Philip Gallati: bass
Martin Graf: drums
Daniel Herzig: guitars, wurlitzer, organ
Nadia Leonti: vocals
Lucas Mösch: guitars, lapsteel, vocals
Sämi Schneider: guitars, banjo

Believe it or not, there is an Americana-scene existing in Switzerland – though the Basel based band Shilf just prefers to call their music «pop». Shilf doesn’t like definitions too much. And they usually doesn’t like to mention their influences because it would be too easy to compare them to such artists as Wilco or Lambchop. It would be too easy to call their music alternative country or folkpop... So, let's just call it pop!

«Me», the sextets first album for the Berlin, Germany based label Ulftone music, got some attention in Germany in 2003 after having been chosen the «best swiss album» by the biggest radio station in Switzerland in 2002. Produced by Chris Eckman, the mastermind of the US folksters The Walkabouts, «Me» perfectly captured the magic of Shilf. It aroused enthusiam by the wonderfully melancholic songwriting of guitarist and singer Lucas Mösch, the intimately enraptured vioce of Nadia Leonti and the filigree instrumentation with some strings, horns, banjos and many steel guitars.

The press agreed:

«The album has got beautiful moments, for example when a Lamchop-like piece of phlegma starts to boost harmonically.» Rolling Stone (Germany)

«Atmospheric sunset Americana, produced by a quite famous american indiefolk man, whose name I wont mention here, because this album doesn't need any comparing name dropping.» Spex (Germany)

«Most of the songs are melancholic, but melancholy doesn't necessarily mean depression. Shilf shows us that!» Intro (Germany)

«Slow to the trembling standstill, sometimes sad and self-absorbed but always full of dignity». Tages-Anzeiger (Zürich, Switzerland)

It wasn't just the press that loved the album. «Me» also got a lot of airplay on several German and Swiss radio stations. And the band played the legendary «Orange Blossom Special 2003» in the garden of Glitterhouse in Beverungen, Germany – with acts like Vic Chesnutt. In december 2003 Shilf did a German tour with Jay Farrar (ex-Uncle Tupelo), and in France «Me» started to get some success too.

Now Shilf are returning with their new album «Out For Food». It was recorded in summer 2003 in the Basel City studios and mixed in Ljubljana, Slovenia – and was produced by Chris Eckman again. The twelve songs oscillate between melancholy and optimism, coolness und honesty, carelessness and fragility and distinguish of a calm, that already formed the previous album. «Out For Food» ist typical Shilf, a creative mixture of folk, country and pop. But it's clearly more extrovert and playful than «Me» was.

So Shilf have done the right thing. They haven't just recorded another «Me», but discovered new horizons – beautiful horizons far beyond the swiss Americana.