We’re very excited to announce a new member to the Hidden Shoal family in the form of Ryan E. Weber (aka REW<<). We’ve had the pleasure of sitting with Weber’s forthcoming second album as REW<<, Olive Skinned, Silver Tongued Sirens Sing Swan Songs (released on 16th July 2015), for some time now and we can tell you it’s an absolute beauty. The eclectic songcraft of REW<< is refracted through the lens of a laptop, conveying the open-endedness, excitement, and disconnection of post-modern living while maintaining the immediacy of pop. From the grand to the intimate, REW<<’s many shades blend beautifully within the one canvas thanks to Weber’s skilled hand. His compositional dexterity manages to invest the dreaminess with a sense of drama.
Weber, who originally hails from the Western shores of Lake Michigan, has previously played in bands including Camden, The Promise Ring and Decibully, and is one half of dream-pop duo Eric & Magill. Working on Eric & Magill releases while living in both Kenya and the Republic of Armenia, Weber collaborated over the internet with a host of notable contemporary indie artists, including members of Shearwater, The Dirty Projectors, Owen, Volcano Choir and The Delgados. In 2014 he released his acclaimed debut solo album as REW<<, Departeures. His new album Olive Skinned, Silver Tongued Sirens Sing Swan Songs is his debut for Hidden Shoal.