ABOUT
ODESSA CHEN
Songwriter, Multi-Instrumentalist, Producer, Arranger, Engineer
Cinematic and spectral, Odessa Chen’s music is a journey, intimate as a long held secret. Each song, like a tiny rowboat maneuvering in the dark, transports us to the deepest part of the lake where the stars shine brightest.
Traveling through despair towards transcendence, through stark winters to hazy summers, each haunting memory and snapshot in time speaks of the romance of heightened experiences, pivotal moments, and the rush of love. Resonating with influences of folk, old country, indie rock, and classical choral music, Odessa’s songs reach from the autobiographical towards the universal.
She is currently finishing her most forceful album to date with world renowned mixer Joe Chicarelli (U2, Morrisey, White Stripes, Elton John, Tori Amos).
Odessa has been featured on MTVU and NPR and has toured the U.S. and Europe. She’s worked with Devin Hoff (Nels Cline Singers, Xiu Xiu), Wilco’s Nels Cline, Scott Amendola, Roger Riedlebauer (Jolie Holland), and Rich Douthit of The Drift.
In 2013 she released two EP’s with the chamber classical Invisible Stories Ensemble. She was half of electronic pop duo The Great Fires with Nyles Lannon (Film School), a member of Thee More Shallows, and has appeared on major label releases and commercials as a session singer including Zack Smith’s (Scandal) solo project.
Odessa was born in Baltimore, Maryland to a physicist, organist, choir director, father. Her mother is a nationally recognized watercolorist.
COLLABORATORS
Odessa has collaborated with Ragnar Kjartansson (widely considered to be one of the most significant performance artists of his generation)
Kjartan Sveinsson keyboardist of Sigor Ros
Todd Hido (Joy Division)
Zack Smith of 80’s band Scandal (The Warrior, Goodbye to You)
Choreographers Garrett + Moulton Productions & The Invisible Stories Ensemble (Peter Gabriel, Aimee Mann)
Nyles Lannon (Film School)
Classical Composer Max Stoffregen
She was a member of Troia, Thee More Shallows, and The Great Fires.
CONTRIBUTORS
THESE TALENTED ONES HAVE JOINED ME AT VARIOUS TIMES
JOE CHICARELLI : ENGINEER U2, Elton John ,The White Stripes, Tori Amos and many more.
DEVIN RAY HOFF : BASS Cibo Matto, Julia Holter, Vijay Iyer, Nels Cline, Graham Connah, Ben Goldberg, Howard Wiley, Carla Kihlstedt, Scott Amendola, Hugh Ragin, Good for Cows with Ches Smith, and Carla Bozulich. https://devinhoff.bandcamp.com
ROGER RIEDLBAUER : GUITAR Jolie Holland, Sean Hayes, Gojogo, the Halifax Pier, Music in the Other. http://woodandwires.net
NELS CLINE : GUITAR Wilco, Julian Lage, The Nels Cline Singers, Scott Amendola, and Stained Radiance amoung countless others. http://www.nelscline.com
SCOTT AMENDOLA : DRUMS Charlie Hunter, Will Bernard, John Schott, Nels Cline, Jenny Scheinman, Jeff Parker, Ben Goldberg and Devin Hoff, Bill Frisell, Kelly Joe Phelps and Nels Cline. http://scottamendola.com
RICH DOUTHIT : DRUMS The Drift, Winfred E. Eye, Boxcar Saints https://thedrift.bandcamp.com
CRAIG ADAMS : GUITAR Winfred E.Eye http://www.winfredeeye.com
JAY PELLICCI : ENGINEER Head Engineer at New, Improved Recording and formerly Tiny Telephone, Jay has recorded Magnetic Fields, Sleater-Kinney, The Dodos, Mates of State, Deerhoof, and Death Cab for Cutie. http://www.jaypellicci.com/
IAN PELLICCI : ENGINEER John Vanderslice, Rumah Sakit, 31 Knots. http://www.ianpellicci.com/
JEFF BYRD : ENGINEER Spoon, Neurosis, Explosions In The Sky, Iron and Wine.
APPEARANCES
ODESSA HAS APPEARED on records by Nyles Lannon, Thee More Shallows,
Noe Venable, Vienna Teng (Decca Universal), Carta, Charles Atlas,
and as a session vocalist on many more records and commercials for Honda and Nutella.
RECORDINGS
Thee More Shallows : More Deep Cuts (Monotreme, Turn)
Nyles Lannon : Falling Inside (Badman)
Noe Venable : Cascadia (Independent)
Vienna Teng: Inland Territory (Decca Universal)
Carta : The Faults Follow (Saint Marie Records)
Charles Atlas : To The Dust: From Man You Came To Man You Shall Return (Ochre Records)
Details Hurt My Mind : Various Artists (Independent)