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Photo: Jos and Tree

10/01/2021

Stephanie Schneiderman's latest solo album Crossfire out now

By ANA AMMANN // On Crossfire, Stephanie Schneiderman takes matters into her own hands as an artist and first time producer on her own album.

One of the Pacific Northwest’s most diverse and enduring songstresses, Stephanie Schneiderman, is releasing her first solo album in 9 years. Crossfire is a self-released labor of love that celebrates her debut as self-producer.

As a singer-songwriter, Schneiderman’s solo career began with a coveted spot in the Lilith Fair. Her credits since include recording 9 solo albums; performing in defiant pop trio Swan Sovereign and Dirty Martini; collaborating with a host of notable Northwest artists; stepping on stage in the musical the Full Monty; producing a wildly successful humanitarian concert series for refugees in northern Uganda; and penning a musical about human trafficking.  This artist is constantly working and evolving.

A genre chameleon, Schneiderman has never been tied to any one style or discipline. Her latest album, she tells us, is a culmination of her past sonic explorations—folk, Americana, trip hop, and pop—resulting a beautifully dark and deeply introspective recording.

Sitting down with Tom D’Antoni on a recent episode of the OMN Coffeeshop Conversations podcast with husband Tony Furtado, Schneiderman talked about the album’s title track. “My original plan was to release an EP, but I decided to make it a full-length album when “Crossfire” came along - it blends together all the places I’ve been musically,” she shared. “This song has textures that are both electronic and organic. The lick has this Appalachian hint about it and the song is very pop in its melody.  It combines a lot of the worlds that I’ve danced between throughout the years.”

Watch: Behind the Scenes | The making of Crossfire the Album

To celebrate the release, Schneiderman will be playing several unplugged sets at iconic Portland locations. She is calling the series "City Serenade," where fans can purchase the new album in person and hear stripped down versions of her new songs with the ambient city sounds as her backing band.

She hopes to grow this idea into a movement of artists "singing the city back to life" with city involvement and the eventual goal to raise money for Oregon Food Bank.

See Stephanie Schneiderman perform in her City Serenade:

• Sunday, October 3^rd, 1 pm – Tilikum Crossing Bridge
• Sunday, October 10^th, 1 pm – Albina Railyards

And if you’d like to help her celebrate this latest release, you can join the Portland album release party via live stream on Saturday, October 16th at 7:00pm from the gorgeous confines of Portland's brand-new Tree Farm Building, located in the Industrial District of Inner SE, overlooking the Morrison Bridge. A limited number of tickets are available, but the concert will be streaming worldwide.

LIVESTREAM CD RELEASE SHOW WITH LIMITED TICKETS AVAILABLE

Saturday | October 16 | 6:30pm doors open | 7:00pm show

Tree Farm Building @ 850 SE 3rdAvenue

Featuring Tony Furtado on his many stringed instruments and Dave Jorgensen on harmonium and keys

Limited VIP Tickets: Brown Paper Tickets

Livestream: Facebook Live

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For more information on shows, visit Stephanie Schneiderman’s website.

Crossfire is available for download on Bandcamp now.

Publisher’s Note:

There is a song on this album has special significance for me. In 2015, I commissioned Stephanie to write a song for my son Henry as a gift to mark his graduation from Tigard High School. I wanted to give him something enduring - reflecting the love and messages I had for him at that moment in time. Something he could carry with him on his life's journey. The result was "Henry's Song - Wherever You Go."  I was elated to learn that a new incarnation of the song made it’s way onto Crossfire (Track 5). While written with someone specific in mind, it’s a universal song about loving, supporting and accepting someone. My eyes still well up when I hear it. You can read more about how the song came together here.  

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