In only five songs Ellen knows how to enchante you with her refined voice
Ellen grew up in the Netherlands and has been performing on stage since the early age of thirteen. When she was eight years old she played the flute in the local brass band. She started taking classical guitar lessons when she was sixteen, but was already beginning to play the compositions in her own way. She was a lead singer in several bands, singing rock, jazz and blues and began to develop her own guitar style and writing her own songs. In 2014 she released her debut album “My Window” produced by Roland Stolk. In 2017 she released the album “Clouds which was also produced by Stolk. American cellist Sera Smolen participated on two songs.
In 2019 she performed at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival NY in America. Ellen co wrote and sang vocals on titelsong “We Still know how to love” on Tom Mank and Sera Smolen’s album which was released in 2019 and she did background vocals on some of their European tours.
November 2020 she released her third album “Caged Bird” produced by Rich DePaolo.
The album received excellent reviews at home and abroad as well as many online reviews and in magazines as OOR; Lust for Live and Heaven Magazine.
Her many influences such as americana; folk; jazz; pop; classic melt together into her own style.
Ellen doesn’t believe that music belongs in boxes.
Caged Bird comes from Ellen’s soul somewhat autobiographical songs but also about the world she experiences around her and events that affect her. She recorded guitar and vocals at Barefoot Studio in Belgium. She sended the tracks to producer Rich Depaolo and flew to America to record at grammy winner Will Russel’s Electric Wilburland studio’s in Newfield NY.
Beside DePaolo (bas, guitars, mandolin, banjo, keys) Ellen collaborated with American musicians Sera Smolen (cello), Bill King (drums), Doug Robinsonn (upright bass), Max Buckholtz (violin, viola) and Mark Karlsen (soprano sax). Gait Klein Kromhof (harmonica) was the only Dutch musician that contributed to this album. Ellen made sure that she kept her own style and determined the direction of the album. “Caged Bird” was mastered by Fred Kevorkian (Willie Nelson, Joan Osborne e.a.)
” They are all beautiful songs without an exception. Ellen knows how to touch my soul. Caged Bird is not only a timeless record but also balm for the soul ” Theo Volk, music that needs attention about Caged Bird
” If you get excited by autobiographical stories presented with grace, delicacy and depth, if you warm your hearth by listening to acoustic sounds presented with essence, with a wealth of tones. Then Caged Bird is for you. Her own sound, her own poetry and the overall impression of a confident and very gifted artist” Remo Ricaldone (IT) Planet Country about Caged Bird
” She has a voice that radiates life experience and wisdom, her songs are so clever from a technical point of view that she could easily enter the international market” Harry de Jong, Lust for Live magazine about Caged Bird
” Ellen Shae avoids any compositional cliché on her new album and keeps the melodies surprisingly strong from the beginning to the end” Hans van der Maas, OOR magazine about Caged Bird
” Ellen Shae’s elegant, personally colored folk, pop and country rock ballads could hardly have been performed more authentic” Gaesteliste (DE) about Caged Bird