Overflowing

Band leader Jess Shoman breaks down each track on their sophomore record, out now via Keeled Scales.

Words: Mike LeSuer

Photo: Henry Jordan Smith

November 04, 2022

The sonic evolution that took place between Jess Shoman’s 2020 debut album as Tenci and their brand new follow-up can immediately be heard on A Swollen River, a Well Overflowing’s opening 80-second track wherein Shoman is joined on vocals by three bandmates as they sing about a personal transformation that mirrors that of the project itself. While My Heart Is an Open Field was far from a solo project when you consider its own long list of contributors, the new LP immediately slabs on the layers that tend to come with any full-band endeavor.

But as the record unfolds this detail tends to get lost amid the personal revelations documented in each song, Shoman’s lyrics honing in on various all-consuming subjects ranging from slowly fading friendships to the way this country can be particularly unwelcoming to those who are newly making it their home. Yet through the magic of songwriting (or that of Shoman’s children’s-book-turned-lyric-journal) these heavy emotions are leveled out to match the alt-folk shadings of Tenci set perceptibly and uniquely askew by Shoman’s inimitable vocals and musical penchant for the unexpected.

With the record out today via Keeled Scales, Shoman dove a little deeper into each of its 12 tracks to expand upon their lyrical themes and to give us a glimpse into their recording process. Read their writeup (or, alternatively, don’t, and see if you can hear the clown-horn noise embedded deep in the record without any hints), and stream along below.

1. “Shapeshifter”

“Shapeshifter” acts as a portal into the world of the album by embracing how morphing into different versions of yourself can feel magical. There is so much beauty in taking on a new form, no matter how flawed or different from my original expectations. This is one of a few songs on the album where all four members are singing together, but I love this one in particular because of how the round creates a disorienting yet unifying feeling. The subtle radio effect on my vocals halfway through the song is meant to further emphasize the feeling of shapeshifting. Even though this is the shortest song on the album, it has a lot of moving parts and creates a world I want to keep exploring.

2. “Vanishing Coin”

The grief that comes with friendships slowly fading without much explanation is very complex and hard to process. When I wrote this song I was looking for some sort of closure. Comparing these feelings to a wishful coin thrown into a fountain or small, sharp objects that could easily be forgotten (inevitably causing pain later) has helped me to accept change in a way that feels a little more lighthearted.

3. “Be”

“Be” was written in 2019 and is the oldest song on the record. This song is about valuing the importance of all the simple and quiet parts of being a human. Oftentimes I feel very introverted and have a hard time making conversation in social settings. I’ve gotten down on myself by comparing myself to those who are more outgoing and who seem sure of who they are. “Be” serves as a reminder that being more exuberant doesn’t equate to more importance and that giving yourself time and space to be your true self is what matters most. I always enjoy playing this song—Curt [Oren]’s sax solo gives me chills everytime.

4. “Great Big Elephant”

“Great Big Elephant” is the title on the cover of my journal (an old children’s book re-purposed) in which I've been writing songs the last few years. I remember really struggling to write a song and staring blankly at the cartoon elephant on the cover. Suddenly I had an “aha” moment that the elephant in the room was this journal that holds the deepest parts of myself. This song is about combating the uneasy feeling of change by “throwing it down the well,” which to me symbolizes wishful rejuvenation and having hope that good things will come. This is also the only song on the album that the band hadn’t pre-written the parts for, and it was very cool to see what the song naturally pulled out of them.

5. “Cold Dirty Water”

There are trials and tribulations that come with holding onto something or someone you know is not good for you. “Cold Dirty Water” is about having a hard time accepting the truth and moving on. What happens instead is frantically wading through various pools of shallow water to find what was once lost. 

6. “The Ball Spins”

Watching “the ball spin” can be as big as watching the Earth spin on its axis, or as mundane as a ball spinning on the ground. The world burns with so much sadness and destruction and most of us witness it in a very desensitized way. I wanted to compare this type of destruction with interpersonal types of destruction that can feel just as earth-shattering. 

A little bit before the pandemic we were coming home from tour and there was a car parked and up in flames—no one else was around or concerned. It felt like a big sign of what was to come. I’ve always felt hypnotized by songs that repeat the same melody over and over, and felt like it would work really well for the “spinning” nature of this one. All four band members singing in harmony felt like an obvious answer because to me it means coming together to create something beautiful amidst the turmoil.

7. “Sharp Wheel”

This is a love song of sorts. It’s about how falling in love can bring self-doubt, and having to remind yourself that you deserve a healthy relationship. It’s a reminder that being with the right person can make you feel safe and help to soothe these fears. I lost a bet to Curt and told them that they could add one surprise to the album without input from anyone if they beat me in a game of speed. The surprise ended up being a clown horn noise that they had originally been playing on saxophone. At first I was hesitant, but now it’s one of my favorite parts of the song. Izzy [Isabel Reidy, a.k.a. Izzy True] and I dance around each other's voices a lot in this song, and at one point they take over and start singing the beginning of the second chorus. We had so much fun playing around with this one, and it’s one of my faves to play live.

8. “Out of Body”

I struggle with PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) and very often feel disconnected from my body. “Out of Body” is about watching yourself do things you usually love while your mind is actually very far away. Once things return to reality, mind and body join up again to feel a sense of joy and go eat a slice of pie.

9. “Sour Cherries”

This song is about the bittersweet feelings of love. Love might be the most intense feeling and emotion, and it can come in so many different forms. Harnessing the expansiveness of this emotion resulted in using my voice in a way that feels unwieldy and beyond me. We recorded this song live instead of track by track because it felt like the best way to keep the heartbeat of the song going. 

10. “Swallow Me Whole, Blue”

This is an homage to my Mom’s childhood dog, Blue, who got poisoned by the neighborhood kids. My grandma, mom, and her three siblings had just immigrated from Belize to a suburb in Illinois, and didn’t receive a very warm welcome. This story has always caused me deep sadness and I always knew I wanted to write about him. It explores the perspective of Blue swallowing a shrunken down version of myself instead of the poison so that I can protect him from evil and witness his joy. 

11. “Two Cups”

“Two Cups” is one of the most exhilarating songs on the record. It’s about not being second in line, not waiting for the good things you deserve in life, and filling your cup on your own terms. Abby Black put a lot of care into helping us perfect the guitar tones by trying out a bunch of different methods. We recorded the guitar solos many times, each time getting crunchier and crunchier, which was refreshing and new to me. I love this dang song!

12. “Memories”

For a while I had never seen any of my family's home videos, so for my birthday a couple years ago my mom gifted me digitized versions of them. It’s really important for me to archive my life by putting small pieces together to create my own special stories. This song features voice recordings from my mom, dad, grandparents, and me as a child. This song is about knowing that at the end of your life, you will have beautiful memories to fill your heart. Sweet relief.