Brandi Shearer

Brandi Shearer was raised on a rural farm in Oregon and was encouraged to sing and play music by her grandmother, which also led to her receiving a guitar as a gift from her father. In her teens, Shearer began to study classical guitar and voice, and won an opera scholarship to a local college. A student exchange program brought her to Hungary in Europe, where she became exposed to the music of a variety of American Jazz and Blues artists, including Billie Holiday. Subsequently, she dropped out of school and left her home and began performing in clubs and bars in Hungary and France.

In 1998, Shearer moved to San Francisco, California, and released her debut which featured contributions from jazz guitarist Ted Savarese. She also played rhythm guitar in Savarese's jazz-oriented ensemble 'Drizzoletto'. During that period she split her time traveling back and forth from France and Hungary, earning her living performing. Shearer released two albums within a few months of each other in 2003 and 2004, 'Music of a Saturday Night' and 'Sycamore', Following this Amoeba Records owner David Prinz booked her for a live recording with the gypsy jazz Robin Nolan Trio in 2005. Various tours and performances followed, including an appearance with Nolan at Austin's SXSW festival. Shearer released "Rendezvous at the Nightery," her debut recording for Amoeba Records, with the trio (and featuring mandolin from David Grisman) in 2005, followed by Close to Dark in 2007.[1] After the label folded in 2008, Shearer formed Vinyl Tiger Music, and began recording an album. 'Love Don't Make You Juliet' was released in 2009 and was with producer Craig Street, who had also worked with Norah Jones.

She is in the final stages of completing a record with musicians Me'shell N'degeocello, Autolux drummer Carla Azar, and producer Chris Bruce. Shearer will release the record under the band name 'Hexer' in late spring 2011 or later.

Her music has been used for film and television, including the television series' Dexter, Weeds, True Blood, Prime Suspect and several others.

Studio albums

• Museum (1999)
• Music of a Saturday Night (2003)
• Sycamore (2004)
• Rendezvous at the Nightery (2005)
• Close to Dark (2007)
• Love Don't Make You Juliet (2009)

She is currently living in Los Angeles, California, United States.

• Official website