Eilen Jewell

Eilen Jewell
Background information
Born (1979-04-06) April 6, 1979
Boise, Idaho, United States
Genres
OccupationSinger-songwriter
InstrumentsVocals, guitar
Years active1998–present
LabelSignature Sounds
Spouses
Jason Beek
​
​
(m. 2003; div. 2020)​
​
(m. 2024)​
Websitewww.eilenjewell.com

Eilen Jewell (/ˈiːlɪn/ EE-lin; born April 6, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter from Boise, Idaho. She has released nine studio albums and one live album. Her musical style crosses several areas of Americana music, ranging from blues to gospel, country, rockabilly, and honky-tonk. Given during an on-stage introduction at a show in Boston by a fellow musician, she has taken the title "Queen of the Minor Key".

Early life and education

Jewell grew up in Boise, Idaho. Demonstrating an early interest in music, she requested piano lessons at age seven,[1] and began writing and recording her own songs a year later. She began learning guitar at fifteen, with her father's record collection raising her interest in learning how to play like blues performers Mississippi John Hurt and Howlin' Wolf.[2] Jewell attended St. John's College in Santa Fe, New Mexico.[3][4]

Career

Jewell began her musical career busking on the streets of Santa Fe while attending college.[3] She then moved to Los Angeles and performed on the streets of Venice Beach.[3] Jewell subsequently moved to Massachusetts in 2003, first living with friends in Great Barrington before moving east to Boston.[2][5][6] There, she briefly busked in subway stations which she called "the opposite" of Venice Beach, saying the cold, underground atmosphere compelled her to give up busking and seek to perform at local music clubs.[3][7]

Boston: 2003–2012

Soon following her relocation and decision to try performing on stage, Jewell met drummer Jason Beek. Recording a "live demo" album in 2005 called Nowhere in Time, Jewell landed a Saturday residency at the now-closed Tír na nÓg pub in Union Square, Somerville.[8] Beek introduced her to guitarist Jerry Miller, and with the addition of upright bass player Johnny Sciascia, the core of Jewell's band for over a decade was formed.[5] Beek and Jewell married, and Beek served as Jewell's manager as well as being her drummer and husband.

During an interview with Cape Cod Times in 2017, Jewell remarked: "If it weren’t for Boston and the Boston music scene and Boston being a magnet for great musicians, I don’t think I would have a musical career.”[9] Prior to performing a show during that time, she was introduced to patrons by a fellow musician who, remarking on her penchant for writing songs in minor key, dubbed Jewell "The Queen of the Minor Key".[10]

Jewell's first studio album Boundary County was released in 2006.[11] Americana record label Signature Sounds Recordings founder Jim Olsen was captivated by the album, later remarking that listening to it “feels like reading a long letter from an old friend”.[2] Olsen signed Jewell to his label, releasing the follow-up Letters from Sinners & Strangers in 2007.[12]

Jewell, along with other members of her band and members of the Tarbox Ramblers, formed The Sacred Shakers for Sunday gospel brunch performances at The Plough and Stars pub in Cambridge in 2008.[13][14] The band performed decades-old gospel blues songs mainly found in the public domain.[15] In early 2009 Jewell released the album Sea of Tears.[16]

In 2010, Jewell released Butcher Holler, a collection featuring the band covering songs Loretta Lynn wrote and sang in the first dozen years of her career. Referring to her adopted nickname, in 2011 she issued her fourth album of original music, Queen of the Minor Key.[17]

Jewell and her band have toured the U.S., Canada, Europe,[18] the UK and Australia, including performances at South by Southwest[19] and NPR's World Cafe.[8][20][21] The album Live at The Narrows, recorded in Fall River, was released in 2014.[22]

Return to Boise: since 2012

After living in Boston for several years, Jewell returned to Boise with Beek in around 2012.[23] Her 2015 album, Sundown Over Ghost Town, was largely inspired by her return to Boise.[24] The 2017 album release of Down Hearted Blues marked Jewell's second set of cover songs, featuring compositions by vintage blues artists such as Alberta Hunter, who penned the title song.[25] This was followed in 2019 by Gypsy, which featured Jewell on electric guitar for the first time.[26]

Jewell and Beek's marriage began to fall apart in 2020, and the couple divorced. Jewell's 2023 album release Get Behind the Wheel chronicles the breakup with the closing song "The Bitter End".[27] In late 2024, Jewell released a vinyl LP version of Butcher Holler featuring new cover artwork, new live versions of two songs, and a cover of Loretta Lynn's 1975 single "The Pill".[28]

In a post on her Facebook page on February 15, 2026, Jewell announced she would be taking a possibly permanent break from touring, writing "A gut feeling is telling me to get off the road, at least for now. After 2026, touring and I will part ways for a year, maybe two, maybe fifty...it’s hard to say at this point."[29][30]

Personal life

Jewell was married to her drummer and manager Jason Beek between 2003 and 2020. After a first mention in a social media posting about her "fiancé" in June 2023,[31] Jewell married actor Blake Shields in November 2024.[32] The couple have announced a collaboration on an event dubbed "Boise Art Happening", with storytelling, music, and poetry reading, scheduled for March 20, 2026 in Boise.[33]

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

EPs and singles

  • Heartache Boulevard (2008) EP
  • "A Satisfied Mind" (2020)
  • "Green River" / "Summertime" (2020)
  • "Pretty Paper" (2021)

with The Sacred Shakers

  • The Sacred Shakers (The Sacred Shakers) (2008)
  • Live (The Sacred Shakers) (2014)

Notes and references

  1. ^ "Dialogue | Singer/Songwriter Eilen Jewell | Season 2014 | Episode 17" (video). pbs.org. Interviewed by Marcia Franklin. Idaho Public Television. December 26, 2014. Event occurs at 8:07.
  2. ^ a b c Bonfiglio, Jeremy D. (May 28, 2015). "Eilen Jewell Brings It All Back Home to Boise". No Depression. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  3. ^ a b c d Amy Atkins (August 29, 2007). "Wide Open Spaces". Boise Weekly. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2011.
  4. ^ "Music Notes: Eilen Jewell, Darryl Wise and more". Jacksonville.com. May 8, 2009. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  5. ^ a b Miller, Jay N. (April 24, 2009). "MUSIC SCENE: Cambridge-based songwriter a rising star". The Patriot Ledger. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  6. ^ Madeloni, Dave (January 20, 2007). "Feels Like Coming Home". The Berkshire Eagle. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  7. ^ "Dialogue | Singer/Songwriter Eilen Jewell | Season 2014 | Episode 17" (video). pbs.org. Interviewed by Marcia Franklin. Idaho Public Television. December 26, 2014. Event occurs at 35:20.
  8. ^ a b Jewell, Eilen (September 4, 2007). "Eilen Jewell: Songs from 'Sinners and Strangers' : World Cafe". NPR. Npr.org. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  9. ^ Burns, Joe (August 31, 2017). "Jewell unearths gems of old blues music". Cape Cod Times. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  10. ^ "Dialogue | Singer/Songwriter Eilen Jewell | Season 2014 | Episode 17" (video). pbs.org. Interviewed by Marcia Franklin. Idaho Public Television. December 26, 2014. Event occurs at 24:50.
  11. ^ "Boundary County | Eilen Jewell". Bandcamp. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
  12. ^ "Pops in the Pines « RTRFM / The Sound Alternative". Rtrfm.com.au. Archived from the original on February 22, 2012. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  13. ^ Blagg, Christopher (August 5, 2008). "Sacred Shakers perform praise-worthy country gospel". The Boston Herald. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  14. ^ Kornfeld, Michael (December 13, 2009). "A Quick Q & A with Eilen Jewell". AcousticMusicScene.com. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  15. ^ Oliver, Kevin (2014). "The Sacred Shakers". Country Standard Time. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  16. ^ Munro, Stuart (April 27, 2009). "Eilen Jewell, 'Sea of Tears'". The Boston Globe.
  17. ^ "New podcast! Joseph Arthur, Arctic Monkeys and more new tunes". Content.usatoday.com. June 2, 2011. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  18. ^ Östnäs, Magnus (April 29, 2010). "Folkscenens nya stjärna i Uppsala". Uppsala Nya Tidning. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  19. ^ "Eilen Jewell "Bang Bang Bang"". YouTube.com. Music Fog. March 30, 2011. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  20. ^ "What a Night! Eilen Jewell and the Cannondolls Rocked the Strater Theatre". KSUT. February 17, 2018.
  21. ^ "Eilen Jewell & Jerry Miller". Club Passim. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  22. ^ "Album review: Eilen Jewell, 'Live at the Narrows'". Idaho Statesman. February 3, 2015. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  23. ^ Stoller, Gary (January 14, 2020). "Eilen Jewell: Boise and Idaho, Inspirations From The Beginning". Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  24. ^ from an interview on Americana Music Show #247 Deprecated link archived January 5, 2016, at archive.today, published May 19, 2015.
  25. ^ Kerzner, Barry (October 18, 2017). "Eilen Jewell's 'Down Hearted Blues' Is Understated Elegance". American Blues Scene. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
  26. ^ Horowitz, Hal (August 19, 2019). "Eilen Jewell: Gypsy". American Songwriter. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
  27. ^ Havighurst, Craig (November 17, 2023). "Eilen Jewell Caps Off Another Strong Year 'Behind The Wheel'". WMOT Roots Radio. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  28. ^ "You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Aaron Burdett, Nic Gareiss, and More". The Bluegrass Situation. October 25, 2024. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  29. ^ Jewell, Eilen (February 15, 2026). "Eilen Jewell's Post". Facebook. Retrieved March 7, 2026.
  30. ^ Jewell, Eilen (March 6, 2026). "Eilen Jewell's post". Facebook. Retrieved March 7, 2026.
  31. ^ Jewell, Eilen (June 12, 2023). "Eilen Jewell's Post". Facebook. Eilen Jewell. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
  32. ^ Abramovitz, Blake Shields (December 1, 2024). "Non-Muggle Wedding Vows". Medium. Blake Shields Abramovitz. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
  33. ^ "Art Happening - Eilen Jewell, Blake Shields and Guests". Boise Contemporary Theatre. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
  34. ^ "Gypsy by Eilen Jewell". Apple Music. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
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