This event has passed.

Society of Broken Souls

July 13, 2018 @ 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Society of Broken Souls is a Folk Noir songwriting duo of multi-instrumentalists Dennis James and Lauryn Shapter. Shapter and James know a thing or two about broken souls. While their music is deeply rooted in the time-honored tradition of storytelling, their songs move seamlessly from the darkly fictitious to the profoundly personal — meaning they come by their name honestly. With not just a few scars and more years behind them than ahead, they each have stared down their own personal demons in order to serve the art form that has never let go of its hold on them. Though they tried their hand at the straight life, it never took. “Music is the only thing that makes any sense,” says James. “Nothing else matters.” In their return to music, they are discovering true artistic freedom and rekindled joy in pursuit of their craft.

Called “a songwriting powerhouse” (Ben Kieffer, Iowa Public Radio), the duo performs their own brand of American roots music. While they have their roots as an acoustic duo, their live show has blossomed into an expansive setting for weathered characters, tough topics, and quiet beauty. Fiddle, drums, keyboard, and acoustic and electric guitars, in intricately woven and varied arrangements, create a wide, dynamic palette. As they take turns singing lead and harmony, the pair paints a vast emotional landscape, ranging from the rebellious and jubilant to the introspective and heartfelt.

Above all else, James and Shapter sing their truth, and in doing so, offer a solace that comes from bringing the broken-hearted jewels out of the darkness. By having the courage to look to the cracks in their hearts and the chips on their souls, they have discovered a redemptive beauty. It drives their art, celebrates all of life, and invites the listener to walk through the fire with them — and to find freedom, strength, and joy on the other side.