PICKING PETALS WITH TENCI
Words by: Glitzy
Photos by: Makenzie Creden
If Tenci were a flower- they’d be a whimsical, never-before seen little blossom.
“A gazanga. Yeah, a gazanga flower. A real bazoom,” says Curtis Oren, horn and flute extraordinaire. “Something exploding. Something with balls,” bassist Isabel Reidy adds.
Playfulness is a theme for the four-piece indie-freak-folk band. That and car struggles as of late.
Named after bandleader Jess Shoman’s grandmother Hortencia, Tenci’s current lineup consists of Shoman, Oren, Reidy and new addition Manae Solara Vaughn on drums.
Shoman’s unmistakable voice leads the way, acting as its own instrument alongside the band and finger-plucked guitar melodies. Reidy describes their bass as “slidey… sounds like they should be playing under a cartoon villain.” Oren is a self-proclaimed folly artist extraordinaire, specializing in making the lyrics sound literal, ie: if a truck is barrelling towards them, make it sound like it– put a pin in this.
Tenci’s music is very engaging in this way- they truly convey such strong emotion through tracks as Shoman wavers through tender songwriting, very much keeping their sense of imagination intact. Sulking suddenly seems more playful with Shoman’s lead. Overall, Tenci delivers indie-americana for sensitive and silly hearts.
Tenci bloomed with their sophomore record ‘A Swollen River, A Well Overflowing’, out on Keeled Scales in 2022, and have since toured the country with Wednesday, Another Michael, and Chicago’s own, Squirrel Flower.
Since then, they’ve taken an intentional break. The last record brought a sense of intensity to their lives and admittedly, there was too much going on. Reidy moved to Philly for a bit. The aforementioned truck barrelled towards them, literally, and they were left to recover.
They also went through a lineup change. Solara Vaughn was picked for drums, like the standout flower in a field, after former drummer Joseph Farrago left to pursue their solo project, Joey Nebulous (which, we love and encourage you to check out as well).
She has deep generational ties to Chicago’s music community through her parents, and her musical grasp flourishes throughout the city through solo projects, art-pop project Oux, slowcore group Harvey Waters, and engineering work- but not typically drumming. “I'm really approaching it like a melody instrument still,” she adds.
They’ve also been writing, and with their latest single, “Bubblegum,” Tenci is so back.
“I feel like we're kind of just itching to release something and we have been playing that one live for a little bit, so that was, that felt good to get out,” Shoman comments.
Solara Vaughn now brings a dynamic, playful percussive refresh behind blaring, bright horns courtesy of Oren. All while Shoman dwells on a tipping point they had after they discovered someone had stuck her rear windshield down with chewing gum
“It was just one of those cherry on top moments, I think I just spiraled,” Shoman says, after recapping a strange encounter with road rage the week prior.
That piece of bubblegum is a small but sick prank that translates to the cruelty and apathy of the world on a larger scale. How “Bubblegum” also translates to Tenci on a larger scale- Tenci has always proven to be far from apathetic, and sensitive to the cruelty in the world around them.
In Tenci’s own words, they can be described as “sexy,” but it’s their bold, active voice that truly defines their appeal. This energy radiates through their music, their online presence, and live performances. Beyond the music, they’ve been a loud force opposing the ongoing genocide in Palestine– an essential role for artists with platforms in today’s world.
“One way that's worked really well for us is, connecting with organizations that should have a spotlight on the work that they're doing and inviting them to shows and having them table– or if they can't table, getting resources for them and sharing them,” Shoman said on how artists can use their platform.
Solara Vaughn adds “Then using that as the catalyst for getting everybody else to care about what they care about.”
“We don't have a lot of influence over the world, but if we're making it clear to other people that it's important to us, it becomes a community value.”
As Tenci moves forward, their unique blend of playful creativity and deep sensitivity remains at the forefront of everything they do. Tenci’s presence is a testament to the power of art as both an emotional outlet and a force for change. With new music on the horizon and their collective heart firmly in place, Tenci is here to stay—growing, evolving, and making the world just a little bit brighter.
PICKING PETALS...
Brat Summer
I shamelessly love it.
I'm not gonna lie … I just ride my bike on the Lake Shore Path and blast BRAT. It's so fun to go under the tunnels while playing it- just feels like you're in the club.
John Prine
Original OG brat. Yeah. I cried so much when he died.
Hungry Brain
Classy. I love it. That's the first place I ever played.
“I was just thinking about the time I got rear-ended leaving the Hungry Brain” - Curtis
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