Short Press Paragraph

Rick Shea is one of L.A. 's most talented songwriters with songs embracing everything from norteño and border rock to traditional folk and country music, his voice is smooth and bittersweet and his guitar playing goes from subtle on the ballads to blazing through the rockers. His 5 critically acclaimed albums have been called “ marvelous…4 stars... LA Daily News, (“Sawbones”) to “stunningly good”... Dirty Linen (“Trouble and Me”) and he's worked with everyone from roots rock kingpin Dave Alvin to folk chanteuse Katy Moffatt to indie rock legends R.E.M.

“Staunchly independent...represents the best of California music,” LA Weekly.

Press Quotes

                                                            for Shelter Valley Blues
“Years from now writers will refer to this as “his career album.” In case I'm not around to do it, I'll just do it here. He's had a long and storied career and worked with music royalty in several genres. As is the case with in demand players they often don't get the proper respect for their own recordings. This one will change all of that for Shea. This self produced and recorded album feels like something The Band would have done early in their career.”
Blll Lavery/ Village Records

             for Sawbones/Bound for Trouble

Shea is to interior California what Joe Ely is to West Texas; his music evokes deep Kern, San Bernardino and Riverside counties the way Ely nailed down Laredo, two pinches of old Mexico, a blast of exhaust from the boss man's new Suburban and a baseline of working stiff desperation…and the best goddamn country voice since Merle hisself. **** Four stars!

Jackson Griffith/Pulse Magazine

Marvelous…covers the gamut of folk, gospel, blues, country and even some Mexican idioms…each song crafted with distinctive freshness and originality and to top it off, Shea's caramel baritone is as beautifull and resonant as his multi-string virtuosity is awe-inspiring…**** Four stars!

Bob Strauss/LA Daily News

…absolutely sparkles between the grooves…

Buzz McClain/No Depression

                             for Trouble and Me

Shea and Kearns are both enthralling singers and equally exciting instrumentalists, there is something quintessentially Californian in Shea's bittersweet voice… Trouble and Me is stunningly good…

Paul E.Comeau/Dirty Linen

One of them small gems of an album…Shea and Kearns have plenty of elbow room to show their musical chops, which they do in spades.

Dan Ferguson/3 rd Coast

                               for Our Shangri LA

…an updated and simmering version of West Coast honky-tonk…

Andy Turner/No Depression

                                    for the Buffalo Show

…expert playing and songwriting…first rate…exquisite…

Mike Boehm/LA Times

…a powerful musical personality…Shea's best songs rank with anybody's best…

Jim Washburn/OCWeekly

…of all the people combining classic honky-tonk with conjunto, Shea has the best voice,

top ten pick…

Joel Bernstein/Country Standard Time