Painted Shield

Seattle quartet Painted Shield create a powerful, genre-blending alt-rock sound driven by rootsy vocals and overdriven, industrial keyboard textures. After a false start in the early 2010s, the band regrouped in 2020 and released their eponymous debut album. Two years later, the group issued their spirited sophomore effort, Painted Shield 2.
Painted Shield combines the talents of rock guitarist Stone Gossard (Pearl Jam), folk-pop singer/songwriter Mason Jennings, session drummer extraordinaire Matt Chamberlain, and virtuoso R&B keyboardist Brittany Davis. The project had its origins in 2013, when Gossard and Chamberlain recorded some instrumental demos. Gossard was introduced to Jennings by the singer’s manager, a mutual friend who suggested they collaborate; he sent some of the files to the singer, who added lyrics and vocals. The pair were pleased with the result, and one of the tracks, “Knife Fight,” was released on Pearl Jam’s fan club-only vinyl single series Ten Club, but then the quartet took a hiatus. After touring for Pearl Jam’s 2020 album Gigaton was scuppered by COVID-19, the trio decided to reconvene and worked remotely. With the addition of Seattle keyboardist/backing vocalist Brittany Davis, they wrote and recorded enough songs for an album. Painted Shield was released in December 2020 on Gossard’s newly reactivated Loosegroove label, which had famously released the debut Queens of the Stone Age album back in 1998. The album’s sound blended alternative rock, psychedelia, rhythm & blues, rootsy vocals, and industrial keyboard textures into a heady brew. Painted Shield returned in 2021 with the singles “4th of July” and “Dead Man’s Dream.” Both cuts appeared on the band’s dynamic 2022 sophomore effort, Painted Shield 2, which added even more textures and styles to their oeuvre. ~ John D. Buchanan