When an artist has the bravery to follow their passion amazing things can happen. Be willing to keep experimenting and reaching outside your comfort zone to find exactly where you are meant to be. Our recent discovery Shell Games is a great example of opening themselves up to realize big things may be on the horizon.
The New Haven, Connecticut based band is the brainchild of husband and wife team Carrie Martinelli (vocals/synth) and Nick Post (guitar). They had played together in other peoples’ bands for years before making the leap to create their own music in the studio last year. Their debut album Smoke & Mirrors received a better reception than even they had expected. Lead single “Body Snatchers” cruised through 50,000 streams in under six months. Realizing they were on to something, they quickly got back to work to expand the project.
To complete the band they brought in Ted Freeman on drums, Steve Athans on bass, and Devin McGrath on guitar. Shell Games was complete. Together they craft a fresh alt rock/synth pop sound that is as catchy as it is captivating. The live shows with the full band caught attention as well motivating them to push for more music.
Play Some Battleship With Shell Games
Back in March, Shell Games released “Please Don’t Sink My Battleship” to keep the momentum going. The song kicks off with a steady drum beat before Carrie’s vocals come in to grab the listener right from the get go. There is a pop-punk feel but the group has no problems expanding the sound to touch outside the genre lines. Heartfelt lyrics delivered with playful energy demand attention while the band turns up the energy with a full in your face sound. The chorus is catchy AF and will have fans singing along.
Never resting, Shell Games put together a music video to complete the package with Boston-based filmographer Ben Cassiani. Although a fun song about a childhood board game, it is a metaphor for getting your power back after heartbreak-related trauma. This is captured in the video with a bunch of nostalgic 90s references that bring back the best of memories. It was actually filmed at Best Video in Hamden, CT, one of the last remaining DVD rental stores/music venues/cafes out there. If more of us can hold onto our childhood innocence and positivity and not look to get ahead at any means necessary we could live in a better world….. with more fun Shell Games music.
Keep an eye out for a new 10 song album from Shell Games in the next few months. Follow them for more info and music:
